oscar nutrition

[icherno7]

are pellets/flakes a must for them?
i got a 3in O a couple weeks ago and was wondering if i can just feed him bloodworms, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, beef heart, earthworms?
thats what ive been doing so far and he seems fine but would it affect him in a bad way in the long run?

 

[keaser06]

no but a good pelleted food as a staple is good for them and supplement it with what you mentioned.

 

[pjsmetana]

no but a good pelleted food as a staple is good for them and supplement it with what you mentioned.

+1

 

[BigO6687]

+1

+2

but if you decide on not using pellets i would vary the diet even more if you can, shrimp, crays, crickets, random veggies, whatever he'll take

 

[icherno7]

no but a good pelleted food as a staple is good for them and supplement it with what you mentioned.

no he wont be healthy if i keep doing this or
no he will be ok?

 

[icherno7]

+2

but if you decide on not using pellets i would vary the diet even more if you can, shrimp, crays, crickets, random veggies, whatever he'll take

ya as he gets bigger i will

 

[BigO6687]

then i guess it sounds good
oh and i forgot to mention guppies/platies/mollies/swordtails w.e you want to breed, stay away from goldfish, minnows, and other cyprinids due to the thiaminase they contain

 

[keaser06]

no he will be just fine like that. but as said above a staple of pellets with say 1 of each thing off your list added to his pellet regime every day would be good. if you are set on not using pellets make sure you add his vegetable matter into his diet as well. remember in the wild oscars eat all kinds of food so you have to make sure he gets all his nutritional needs covered

 

[FishingOut]

Without some veg they will be unhealthy. Not too many fish are 100% carnivorous. If your not going to feed them some vegatables then pellets are a must for the fish to thrive.
Currently you feed way too much protein. Not bad when they are young but if continued they will grow up proned to disease and probably not look all that great and not too active.

 

[Pomatomus]

He will probably be ok, but it's nice to add some manufactured foods to make sure they aren't missing any necessary vitamins (like humans taking multivitamins). You could also soak your other foods in vitamins too, but it can cloud your water and doesn't always stay on the food.

The nice thing about oscars is that they really aren't picky. You can have it eating manufactured food in no time flat.