food

[posteo]

i'm trying to feed my oscars less live food but they really don't seem to eat flakes or pellet would it be alright to stay with pellets until they eat i don't want them to die any help please

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

i would continue to give him pellets and live food for awhile. then switch to only pellets. he will eat if he is hungry enuf. ya just gotta be more stubborn than him. fish, esp. oscars can go a very long time w/out eating.

 

[guppy]

Hiya posteo, welcome to MFK!
Most fish can easily go a week without eating and many larger ones do best on a feeding schedule that only feeds them every second or third day. How big is your oscar, if it is much more than 3" you can't blame it for ignoring flakes. Try feedind it some floating pellets at the same time as live crickets, just a few each at a time then wait a couple days and do it again, gradually reducing the # of crickets until it gets only the occasional cricket and eats the pellets as a staple. Also try to schedule feedings for the same time of day each feeding.

 

[Copeina]

Good advice from all.

Also try frozen krill/mysis/squid as an intermediate between live and prepared foods.

And/or - soak the pellets in fish oil or shrimp juice to add some smell.

Good luck,
/Kris

 

[Peanut_Power]

Frozen Cocktail shrimp is a killa food for fishies! They love it~~~generally easy to get them on it. Plus it fills them up quickly and brings out the red coloration in them!! yay!! I know you said you were trying to get away from live foods...but try earthworms....basically parasite free....beefy....and nutrious!

 

[piranha45]

starving your oscars will get them to eat anything you want them to. they will not starve themselves to death, by any means.

 

[posteo]

thanks for the info everyone

 

[Peanut_Power]

Evil cichlids like Convicts make great feeders as well!