# oscar food



## qaiacmone (Apr 20, 2009)

what do you feed your oscar? is there a recommended food more than others? should we buy the food specific to oscars/cichlids?


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## esob0i (Oct 5, 2008)

qaiacmone said:


> what do you feed your oscar? is there a recommended food more than others? should we buy the food specific to oscars/cichlids?


i like giving them hikari gold(red bag) an hikari gold plus(white bag)
those are the best two i can think of off the top of my head


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## Morpheus (Nov 12, 2008)

Seconding the Hikari. I also have SD's that I throw algae disks in for, and he eats those as well. Gonna try some frozen peas in the next few days. For a treat, maybe once a week, they get frozen bloodworms.


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## Renthorin (Mar 17, 2009)

I feed them Hikari, NLS (very small pellet compared to their HUGE mouths), and frozen cocktail shrimp.

I tried the "floating carnivore sticks" and OMG....they spit the **** all over the tank while they "chewed" and trashed the place. Never again.

Oh, they get rosie reds about twice a month to give them some exercise.


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## johnm (Apr 15, 2009)

Besides pellets and rosie reds, I have been feeding mine some earthworms. They are very high in protien. Also I am going to try some crickets, they are very good for them as well.


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## Renthorin (Mar 17, 2009)

Not to get off subject but I like when you feed a HUGE Oscar Rosies and he eats so many they are practically swimming back out of his mouth.

Mine always has one last one that he should not have eaten and the little red is swimming in and out every time Oscar opens his mouth


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## qaiacmone (Apr 20, 2009)

what are they? sorry I'm not familiar with it :-?


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## Renthorin (Mar 17, 2009)

Rosie Reds are feeder fish, but not goldfish. They are basically minnows. If you can get Perch minnows at a bait shop you have almost the same thing.

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/rosies.htm


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

I like Hikari pellets as well.
Occasionally I'll also offer frozen krill or frozen silversides.

Personally I'd avoid using feeders unless you are able to raise them yourself.
Store-bought feeders can often introduce disease to your fish. It is also my understanding that coldwater fish offerings (such as the rosy reds) contain fats which are more difficult for your (tropical) fish to digest; leading to long-term health concerns. Better to stick with home-raised guppies or convict fry if you insist on using live feeders.
BV


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## Renthorin (Mar 17, 2009)

Or you could buy the rosies....freeze them solid for a few days....and feed them as frozen. That should take care of any health issues.

I have fed feeders forever (well almost) with no issues but I buy from the same store and their feeder 'bin' is very clean.


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

I feed all my big fish Hikari pellets as the main diet and also live ghost shrimp, frozen shrimp/fish/squid/clams (bought from the grocery store and thawed first), kiwi (for the vitamin C), peas, live earthworms too.


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## esob0i (Oct 5, 2008)

heylady said:


> I feed all my big fish Hikari pellets as the main diet and also live ghost shrimp, frozen shrimp/fish/squid/clams (bought from the grocery store and thawed first), kiwi (for the vitamin C), peas, live earthworms too.


kiwi? i never thought of that
how often do you give yours kiwi?


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## qaiacmone (Apr 20, 2009)

is it ok to feed them shrimp? like chop up a thawed out shrimp?


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## Renthorin (Mar 17, 2009)

I feed my fish cooked, de-tailed (or whatever they call it) salad shrimp. They are the small ones.

I warm them in a cup of hot water then cut them into little cubes. The oscars can eat them whole but some of the other fish enjoy the smaller bits.

Been doing this for 10 years an no Oscar has yet complained.


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## qaiacmone (Apr 20, 2009)

cool! will try that later today 

been trying a variety of foods for all my fishies. I have regular betta, crowntail betta, chinese algae eaters, albino and green cory cats, african dwarf frogs, albino rainbow shark, red tail shark, australian rainbows, ghost cats, clown loaches, bala sharks, pictus cats, african featherfin and of course my albino tiger oscar - all these distributed out on 5 tanks.

we are planning to get another tank LOL! this is addicting, I love the fishies :dancing:


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## Renthorin (Mar 17, 2009)

How large is your Oscar? I ask because most of the other fish you mention would be lunch for my Oscar


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## qaiacmone (Apr 20, 2009)

oh the oscar is housed in his own tank together with the african featherfin, the featherfin is bigger than the oscar right now, the others are distributed among the remaining 4 tanks, Vinnie (my oscar) and Dorsey (featherfin) will get a regular tiger oscar added to their tank this weekend.

but to answer your question Vinnie is about 3 inches right now.


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## Renthorin (Mar 17, 2009)

ohhh....just a baby!

My albino is named...."Al"


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

> kiwi? i never thought of that
> how often do you give yours kiwi?


A couple times a month and usually they will only take a couple small pieces each time. I won't give them anything else that day either. Oh and I forgot to mention that all fish are fasted once every two weeks (except for juvies).


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