HELP! Oscar getting an asswhipping!

[ConvictKid]

I have a 150 gallon tank with about a 4-5 inch oscar, convict small firemouth, about 2-3inch jack dempsey, 2 plecos(small), and a striped raphael catfish. My convict recently has just gone insane. She is so aggresive and she doesnt have eggs. The oscar has bite marks all over him from her and he is starting to get aggressive. Today when i found a dead pleco i put the net in to scoop him out and he starts to bite the net.

The convict basicly controls the left half of the tank. Everyone stays on the right except the oscar. He just stays near the top in the middle left over the air stone. I have a long airstone that shoots out bubbles and he just sits and lets them flow on him. The place where he sits is right above where the convict likes to stay and she comes out and flairs up at him. Recently he has been trying to fight back.

When I try to throw some pellets near her the oscar comes and takes them and she ends up biting him. I feed them flakes, i think she eats a few, but not sure.

What is wrong with her? I dont want to get rid of her because I have had her for over 2 years. How can I calm her down? I was thinking about getting a divider, but I cannot find one that will fit my tank, and i dont want to pay an arm and a leg to get one customly made. What should I do? What can I do? Can I make my own divider? Any help would be greatly appreciaited.

[predatorcichlid]

It sounds like you have 2 problems. One the convict is older and fully mature and the others are still juveniles. Second the convict seems to be hyper aggressive. This may be due to the fact that if he has been kept in that tank before the others were introduced then she may have a large terratory staked out. Or if she has been kept alone for a while this may also happen. Finally it may be just her temperment.
You can make a dvider out of egg crate use to defuse lighting for a few dollars. Just cut it to fit.

[Tightdog1]

if you have another tank take out the convict and put in the other tank for a few days then put her back in the big tank, but rearrange the ddecor so that the terroritories have changed and every1 has to establish new territories.

[ChilDawg]

Tightdog1's suggestion, while a very very good one, may not work if your Con is as hyper-aggressive as you make it sound. If such is the case, you need to start getting more tanks or selling your other Cichlids back to the store. Here's hoping that the ol' switcheroo works!!!

[ConvictKid]

I have a 10 gallon that could be set-up, but i think it is a waste just to put one fish in there. Anyone know any safe ways of making dividers?

[Harry Tolen]

predatorcichlid already suggested the best method for making dividers (see above). You can buy that stuff at any hardware store, and hold it in place with the brackets and suction cups they sell for aquarium heaters.

[o snap its eric]

you con is sexually fustrated! :D

[ConvictKid]

but wouldnt that divider restrict filtration for the tank?

[ChilDawg]

Not if done the egg-crate diffuser way. There is room for water to flow through. Many do that with their cichlids in order to allow breeding.

[Tightdog1]

just get some big thing to put in as a divider but drill holes in it just big enough that the fish cant get through. then it wont restrict filtering too much.

[GEV83]

This Pic shows an egg crate notice the holes. That is an egg crate right???

http://www.aquamojo.com/festae/Festae%2045b.jpg

[Harry Tolen]

GER1023: thanks for posting that. That is indeed a picture of an "egg crate" divider.