Kind of a funny subject title but that's what I call it when my Os are doing this...whether they are just gingerly floating around or defending themselves from my baby parrot fish they seem to have this "CROOKEDNESS" to them. Is that they way they look around? I read that Os have very good eyesight and I was just wondering about that behavior. My girlfriend and I just sit there and laugh at how they tip themselves sideways and seem to be really getting a good look at whatever it may be! Again...just curious.

oscar really do several tricks. they could swim up and down in circle but sideways.
is that what you mean???? sometimes, they swin away with the tankmate in sideway
manner too, not darting away straight.

yeah they swim around like you explained but they seem to be really examining things. kind of looks like they cant see very well but I know for sure that when food is around they can see very well. actually my tiger(kratos) can't see very well because he had a sickness and hasn't been able to see very well since he was sick. other than him being sick when i first got him two months ago, he has been doing wonderful! you know how people look when they are looking through a microscope? well that's how I would explain it. If I can catch a quick pic I'll show you. It's actually quite comical when they just do it.

i think they do it to get a better look at something

mine does it sometimes, going practically sideways just to look at something underneath it.

Right Oscars of course see in two directions at once...It's difficult for them to see straight on...A side view is far superior. Lateral line sight.

just wait till you see one swimming upside down while swimming backwards trying to peek in a hole at another fish. that always trips me out when my o is peeking in my stump at my tasty catfish lol

That's exactly what mine do to my parrot fish. If I remember correctly, you and I have the same little stump. right now my o's are young as well as the parrot, everyday I look at them and wish they were bigger, but then I say nah then I'd be missing all of this craziness!

my 3 small clown loaches live in this hollow log.. when my oscars were smaller they used to go in throgh the hole at the front, now they cant fit through it, so they go in the left hand side... thing is they have to do it on their side.. one of them does this all the way to the end while the other one waits for the loaches to flee.. I'm sure one day they will be dinner lol..

T

This is standard oscar behaviour, they do it when they are examining something. They kind of lean to the side a bit and look. Bit like someone tilting their head to one side when they are looking at something quizically