Just thought I'd share this.

[~firefly~]

Nature can be heartless sometimes, but that is the natural order, and I think that its our responsibility to create and environment as close to real nature as we can. Feeling bad for the goldfish being eaten is a stupid human emotion that has no place in the wild kingdom.

Ha ha...no problem.

If you extend that further, to the extreme I will admit, you might argue that paedophilia is just humans recreating the gang rape scenario that juvenile male bottlenose dolphins experience when set upon by a rival male gang.

To me (personal opinion) - it doesn't make it ok, just because it happens in nature. But each to their own. I'm sorry if I have irritated anyone by expressing my views.

[ddavis1979]

Its not the same, If you were to recreate the scene with dolphins, it would be the same. Recreation with humans is not similar at all.

[AllenIsbell]

Thanks Davis for the post. I feel the same way about it. Thanks for the info on amount of live fish to feed. And thanks Cliff for mentioning my main intentions of the thread.

No hard feelings! Everyone's opinions, likes, dislikes, and thrills only matters to them, but are respected by me!

[shubunkin]

sorry to join this debate so late but ive just joined, i used to breed guppies and convict cichlids to feed my pumpkinseed, he would eat worms and really lean mince but he loved live fish, i agree it looks cruel, the feeder fish dont have as much chance to escape but for the fish its very beneficial as long as they are not over fed them

[~firefly~]

i agree it looks cruel, the feeder fish dont have as much chance to escape

Surely they don't have any chance. Each to their own.

[FinalJenemba]

I won't take a moral stance either way. But just wanted to add some fact about Oscars for a practical point of view. Oscars don't eat other fish in the wild, they live almost 100% on crustaceans and insects. In the wild they are not fast enough to catch fish, they only get them in aquariums because they can corner them.

Im not an advocate for never feeding live fish and indeed some fish like snakeheads need to eat fish but from the view of the Oscar's health feeders offer only bad health. Thats all ill say on the subject.

Nice tank otherwise! I love the pleco and the smaller Oscar looks quite healthy. Is the larger one a rescue? He looks like he's suffering from HOTH?

[jrbirdman92]

You guys should check out oscarfish.com for some real facts about feeder fish for oscars