Oscar feeding problem.

[Twospot]

I just got a new baby tiger Oscar and he is the most picky Oscar I’ve ever come across. He won’t eat flakes pellets floating or sinking. It’s the day before the one week mark so I got him some omega one freeze dried blood worms just to see if he would eat anything and he loves them but I know that can’t be he staple in his diet. Any suggestions for getting him to eat? He tries everything and spits it out like most Oscar’s do when they eat but then he just leaves it and doesn’t go back. I tried breaking the pellets into smaller sizes and flakes but he just seems super finicky out of all the Oscar’s I’ve ever owned.
Thanks in advance-
T

 

[Andy Sager]

Try frozen or live foods instead of dried. Bloodworms, Gut Loaded Brine shrimp if it's a small fish, Cut up pieces of Krill or Prawn, Mysis shrimp, etc. All these should be accepted. If not, live Blackworms or livebearer fry should get him going as well. The key is to keep offering different foods so that it doesn't get stuck on just one food.
One trick is to mix something he's eaten with something he hasn't eaten to see if he will accept the new texture since it will have the flavor of the other food as well.

Hope this helps.

 

[Twospot]

Do you think mini meal worms would work? There is a specialty shop that has every live size of them close by.

 

[Andy Sager]

Do you think mini meal worms would work? There is a specialty shop that has every live size of them close by.

All depends on how small your Oscar is. They would not be my first choice tho. Too great a chance the fish could choke on one if it's too big. Oscars are very smart except when it comes to food. They are glutens and easily overeat. I'd start with aquatic foods the fish was probably raised on and then move on from there.