# My oscars diet...



## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

So Both O's have stopped eating the pellets Hikari gold, they spit them out and ignore them till I fish the soggy things out of the tank. So I've been feeding them:

Both O's Eat: Crickets, Meal (Super) worms, and Nightcrawlers.

The Tiger O, also eats salad shrimp. But the Red O spits it out.

The Red O, also eats Krill, But seems to spit most of it out. The Tiger O doesn't seem much interested in it.

The Tiger seems to really be extending his size advantage He'll routinely eats 3-4 night crawlers while the red will only eat one.

So is this variety enough to keep them Healthy.

Thanks In advance for any replies.


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

how long were they spitting out the pellet food?......id think that if they were hungry enough theyd soon get used to the pellet food again?.....where are you getting the worms ect.?


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## oscars4me (Feb 22, 2009)

O's can be very stubborn but you have to more stubborn I'd keep trying the pellets and only the pellets they will eventually eat them. They need veggies in their diet too.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Shrimp is one of the best foods you can feed them. I'd say you've got plenty of variety going for them now... My fish don't like Hikari either....


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## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

I don't know how long, they've been avoiding the pellets about a month I guess.

I get the superworms and crickets at Petsmart, and the Nightcrawlers at Gander Mtn, or Walmart, depending on which one Im near when I run out.

I wish the Red O would eat the shrimp, but even when he's super hungry he spits it out, then I break down and throw him some insects, which they both seem to prefer over the other stuff.

I tried steamed green peas, but they both gave them the same treatment as the pellets.


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## Briguy (Aug 10, 2009)

> I tried steamed green peas, but they both gave them the same treatment as the pellets.


What other types of veggies will O's eat? My Oscar and CA cichlids eat primarily pellets. I put frozen food in once or twice a week. I used to feed frozen food (krill mostly) more frequently but I have cut back because I don't think they need it as often and frozen food isn't cheep.


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

Sometimes my O's will take shelled peas but they like fruit better. I have found that my O's like small pieces of kiwi (very good source of vitamin C) and also small pieces of red seedless grapes (peeled first please!).

I have also started giving them the Hikari Massivore Delight which is a sinking pellet and boy all the fish love this stuff!

I have also tried the Can O'Crickets for my biggest O but I won't be buying _that_ again because it smells awful - I didn't want to bother with live crickets - but I'm gonna be bothered from now on with them. Besides it gives me a chance to gut load the crickets first so...at least that way the fish will get their veggies! :wink:


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## aFinFan (Jul 29, 2009)

heylady great idea with the kiwi people always ask me what foods are high in vitamin c to help with hole in the head now I know  Never met an oscar that was a finicky eater even had a friend that on occasion(and please don yell at me for this guys wasnt me)fed his pinky mice..Gasp..but variety is great and they do love shrimp.who doesnt  Although is does seem that if you feed live foods oscars can become picky have heard of them turning down pellets but the owners were also dumping in feeders by the dozen if that explains anything.I think most people tend to overfeed them as they always seem hungry then wonder why their O is not feeling well ,you could probably write an essay on travesties committed against oscars


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## Strohs58 (Aug 3, 2009)

I've never seen an Oscar so picky before either...

In trying to get the red O to eat the shrimp he hasn't eaten anything in 3 days. He acts hungry, swims like crazy at the glass so I drop in a small piece of shrimp he sucks it in, and not even a second later spits it out and looks at me like WTF... :? And acts like he wants fed again.

Might be a lost cause in getting him to eat it.


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