oscar fish

[gilraen]

I have this 2" oscar that I bought at a wal-mart. I was told there they were feeding him 'small cichlid staple pellets' so that's what I got. Well, after 2 days of him not touching the stuff I tried some flake food from my daughters tank...and he loooooves the flakes. He's been on flakes for about 3 weeks now and won't touch the pellets. The thing is he is getting skinny and I know is because he needs 'heavier' foods, I just don't know which kind. Any advice?? Thanks a bunch!

 

[mattrox]

Chiclid pellets are often made for african cichlids which have a high plant component for their diet.......

 

[TankGirl]

I would try some different pellets, and be sure they are not too large for him. Look for pellets specifically made for oscars. I have had fish that were just not fans of a particular type of food, so that is not unusual.

If the fish is losing weight on the current flake diet then you are right - he needs more. These are fast growing fish so his diet needs to keep up or he will not thrive.

 

[aim300x]

Hi guys new to the forum , I have a oscar to , hes about 8 inches long and he eats large cichlid pellets and loves large brine shrimp which you can buy at any fish store . They come in a bag frozen.

 

[aim300x]

Heres oscar ,

 

[Tiger_Oscar]

Yeah I feed my Oscars Cichlid staple and Cichlid gold. They really eat anything. I feed them cut up shrimp, bloodworms, Oscar pellets. Do you try skipping days before you feed him?

 

[gilraen]

Nice oscar aim300x
Tiger_Oscar , I feed him everyday since I believe flakes are not enough for him. I live in a small town and have not seen 'oscar food' around here. The pellets I have are the smallest, when he sees them he 'checks them out' and then leaves them. I've tried frozen mysis shrimp but he was scared of those...

I guess I'll keep trying stuff...

 

[TankGirl]

I agree with the fasting idea- try fasting him for a day or two and see if that does not turn him around. I'd suggest live adult brine but your town might not have a shop that would carry them. If you don't have your own source of live food (like a tank of guppies or mollies) then I'd avoid live feeders from the LFS.

 

[gilraen]

thanks TankGirl, I'll do that

 

[talloulou]

You could try feeding him some earthworms from your yard if it is pesticide free.

 

[gilraen]

I found the solution!!! I just fed him some krill and he looooooved it Thanks to all for the help.

 

[greenmaji]

They do go nuts for freze dried krill.. Hikari and Tetra make good pellets..

 

[Tiger_Oscar]

Great news. Yes they love krill and plankton. Maybe if alternate he will begin to eat the pellets.

 

[RoK]

Just wondering, you do know an oscar's potential size, right?

 

[greenmaji]

Just in case you dont its 12-14" and very bulky.. they need at the minium a 75 gallon tank.. but if you want a nice full oscar you would need a much bigger tank..

 

[Rocket2001]

My 10in Oscar is in a new 120gal all by himself.

 

[dr_girlfriend]

Also try some cichlid sticks, my flowerhorn isnt too thrilled about pellets but loves the sticks for whatever reason. You should be able to find south american and general cichlid foods online too. Most cichlid pellets I see have a high meat/protein content. The hikari one pictured above is a good choice. Thats actually the only one mine will eat.

You could also try freeze dried krill and crickets, I've heard oscars like those.

 

[oscarbreeder]

I like to feed my oscars New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula as it really brings out the color. You can also feed him crickets.

 

[DeFeKt]

go to the supermarket, buy the cheapest, less fattiest block of steak you can find,
cut it into bite size chunks and feed away..
mine eat a slice around 100mm long by 25mm wide, by 5 mm thick(cut into smaller pieces of course) of kangaroo steak 2 times a week, then a tablespoon of pellets in between. Bear in mind, roo meat is VERY high in protein and VERY low in fat.
Also bear in mind that I have to native australian Barramundi who also enjoy dining on the roo meat, and won't eat anything else....
And besides that, it's cheaper then buying packs from the lfs. and lasts 5x as long.

 

[greenmaji]

beefheart is really low in fat..