Food to Feed Oscars

Oscars are carnivorous cichlid fish, and require a varied diet of meaty foods in addition to a staple commercial fish food. Cichlid pellets provide all the necessary vitamins and minerals that oscar fish require to maintain optimal health. Their carnivorous nature, however, means you may supplement their diet with a variety of worms, shrimp, krill, cockles, muscles and small feeder fish. Give your oscar these extra food items in live, frozen or dried form.

  1. Cichlid Pellets

    • Feed your oscar a staple diet consisting of cichlid pellets appropriate for the size of your fish. Pellets are available in a variety of sizes, designed for babies through to adults. Commercial cichlid pellets contain a broad spectrum of nutrients to keep your oscar fit and healthy, plus a color-enhancing ingredient to bring out natural pigmentation. Oscars need a balanced combination of vitamin C, protein, fiber and fat to maintain a strong immune system. A commercial pellet diet contains the correct formula required for general health and resistance to disease.

    Live Food

    • Oscars love to hunt for food and, although it is not to all owners' tastes, feeding your fish live prey allows your pet to indulge its natural instincts and catch its own food at meal times. Small feeder fish, earthworms, shrimp, krill and mealworms make excellent and nutritious additions to pellets. Divide a tub of mealworms into two boxes. Feed your oscar the contents of one box and allow the other container of worms to hatch into beetles. Oscars enjoy the beetles as much as the worms, allowing you to make two tasty treats out of one food source.

    Frozen Food

    • Frozen fish food is the most economical way to provide your oscar with a varied diet. Pet stores sell variety packs of mixed seafood tailored specifically for cichlids. Large items such as whole krill, prawns and shellfish are sold in bags containing individually frozen items, enabling you to pick out a selection of different pieces at each feeding session. Smaller foods like bloodworms and blackworms are frozen as square blocks in blister packs, and look like fish food ice cubes. Pop out a food cube into warm water to defrost before dropping the food into your tank.

    Dried Food

    • Dried whole fish food has a very long shelf life. If you don't like the idea of giving your oscar fresh or frozen creatures, dried is the next best thing, and equally nutritious. The freeze-drying process preserves krill, shrimp and other seafood by removing moisture while maintaining a high nutrient content. The two types of dried krill commonly available as fish food are Pacifica and Superba. Superba is a large variety, and the most appropriate for an oscar's voracious appetite.