Oscars fighting each other

[turfboss]

I have had two Oscars in the same tank for the past several months - and although I added 4 random fish a couple of months ago - all was well and peaceful until this past weekend - I though they were in some sort of a mating ritual but now it looks like they are trying to kill each other - actually one seems to be trying to kill the other - thought we might have had a male and a female - now I am not so sure. Looks like I need to separate them but thought I would check to see if others have some thoughts on why this might be happening??

 

[UNCLERUCKUS]

is it fighting or just shimmying and some brutal liplocking? my oscars get pretty physical when the mood hits. one minute its love and the next someones cleared off a rock and wants to liplock. for you i hope its the later.

 

[turfboss]

Hey DQ - thanks for the response - it seems like it is mostly the latter but boy do they get into it in circling and circling and then nothing and then all of a sudden it is lip lock heaven with both of them thrashing about - they look like warriors that have been through the battle with scales gone etc and bloody mouths -

I think they just need a bigger tank and maybe they will spawn -

 

[verbal]

If possible when you move them to the larger tank, it would be a good idea to move the female to the tank first and let her get established a little. You are more likely to have success with the stronger fish moving into the weaker fish' terrritory, than the reverse.