# My O's are eating mice



## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I keep 2 Oscars in a 125 Gal "pond" in my reptile cage, where I feed my reptiles with young mice.

Often a mouse will fall/jump into the pond as it's being chaced, sometimes they make it out of the pond alive. Most of the time either a oscar or a turtle will snatch the mouse from below, now my question is; how bad is the high protein diet for my oscars?

They are fed pellets normaly and whole shrimps as a treat, there have been no behavior changes or anything showing short term problems. They seem to grow fast on this diet, but it's the first time I have oscars and I got em from a friend as they got too big for his little tank.

Since they started eating mice, id say maybe 3-4 months ago they catch one every 7-10 days give or take a few days. It's hard to see if it's the same one getting the mice every time, they are fast and both O's and the female turtle are going for the mouse. (My reptiles won't take dead pray, so frozen food is not a option)


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## herny (Nov 30, 2007)

i would love to see some pics of that


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I'll see if I can film it next times I feed, it's not happening every time so might take a few feedings. I'm shure both me and my digi cam is too slow to snap pictures of it, they only surface for a micro second and then they are gone.

It' a pond so there is no side view, I can only film it from the surface of the water.


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## gnomemagi (Jun 13, 2009)

High protein is no problem for Oscars. While unfortunately I'm sure it is probably a more traumatic death for the mouse involved then with a reptile, this won't do any harm to the Oscar if you trust the source from which you get your mice.

I'm sure it is an amazing sight - a fully grown Oscar is a powerful individual and the mice probably have no clue what hit them in some cases.

The only thing I would be careful of is water quality - two large Oscars and a turtle are a high load on a 125 gallon pond - adding large amounts of decaying animal matter such as a few stray mice legs is only going to make it harder to keep it clean enough for the fish to thrive.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

@gnomemagi Thanx for the reply, much apriciated.

Maybe my calculations been a bit off, well I think i found the formula for UK gallons.

The pond is 600 Liters, thats aprox 125 Uk gal. and 150 something US gal.

There are 2 O's and 2 turtles (Chrysemys scripta troosti) + a bottom cleaning fish and yes they are a heavy load on the pond, but with water changes it's manageable. There is not much food leftovers, the normal feeding is pretty dialed in so they pretty much eat all the food I feed them.


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## eL Chupy (Aug 6, 2007)

well I would enjoy pics of the set-up while you wait and try and catch a feeding video. It sounds fantastic

opcorn:


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

I'll differ here. Mammal flesh is bad for oscars (or almost any fish, for that matter). It contains too much fat and will eventually lead to fatty liver disease.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

kmuda said:


> I'll differ here. Mammal flesh is bad for oscars (or almost any fish, for that matter). It contains too much fat and will eventually lead to fatty liver disease.


Thanks for that info, I guess I'll have to figure out of a different way to feed my reptiles.


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## gnomemagi (Jun 13, 2009)

Let me make it clear I meant it in no way be a staple in their diet - but if it happens it wouldn't hurt if on a rare basis.


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## 6footer (Dec 19, 2009)

would love to see photos of that set up.. what kind of reptiles do you have


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I can't post link yet


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I have tryed to take a few pictures of the cage and pond, it' not possible to get far enough away form the cage to get a full view shot.


 
 

I keep toads :thumb:

The cage was build as a breeding cage fro Bufo Alvarius, but im still waiting on a group of them, so untill that time. I keep Bufo Marinus in the big cage, but that the only reptiles I have atm. + the 2 turtles.

It was the plan to install a rain setup on a hygrostat, so I could keep chamelions and plant some wines in there. Just never got around to do it, still working on getting the walls water proff so I can turn on the water fall in the cornor again.

The 600 L pond:

1000L/h Eheim external Filter
650L/h Eheim Powerball (internal)
Small anarob bio filter
5x 100 Watt heaters

Light: 400 Watt HPS

Hope you guys will enjoy and happy NYE tonight!


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## herny (Nov 30, 2007)

very very nice man


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

herny said:


> very very nice man


Thank you very much


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## Linoleum (Aug 9, 2009)

How would the oscars go digesting all the fur and hard bone though?


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## CaseyV (Jan 2, 2010)

Amazing... I've seen videos of this happening and just refused to believe an oscar could eat a mouse, but wow! again, just amazing..


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## damo83 (Oct 29, 2004)

Wow nice setup! I just can't believe you keep cane toads!!  Over here they're a pest and are used for golf practice...


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## 6footer (Dec 19, 2009)

sweet setup..
i agree with damo83....
i was hoping you were going to say komodo dragons or something haha
never heard of people keeping toads before..
we dip them in petrol and light them and then use them for golf practice


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

HAHAHAHA u crazy Aussys

I'v heard that before :lol: specialy on my trip to AUS, spend 5 weeks in queensland some years ago in different remote areas. There I found lot's of reptiles, spiders and interresting bugs. Also when I speak with people who are more into lizzards and monitors, they all dream of a huge cage and can't understand I don't have some monitors or iguanas in mine 

Truth be told I have it just as much for the looks of it, the banana plant in the right cornor is from time to time really big and nice looking.

opcorn:


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## ThaConvict (Jan 7, 2010)

What reptile do you have in there with them.


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## HereFishyFishy523 (Jan 8, 2010)

I used to feed my Tiger Oscar Live Tree Frogs.... He loved them and he has lived for over 5 years now... but he out grew my 55 gal tank so now my friend has him in their 125 gal tank.


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