My oscar is a bit picky......

[graham]

So I just got a new oscar (havent kept oscars in over year and a half) and he is very big. I got him for $10 and was very excited to put him in my 90 gallon tank. Well I come to find out that he wont eat the deer heart I put in the tank. He also wont eat the market shrimp I put in the tank (all my other fish LOVE the shrimp!) and lastly he wont even glance at feeders I put in the tank. The only thing he will eat is pellets......
He really wont eat anything that sinks, he will only come to the top to eat.
Now I know a lot of people really try to get their fish on a pellet diet by starving it, but I want my fish to eat meat, I have a lot of it that I got for free so pellets are actually more expensive to feed him.
Will he eat meat if I starve him? Will he ever go after the feeders? Can I get him to be a monster fish once again?! What do I do to get my oscar to be an oscar again?

Here is a picture of him for reference:

 

[Bogwoodbruce]

My oscars love their pellets. But they aren't really fussed on anything that sinks like prawn, cockle, mussel etc... But it could be a good thing that he only eats pellets as it has more nutrition and is cheaper and easier to get. And anyways, good luck!

 

[TheMightyOscar]

i would much rather have my o's on just pellets..but they prefer the meaty foods

i say your lucky

 

[graham]

I know that most of you would like to have your oscars on pellets but I dont. How do I get him off pellets?

 

[The Amazonian]

Nice O, they are crazy minded fish!!!

 

[gomezladdams]

Picky,no just well trained lol
leave him on the pellets hes better off

 

[graham]

I dont want him on the pellets. How do I get him off the pellets.

 

[TheMightyOscar]

try starving him for a week...i know it sounds cruel, but it usually works

what exactly do you mean by "meat" actual meat..or fish?

if your planning on feeding him only feeders..please do not use goldfish..rosey reds and guppies are much helthier for him

 

[graham]

by meat I meen shrimp, deer heart, and salmon.

 

[MistirE]

Try freeze dried shrimp because they float. My oscars love those so much! Then try feeding him glass shrimp after a few days of starving. I never really had too many problems with my oscars but yeah, they can act like stubburn ex-girlfriends........also I had a few oscar that didnt know how to hunt live food but once I introduced an oscar that only wanted live feeders.....they all prefered live but now....I got them on a random, healthy diet of pellets, freeze dry shrimp, prawns, live feeders and mussels.....just depends on what I feel like giving them!