My Oscar changed colors, it got darker

Question
QUESTION: I read that it is usual for an Oscar to change colors to lighter colors when it gets older, I have a female [I think that's the sex] and she was a striking grey/black striped oscar with bright orange stripes on her. But I arrived home today and O'Malley [the fish]was almost completely black and her orange stripes seemed brighter. Is this normal, or should I be concerned?
I keep O'Malley in a 55 gallon with 2 other chichlids [two ahlis] Could the other fish be the problem?

ANSWER: Hi April,
  If her orange stripes are brighter that is not a bad sign.  If a fish goes dusky dark all over, that is usually a bad sign but if the stripes get more intense that is often a sign that the fish is "pumped up".  If there were another oscar in the tank, that might be a sign that she was interested in mating.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you! Well the reason I think it is a female, is she's always digging around and I heard thats a sign that its a girl. But I have a blue electric ahli in the tank, and I hear the males of that species will spawn with any species of fish. Could that be it? Are there 'mutt' fish? She also turned really dark when ever my brother tryed to feed her, she turned super dark, and swam away and layed a little on her side like she was stressed out. Which is weird b/c she will eat out of my hand or my boyfriend's hand. . . it was really weird. Is that normal? Sorry to ask so many questions. . .I just like to make sure my animals are happy and healthy. I sound like a worried mother, don't I?

Answer
Hi April,
  "She" could be either a female or a male, both sexes of oscars will do a lot of digging.   

  Many species of cichlids can and will interbreed in a fish tank, though I strongly discourage it.  That said, it is highly unlikely that an oscar would breed with an electric blue because they have very different breeding styles.  

 The fact that your fish acts very differently towards different people is one of the really cool things about oscars. They easily recognize individual people and behave differently towards each person.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>