What to feed my Oscar

**silentspidey** · 09-23-2009, 07:04 PM

So i have Oscar the Oscar fish. thats his name...and its actually a girl but idc. ( i found out later)

So i have had her since she was 1 inch. Now she is 9 inches and it seems her growing has stopped or just slowed down. My feeding habits havent been the same either. The attention i used to give her was alot more as well. But im preoccupied with my new planted tank..lol

But feeding her krill was the best thing really cause she grew fast. The stuff she loved i cant find anymore. It was perfect. big meaty and didnt make a mess at all. Now i have these cichlid sticks but they just break up in his mouth and it all comes out the gills. i feel that its makeing a mess and she isnt getting enough food. But i dont wanna feed more and make my tank filthy. My Jack Dempseys love them but Oscar isnt gettin enough i think. I dont like doing feeder fish cause i heard it will give them Hole in the Head. Also she is blind in one eye so catching the fish was hard enough when your competing with 2 Jack Dempseys and 2 Convicts. I heard i could feed him hot dogs and tilapia. What do yall feed your Oscars?

Oh yea i feed him live crickets too like everyone other day cause i have a Bearded Dragon as well. But those get exspensive.

-Spidey

Set Up
1 tiger oscar
2 jack dempseys
2 convicts
1 cory cat
1 pleco
50ish convict fry. (damn fish)

**Crispy** · 09-23-2009, 07:11 PM

Instead of crickets, you could feed it superworms. Not much more expensive than crickets and 1 worm has the protein of 20 crickets. I find hikari carnivore sticks are made for messy eaters and they won't cloud your water or leave much mess when chewed. Also, oscars tend to slow down their growing when they hit the 9 inch mark so that is normal.

**Northernguy** · 09-23-2009, 07:37 PM

Have you read this yet?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=35714

**MonkeyPox** · 09-23-2009, 08:06 PM

I feed my oscars a combination of flakes and pellets daily, and blood worms once a week as a treat. Sometimes I'll mix in a little beef heart as well.

**MCHRKiller** · 09-23-2009, 08:37 PM

Definatly get some fresh seafood in the fish's diet. Some chopped fresh fish and raw shrimp are great. Oscars are also omnivores so you can try shoving some thawed spinach inside a chunk of raw fish, my oscars will also suprisingly eat apples, cantalope and zuchinni pieces. I also feed a wide array of Hikari foods...it seems to be the cleanest fish food you can give them. I use the Carnivore sticks, Cichlid Pellets, and Massivore. Also if your concerned with nutrition soaking your Oscar's fresh food in a vitamin supplement such as Seachem Nourish will do alot of good

**silentspidey** · 09-24-2009, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by Northernguy

Have you read this yet?
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aqua...ad.php?t=35714

Yea i did. Just looking for a brand of food to rely on. Seems Hikari is the brand of choice. Im just trying to keep my tank as clean as possible. I tried doing come raw fish but didnt take to it. When i had some live crawfish in there the quickly destroyed them. That was pretty fun to watch.
Any other recommendation on live food beside the worms and crickets?

Thanks again. Do these Hikari foods float or sink?

**Demi ^_^** · 09-24-2009, 12:24 AM

I use Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets - they work wonders! Ever since I've used them, Aussie has developed a beautiful colour and he has grown heaps! I also feed him live insects (Another love of his!), sometimes mosquito larvae && monthly he gets bloodworms :-)

The pellets I use, float.

Oh, and I feed basically anything that moves to Aussie! My family is very keen on him, so you'll see my dad outside catching moths, and my mum in the garden looking for bugs

I remember once, my brother ran inside with a cup. Before I could say "Whats that?" He'd emptied the cup into the tank and a COCKROACH fell out! Ewwkk! It seemed compatible with Aussy, mind you!

**Northernguy** · 09-24-2009, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by Demi ^_^

I use Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets - they work wonders! Ever since I've used them, Aussie has developed a beautiful colour and he has grown heaps! I also feed him live insects (Another love of his!), sometimes mosquito larvae && monthly he gets bloodworms :-)

The pellets I use, float.

Also they produce a noticably less amount of waste!
At least my two do!

I have white sand and it really shows so a food like this is very much appreciated! lol

**Demi ^_^** · 09-24-2009, 12:43 AM

Lol!

**guppy1** · 10-01-2009, 06:06 PM

my oscar is about 13 to 14 in once he reached about 8in he stopped eating things that didnt move, like fish crickets hoppers etc, i have tried blood worms sticks balls of all different makes but nothing but oh well. If you live near a muddy river or get alot of rain u can dig up night crawlers, all i ever feed him is those smaller frogs and crickets