oscar breeding

Question
ron,

i have two 5' oscars in a 55 gallon tank. from the last few days they are liplocking aggressively. the tip of the female's mouth has become red. is this breeding or territorial behavior?
and what can i do to succesfully hatch the eggs and raise the babies?

ashrith.

Answer
Hi Ashrith,
  The interesting thing is that aggression between two males or between two females looks pretty much the same as courtship.  If they spawn, you really don't need to do anything -- the parents do an excellent job.  Keep in mind that even if they are courting, they could lay eggs tommorrow or it could be a year from now.  Look for them clearing the gravel at the bottom of the tank or on a rock or piece of wood.  The eggs are about 2mm long and a tan-whitish color.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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