Good Foods for Oscar Fish

Oscars are predator fish that inhabit rivers and tributaries in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins. Oscars quickly develop personalities in the aquarium and are sought after by both novice and advanced aquarists. These members of the cichlid family are opportunistic feeders that prey on a variety of fish species and worms. Oscars will eat aquatic vegetation as well. Oscars are not fussy eaters, but should be offered a healthy and balanced diet in the aquarium.

  1. Commercial Dry Foods

    • High-quality commercial fish foods are nutritionally balanced and easy to feed. These pellets are available in various sizes, to best suit the size of your Oscars. Commercial fish foods are normally reasonably priced and easy to obtain through your local pet dealer. These pellets are designed to either float or sink. Oscars should be fed sinking pellets, which they can feed on in mid water. Oscars should ideally not be fed floating pellets, as they are enthusiastic feeders and will take in air as they grab for floating food on the water surface.

    Freeze-Dried Foods

    • The freeze-drying process preserves food in its original condition. Through this process, all the essential nutrients are retained, which makes the products very valuable as a food source. Krill and shrimp are typically freeze-dried and both of these items are quickly eaten by Oscars of all ages. Select freeze-dried products have color enhancing additives and are readily available and easy to store and feed.

    Live Food

    • Oscars are predators and enjoy live food. Earthworms are an excellent food for Oscars. These worms can be purchased from most local aquatic dealers, but can also be bread by the hobbyist or collected from the garden. Large earthworms can be cleaned by pulling them through your fingers, starting at the mouth end of the worm. This will expel most of the soil within its body. A number of aquarists feed their Oscars live feeder fish, which Oscars will eagerly accept. It is important to ensure that all feeder fish are fee of disease if they are to be offered to your Oscars. Blood and tubifex worms that have been thoroughly rinsed in clean running water can also be given to small Oscars.

    Seafood

    • Oscars utilize the flesh of fish and invertebrate animals, such as shrimps and cockles, better than the tissue of mammals. It is for this reason that items like ox heart are not an ideal food for Oscars, despite its frequent use. Prawns, shrimps, mussels and cockle flesh are high-quality foods that Oscars will readily eat. Fresh seafood items are best, but frozen seafood can be used, provided it is thawed before being offered to the Oscar.