Oscar Diet

[Awesome Guy]

I have been looking at diets for Oscars, but have read lots of conflicting info.

For live food, I have read Goldfish are bad, but I have also read they are good.


also for a meaty treat I have read chunks of beef heart are both bad, and good also.

what do you guys recommend?

I was thinking for the Oscars I am thinking of getting,

Feeding them some Cichlid Pellets, with a goldfish, or a couple of guppies, abut balancing it out.

so maybe live food once a week, pellets daily.

Any suggestions for a good healthy diet?

[dave76]

Nix the gold fish and use earthworms instead, no diseases, earthworms are also better than beef heart as there is no mammal fat in it, earthworms are a pure high protein source that is relatively inexpensive.

just my .02

[MASSMAN2]

I use a large variety of different foods for my Oscar's diet. I use Frozen Bloodworms, Krill, and live crickets. I also use Wardleys cichlid pellets mixed with Hikari Gold pellets and I am using a new flake food that I cant think of the name of it, but the Oscar loves it and it is high in protein.

I used to feed mine rosey reds, but I stopped using them because of hole in the head disease that is common amongst Oscars when you feed the goldfish and rosey reds!

[PeteSC]

There are enough types of large cichlid pellets out there to be able to give your Oscar some variety. Prepared fish foods should be the bulk of the diet.
If cost is a problem, you can order larger quantities from some of the online suppliers.

I also have fed my Oscars frozen salad shrimp, frozen peas, (both defrosted) and used to feed self-raised guppies.
An occasional live fish is fun for both you and the Oscar........but I wouldn't feed anything but quarantined fish.......and then wouldn't feed too often....since the Oscar will start to refuse prepared 'fish' foods.

[demon_surfer]

most people dont like using feeder fish because of moral reasons or because their is a high chance of introducing diseases to your fish with store bought feeders.

Most people who Do use feeders advocate either having a quarantine tank and keep them there for a few days plus. Or to breed them yourself. An established tank of guppies or a pair of convicts are usually suggested.

I would suggest getting on good manufactured food, such as a flake or pellet. Then supplement this with treats such as beef heart, worms, (quarantined) feeders, fresh vegtables......they will eat just about anything you put in the tank.

but as PeteSC said, they can get addicted to feeders if you let em.

HTH

[Gunnie]

I don't feed mine feeders all the time, but I do give them rosy reds about every 2 to 3 weeks. I normally feed them Omega One Cichlid pellets as their staple which they love and fight over, and supplement with earthworms, freeze-dried krill, & freeze-dried crickets. They seem very content

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

when i feed my oscars feeder goldfish i keep them at works quarrentine tank for a week + i breed mollys and lots of them then when the mollys stop i feed them to the oscar and get more the next day lol