How To Hand Feed Tiger Oscar?

[Fishforlife]

I have them since last May and they still don't trust me after all this. Whenever I try to hand feed it just swim away with his partner in crime. I have two Oscar by the way , R and O.

 

[aquandrew]

don't feed them for a few days, then try. though they may nip your fingers at first too

 

[jwh0818]

Try using live foods like mealworms or a cricket. Its a bit more enticing

 

[Fishforlife]

They never try to attack me and I try mosquito fish and they still swim away. They won't eat unless I hide from them.

 

[jwh0818]

They never try to attack me and I try mosquito fish and they still swim away. They won't eat unless I hide from them.

Try feeding with the lights off

 

[Fishforlife]

Ill try when I go back to the creek and catch the mosquito fish.

 

[jwh0818]

Ill try when I go back to the creek and catch the mosquito fish.

Do you QT these fish you catch from the wild?

 

[Fishforlife]

Yea for a week 1/2

 

[jwh0818]

Yea for a week 1/2

Okay good deal

 

[Fishforlife]

Yea and the other Oscar is eating all the food before the O can eat

 

[VOZIE]

Your lucky. Mine will eat from my hand but will go for me if I put my hand in the tank. The SOB won't back off.

Avoid encouraging them to jump for food if u have an open top tank. It's a bad practice and you may well wake up to find your fish on the floor.

 

[Fishforlife]

I try making them jump but they just don't want to. No hood and they never jump since they're always together cuddling , swimming with each other

 

[VOZIE]

The only reason I say that is because I have seen them jump at least a clear 6 inches out of the water for food. Also they like to jump if they see a fly or something over the tank. With an open too tank and a rather daft fish they could well end up on the floor.

Have u noticed that for there size and reputation they are I fact quoted placid fish with odd behaviour. My Oscar is the biggest fish in the tank. He has no problem with attacking me but then loves the other fish and showed no aggression at all. Strange fish but very rewarding.

 

[Tuck]

I have them since last May and they still don't trust me after all this. Whenever I try to hand feed it just swim away with his partner in crime. I have two Oscar by the way , R and O.

Try starting by putting your hand on the side of the tank when you feed, just follow the food with your finger for a week or so,
Then once they are used to your hand being on the outside of the glass try placing your fingers on the top of the water when you feed, again not holding the food.
Then once they are used to your hands being around them whilst feeding try hand feeding.

Patience is key, you will have to move either very slowly or not at all and just put your finger tips in the water not your full hand, and don't try and move the food to the fish. Let the fish come to the food on its own.

I'm not to sure about not feeding them. Doesn't really seem fair to almost force the fish to do something that their either scared of or uncomfortable doing. :/

 

[Fishforlife]

I've been letting my hand by the food inside the tank and they're getting use to it. They still hesitated a little when getting the food

 

[Tuck]

I've been letting my hand by the food inside the tank and they're getting use to it. They still hesitated a little when getting the food

Keep at it. Hopefully they will be eating out your hand soon

 

[JRacey]

My oscars that I have ate out of my hand the first day I purchased them. No worries they'll have time to adjust to you.

 

[bettaowner]

I've trained my convicts and rams to eat out of my hands.

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

I've trained my convicts and rams to eat out of my hands.

I can literally grab and hold my Africans lol

 

[Fishforlife]

When I was feeding them for a couple min then 40 min after I came back and pretend to feed them one of my Oscar jump and bit my finger not hard but gentle. It was surprising that they know the food is coming from hand.