# Oscar not eating after live fish?



## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

Hi, all. I have a 110 Gallon tank, with a very large oscar, about 30 convicts, and a very large pleco. It has a Magnum 350 canister filter, and a Emperor 400 Bio-wheel. The water is in perfect condition, and all the fish are thriving.

About two weeks ago I had a friend with a water problem, and he had a couple goldfish that had been living in it for a couple weeks that his oscar's didn't eat. So, I took one of the goldfish and fed it to my oscar. He never gets live fish.

Since then, he has only eaten a couple times, and very lightly. He appears helthy still, and is active. He also exhibits hunger, and approaches the top of the tank with the other fish during feeding time. But, he acts as if though he doesn't even see the food. I am feeding large cichlid-gold pellets. I have also tried Omega One freeze dried shrimp. He has eaten occasionally as I said, but this is not his normal pattern. We are talking like a few times in the last couple weeks.

I've tried to entice him into eating the food by making him chase my finger, and that has resulted in him eating and then spitting out the food a couple times.

All I can figure is that all he wants now is live food? What could be the deal? And what do I do to make sure he stays healthy?


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

I doubt he is snobbed himselft to live food only after one feeding. He might be sick, does he show any signs of illness? Bloating, inability to 'float straight' bulged eyes, sores?

It might be nothing wrong as well, he might just be sulking.


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

He appears to be healthy. He is active as usual. There are no noticeable changes in his ability to swim, or appearance.

I even notice that he is much more interested in eating my hand when I am trying to clean the tank. The fish is obviously hungry. I have to chase him away.


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## joeyballz (Jul 1, 2008)

He'll probably start taking the pellets again when he gets hungry enough. Maybe try a different kind or some Krill. Mine kill for krill


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

Water params in check?


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

Water tests fine.. Tonight I soaked my freeze dried shrimp in some water to soften them up first, and then I enticed him with my fingers. Its tough not losing a finger but I got him to eat 4 or 5 shrimp. So, I'm not sure what is going on. To be honest, he really acts like he is blind. Is this a possibility? I treated the water a couple times with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal medicines when I got the tank from another person. Would something else be contributing to poor sight? Such as a certain type of lighting or something?


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## Izzydawg (Jan 4, 2008)

maybe try something a little bit different...like earth worms. Just give him one and see if he eats it. It's live and wiggles around...if he goes nuts over it, you know he's only trying to get live food out of you. Mine havent eaten live fish, but they sure do like their worms for sure.
You should be able to find out if he's playing you or if he's not feeling good.
I hope this helps  
Isabell


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

Yeah.. That is a good idea.. Is there any worry over disease by digging up worms in the back yard? Or using store bought worms?


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## Izzydawg (Jan 4, 2008)

My kids dig them up all over and they just do their best to get all the dirt off. The oscars go absolutely nuts over them. I've never had an issue from the ones in the ground outside.


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## BlackShark11k (Feb 16, 2007)

I would buy worms instead of digging them... it's probably fine, buuuutttt...

You might get a "bad" worm, if ya know what i mean :wink:


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## joeyballz (Jul 1, 2008)

you also need to worry about pesticides that you or you neighbors may have put on the yard.


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## Izzydawg (Jan 4, 2008)

I never thought of that....I live on a 30 acre organic strawberry farm. I guess if you lived in town you would have to think of these things.


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

Thanks guys... I'll try the worms.


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## oscarlover43055 (Jun 7, 2008)

That will wash out color too, but is a excellent source of protein. Try frozen beef heart. It has an excellent source of beta carotene for color. And remember you want your Cichlids on a regimine of a pellet at all times. Try cichlid bio gold + its pretty good stuff. That is a lot of fish though especially when the convicts get full grown...


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

The oscar should eat the convicts.. But he doesn't... I was hoping if it got hungry enough it would. Thye just keep multiplying.


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## oscarlover43055 (Jun 7, 2008)

Aww yeah. That happens, there like guppies. Oscars usually won't eat other cichlids (mine never have in 10 years of keeping).


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## cichlidgirl1 (Sep 17, 2007)

What if he does not like to compete for feeding with the other fish, it sounds like the convicts are multiplying etc.. He might be sulking after getting new tankmates . If he chases your finger on the glass then i would assume he can see fine.


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

Yeah he does chase my fingers on the glass.. ANd he definitely competes for food with the convicts. But, it hasn't been a problem in the past, from what I have seen. The convicts are smart enough to get the heck out of the way when he comes strolling through. The problem is, I can drop the food right in front of his face and he'll only glance at it, or quickly eat and spit it back out. Which means the convicts are going to get it, within the next 5 seconds. I'm going to try some worms, and see how he does with those.. I can dangle worms in the tank without fear of losing a finger.


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## joeyballz (Jul 1, 2008)

I don't think you have to worry about losing a finger to an Oscar, he might draw blood but you'll get to keep the finger


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

Yeah, that's what I need.. A fish gone cannibal. How will I ever figure out how to feed him then?


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

An update...

This fish without the appetite is now a healthy pig, flat out.

It was very hard to get him interested in food for several weeks. About one week before the change I dangled a worm in the tank that he basically attacked and devoured as quick as I stuck in the tank. So, I began to think that he was definitely shunning dry food.

However, about a week later his appetite came back full force. I'm not sure what all the issue was. I'm thinking that his previous owner let the tank get so bad that it just took several weeks for the fish to finally come around.

Now whenever it is feeding time he comes to the glass and gets very excited (upset?) and starts scaring the other fish away, and before the food hits the water he jumps and takes it and my finger if I'm not careful. This change practically happened overnight, so I'm not sure what that was about.

The other day a little convict got too close to the food and the oscar ate him, then spit him back out. I told the little fish he was lucky.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

appleoddity said:


> The other day a little convict got too close to the food and the oscar ate him, then spit him back out. I told the little fish he was lucky.


Is that the same one you dangled over the water for him and then later froze to death in your freezer? (you know, the one you mentioned over in the CA section...with the swim bladder issues)  

Glad to hear the oscar is doing well! :thumb: 
BV


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## appleoddity (Jun 18, 2008)

Big Vine said:


> appleoddity said:
> 
> 
> > The other day a little convict got too close to the food and the oscar ate him, then spit him back out. I told the little fish he was lucky.
> ...


Lol.. No, this one was plenty small enough to eat.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Oh, okay.
Lol...just checking. :wink: 
BV


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## cichlidgirl1 (Sep 17, 2007)

That is good news. Most people worry so much about their fish but they can pout and refuse food they dont like for a long time before true hunger sets in. Usually at that time they will resume eating.

That little convict is sure one lucky guy LOL


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## chris777 (Jun 27, 2008)

oscarlover43055 said:


> Aww yeah. That happens, there like guppies. Oscars usually won't eat other cichlids (mine never have in 10 years of keeping).


Wish that was the case for mine.. He took off the head of a cichlid that was a couple inches smaller then him. Only fish i have ever been able to keep with him is a jack and the two never leave each others side now. One moves the other moves with.


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## cichlidgirl1 (Sep 17, 2007)

Its funny, the oscars i have now dont care much about some fry i have in there with them but a bigger peacock i had was headless one morning, like a knife sliced its head off. I quickly pulled the other 2 peacocks out LOL. I think when the fry in there get bigger i will also have to remove them, right now they hide when needed in the rockwork....


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## chris777 (Jun 27, 2008)

Yea that was the same for me seemed like its head was sliced off with a knife... Was pretty odd seeing that.


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