Oscar Feeding Tips

#1
I thought for some of the new oscar owners, and for some of the forum browsers interested in Oscar feeding ideas I would post a form of guideline :) HITH (Hole In The Head) is linked to poor water quality and poor nutrition :)

Oscars are not complete meat eaters and their diets, even in the wild, do not consist of that many smaller fishes but like any other large predatory fish they are opportunistic feeders and will eat whatever they can fit into their mouth. They are more insect and larvae eaters as well as eating plant life. For those of you that post on O-Fish you will see this list over and over again.

70-90% of an Oscar's Diet
Good Quality Pellets!
EX: Omega One, Hikari Gold or Bio Gold

EXTRA FOODS That you can add in to your regular diet OR can be used as snacks!
Shrimp (frozen with shells removed or ghost shrimp live from the LFS :))
Beef Heart (You can buy this at the LFS frozen into cubes. Be Careful not to over feed!)
Spirulina Algae
Blood worms (Frozen from the LFS. I prefer Frozen over de-hydrated)
Meal worms (Live from the LFS)
Crickets (Live from the LFS)
Kril
Plankton
Earth worms and the like
Worms and Insects make GREAT Food!

The occasional quarrantined feeder is also a good choice for a snack or a desert.



Fruits and Veggies
Lettuce
Cabbage
Zucchini
peeled seedless grapes
bits of seedless orange and tangerine
papaya
banana
mango
softened apple and pear
blanched veggies with seeds and skin removed (cucumber, peas, carrot, green beans)

Fruits and veggies ensure that your O is getting all the minerals and vitamins needed to keep them happy and healthy!


Remember live foods foul your water quicker!

This Section is taken from ChileRelleno on OscarFish.Com on Live Foods

When you say feeders, think worms, meal worms & crickets, these are the live foods which are easiest to purchase, store and feed without extensive quarantine/breeding to prevent possible transfer of parasites/disease via feeder fish.

Now don't get me wrong, feeder fish are a viable and nutritious food optition.
My views on feeder fish...

Feeder fish if fed are a treat/dessert, perhaps a couple of feeders per week.

Please, do not feed Goldfish or Rosy Reds, they are high in fats* and thiaminase**, neither of which are good for your predatory fish.

Feed common tropicals, e.g. Guppies, Platies, Tetras and etc.

These are inexpensive and not usually kept in the same abhorrent conditions as the more common feeders.

These still need to be thoroughly quarantined*** and treated proactively for common diseases/parasites.

You can also raise your own feeder fish.

Many tropical livebearers are very prolific and if your willing to maintain the extra tanks then culled fry/juveniles make excellent feeders.

Raising your own feeders is a lot of work, but if you already have a healthy well established Guppy tank or a pair of Convicts then maintaining a growout tank is fairly easy.

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PRO



Feeder fish when properly quarantined/raised and conditioned/fed prior to feeding are a healthy nutrition packed meal.

Disregard the oft espoused nonsense that feeder fish have little or no nutritional value.

Some keepers think that the feeding of feeder fish is good for the instinct/psyche of the predatory fish, that exercising their natural instincts makes them healthier/happier fish.

In some ways I'm inclined to agree...

The larger the habitat, the more closely the habitat/water chemistry mimic natural ideal conditions and the better their dietary needs are met, the fish often grows faster/larger, display better coloration/patterning, more inclined to breed and so on.

Let's face it, many of us enjoy watching our predatory fish eat feeder fish/live foods and there is nothing wrong with'it as long as the foods are not fed purely for a sadistic pleasure.

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CON



Why feed feeder fish at all?

Your fish may not want to chase feeders, can't blame'im, why work when pellets come from the hand of God.

Your fish may initially try and give up, happens alot, then you have feeders living with your O.

Your fish could injure itself trying to chase feeders.

Your fish could die from a disease or parasite.

Your fish may decide to eat nothing but feeders, then you'd have to start all over again breaking'im to pellets.

Why all the bother, just to see'em eat another fish?

Why all the bother for something you might feed once a week, one or two feeders... Or even less.

Let the feeders stay at the LFS and die en masse there.

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I have and very likely will again feed feeder fish to my predatory fish, but my mainstay for live foods are and always will be, nightcrawlers, crickets and mealworms.

I recommend alternative live foods that pose much less risk of illness/infestation, e.g. crayfish, shrimp, worms of all types, crickets, meal-worms and etc.

Nice thing is that other than washing or gut loading these live foods no other precautions are really necessary.

Also, these are usually easier to obtain, transport and maintain.


*Fats
Cold-water fish are higher in fats and a steady diet of these can result in 'Fatty Liver Disease'.
MFK article wrote:

Although not a actual disease, fatty liver is a serious condition in which the liver becomes enlarged, often to the point that it interferes with, or even crushes, the other internal organs and is apparently the cause of death. This condition seems most commonly to be the result of poor diet, and the consensus of several well-known fish pathologists is that the single most common cause of fatty liver disease is a diet high in saturated fats, although biotin and/or choline deficiencies, toxemia and "unknown nonspecific causes" are also possible factors.

.........................................................................................................
**Thiaminase
Thiaminases
Quote:

Thiaminases are enzymes found in a few plants and the raw flesh and viscera of certain fish and shellfish. When ingested these enzymes split thiamin (Vitamin B1), an important compound in energy metabolism, and render it inactive.

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***Quarantine
A good quarantine consist of observation and proactive treatment lasting at least two weeks, prefer a month or even longer.

1)Observe prospective feeders at the LFS very closely, appearance, swimming, respiration, feeding and etc...
Any dead/unhealthy fish in the tank or adjacent tank(s), don't buy any.

2)Before introducing to QT, give'em a strong salt dip/bath, this will force many external parasites to drop off the host.

3)QT should be kept at 87'-88'F and salted at at least 1tblspn per 5gal, this will eradicate any ICH and some parasites.

4)Feed at least one week with antibacterial food and then at least one week with anti-parasite/protozoan food.

5)During this time observe closely for anything indicative of illness/infestation, treat accordingly with meds or just cull.

A proper QT is alot of work.
........................................................................................................

This piece is a work in progress, if you have any input I welcome it for consideration.

Thnx, Chile
 

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#3
:) They say veggies are good for Oscars due to them being omnivores and needing different nurtients. They really will eat anything that gets put into their tank even if it isn't good for them. :) Also, Some will soak their pelleted food in liquid centrium or another liquid fish vitamin just to be sure their Os are getting all of the nutrients they need.

When I first started Oscar keeping I had lots of questions about what I could and could not feed an oscar. O-fish.com was wonderful with what you can and cannot feed and what you may want to look at feeding instead of what you are feeding. So I compiled everything that I was told and the advise that others are given and made a long form kind of answer.:) I
 

Katie217

Superstar Fish
Jul 15, 2006
2,494
5
0
Florida
#4
Good post, very informative.
Im still planning on mealies, occasional earth worm (from bait shop) and krib fry (breeding my own) I've been thinking about setting up a 5gal for a female guppy, and just lettin her drop fry as she pleases too.
 

#5
Ewwwwwwww! LOL... I won't touch an earth worm much less feed one to Drae that I have to wash and 'squeeze' the stuff out of them! :D I grew up in the country but... I don't think I am going to chop a poor little worm up into slices so Draegan can destroy my tank! LOL....

I had actually bought some to feed him... I ended up letting them go in the garden...:D

Draegan LOVES shrimp! Be it the ones that you buy alive or the frozen raw ones :)
 

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Big Vine

Elite Fish
Feb 7, 2006
3,895
9
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47
Florida
#6
Thanks for the info., Heather.
I've just decided to limit my convicts to one batch of fry (I've parted with the parents) and use their 20 gal. tank for growout purposes for platies (since I've been neglecting my 'platy project') and a female crayfish (mate for 'Jerry'). I figure the platies will be more suitable anyway, because they aren't likely to evade Triton for long, if at all (unlike convict juvies, which could potentially end up growing up alongside Triton and then causing problems later). If the platy breeding doesn't prove efficient enough, I may opt to replace them with Endlers instead.

BV
 

#7
Heehee... Yay@Mate for Jerry :D The little blue guy... Too cute BV!

I kind of wanted to post a food guideline because it is something we have all discussed and I thought it would be neat to have a post where everything is available at a glance instead of having to ask or search through all of our many Oscar topics :) I find myself looking at this very same list (I have it printed and stuck on my refridge door) when I decide to feed Draegan or Callyx something different than what I had been feeding them :)

Some people even feed their Oscars toads, lizards and salamanders. NOTE: In order to do this you have to be able to correctly identify the species and KNOW that they are not harmful to your fish! (Which is why I DID NOT include these in my list.)
 

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#9
Other places I have seen also recommend a mixed diet. The guys at O-Fish have lots of Expierence and training. You should browse by there. They are really very informative. Some of them have vet and scientific backgrounds and others have been caring for Oscars for long times.

I have listed a few below in quotes as well as with the webpage address from where it was taken :)

Feed a varied diet and feed them more along the lines of their natural food - crustaceans, insects and greens - rather than so much processed food which disintegrates quickly and clouds the water. They love Earthworms - once they get over being frightened of them! oscar


Diet: In the wild approximately 60% of their diet is insects. The rest is a mix of smaller fish, frogs, and vegetable matter. In the aquarium we recommend a staple of high quality cichlid pellets such as OSI or Omega. Besides pellets, Oscars should receive a wide variety of foods such as crickets, worms, frozen beef heart, chicken liver, small crayfish, shrimp,cooked peas and carrots. A school of thought gaining in popularity recommends using a vitamin supplement on the Oscars food periodically to prevent Hole in the Head disease (HITH). The Oscar Spot - What Are Some Details About Oscars?


Omega One is a good product, problem is that oscars don't usually eat flake food. Try their small cichlid pellets, my oscar inhales them. Pick up some frozen beefheart, feed that a couple of times a week. Veggies are good as well, oscars are not strict piscavores, and need some vegetable matter to avoid constipation & bloat. Most any frozen veggie is good, avoid corn.

Mine gets fed zuccini, veggie pellets, & spirulina tablets, as well as peas, green beans, carrots, or whatever we may be making as veggies for dinner. Make sure any veggies don't have any butter or any other sauce. Try to make the pellets a staple, with the beefheart & veggies a couple of times a week. Avoid feeders, any found at any shop will eventually carry disease, they are not a necessary part of an oscar's diet. 2Pt. Question>What is the Best way to take care of oscar fish? why is he losing color?


What diet does my oscar need?

Diet - The absolute best food for oscars is good quality pellets. They are specifically designed to meet all of the oscar's nutritional needs. Some of the most commonly recommended ones are Hikari (Staple, Gold, and Biogold), HBH (Oscar Show & Oscar Grow), New Life Spectrum, and Omega One.

Treats - Even though pellets meet their nutritional needs, oscars appreciate a bit of variety in their diet. There are many treats that can be fed to oscars including crickets, earth worms, red worms, meal worms, krill/shrimp, snails, beefheart (but no other mammal or poultry meat), and some will even eat veggies like peas, spinach, and lettuce. Most pet stores will sell crickets, earth worms, meal worms, and red worms for fairly cheap. Although most people have a nice array of insects available in their backyards, giving them to fish can be risky because they could have come in contact with pesticides, which are poisonous to fish. Also, mammal and poultry meat contains a lot of unsaturated fat which fish cannot digest due to their low body temperature. The fat gets stored in the liver and can eventually kill the fish. Beefheart is an exception because it contains almost no fat. Flippersandfins.net Oscar FAQ

pacu & oscar feeding - Discussion & Articles. Auspet.com

Best food for oscar? - Monster Fish Keepers
 

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Sep 15, 2011
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#10
Nothing works

Please help!!

I recently brought 2 oscars from a fish shop that was closing down, i did ask the guy what they ate and he said anything, just feed them anything and sold me some fish pellets saying they will be fine with those, so assumed that was what he had been feeding them. Hummm..... well they wont eat anything but live meal worms, ive tried leaving them a couple of days and adding pellets, and a lot of the above bits but nope nothing these are 12 inches so not totally cost effective to feed them this live food as you can only buy it in tiny tubs. Has anyone got any ideas!!!
 

skjl47

Large Fish
Nov 13, 2010
712
0
0
Northeastern Tennessee.
#11
Please help!!

I recently brought 2 oscars from a fish shop that was closing down, i did ask the guy what they ate and he said anything, just feed them anything and sold me some fish pellets saying they will be fine with those, so assumed that was what he had been feeding them. Hummm..... well they wont eat anything but live meal worms, ive tried leaving them a couple of days and adding pellets, and a lot of the above bits but nope nothing these are 12 inches so not totally cost effective to feed them this live food as you can only buy it in tiny tubs. Has anyone got any ideas!!!
Hello; It has been several years/decades since keeping oscars, but do recall that feeding raw hamburger is not a good idea ( I was a kid then). More currently I get filets of salmon and catfish for my dinner and feed uncooked bits to my fish. Perhaps an oscar will take this as well? Perhaps raw canned peas?
 

KcMopar

Superstar Fish
#12
Mine get picky if I feed them the same stuff for a while. They will eat when they are Hungry! Just be firm! Just remove the pellets they do not eat after a few minutes. You may only want to try a few so you do not have so many to get back out. Oscars can be stubborn and spoiled but, don't let them fool you, they will eat. Sometimes mine go a few days with this act because they want fresh shrimp.
 

Meleemaker

Medium Fish
Nov 17, 2010
84
0
0
Pierre SD
#13
I would not fully reccomend using frozen food or worms from the LFS. I find that they often contain more parasites or bacteria than the freeze dried counterparts. I actually havnt fed my astronotus occellatus freeze dried worms(mosquito larvae) since he was about two inches long and I was putting in tablespoons on the worms for him to eat.

The rest is very good, but maybe include a section on the sensory pits on the heads(that could be mistaken for HITH) and how messy oscars are and that frequent water changes are just as important as daily feeding?