Oscar suddenly behaving odd. Won't eat his regular food.

[BostonMike]

I've had a Tiger oscar for nearly 2 years. Bought it around 2" and now it's nearly 11" long. Currently the sole resident of a 75g tank and no plans to add any other occupants.

I've fed it nothing but hikari cichlid gold it's entire life. Once in a while it gets a treat, but for the most part it loves the pellets and is aggressive in eating them.

Until a week ago. At feeding time, it rises to the surface and acts hungry, but would only mouth the pellets and spit them out. Now it won't even take the pellets at all, but still acts hungry.

Water params haven't changed. I siphon waste daily to clean the tank, so I change out at least 5 gallons per day in addition to normal WC. Dual Emperor 400 filters and I do my part to keep the tank as clean as possible. Since the fish has began not eating, I've increased WC frequency lately.

Behavior is normal except for suddenly clearing out a small pit and aggressively defending it. I used to easily be able to put my hand in the tank to fix things, now I don't want to. It attacks the siphon when I approach it's pit with it. Its never done that before. Use to fear the siphon. It's almost like breeding behavior.

Acts active, healthy and aggressive overall. Surfaces for food but won't actually eat. Been about a week of this.

Thoughts?

 

[randy-s]

Have you tried any other foods? Has he only stop eating the pellets or stop eating period?


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[DBLN8]

Without proper water parameters its hard to figure out if what's causing a problem. If you don't have a liquid water test kit I suggest you go get one and test the water's ammonia, nitrite & nitrate levels. What is your WC schedule?. If all these levels come up 0-0 & no higher than 20 ppm on nitrate you eliminate water issue's. It could be a female and is now deciding to nest and might lay eggs. As far as an Oscar not eating don't worry too much if your water levels are good they can go for weeks without eating.

Good luck!

 

[BostonMike]

I'm going to pick up some different pellets tomorrow to try, as well as some live food to confirm if he's being picky, or just not eating at all.

 

[petspoiler]

sounds like it's a female preparing to lay eggs. they can do that without a male present, just infertile.

 

[trace]

sounds like it's a female preparing to lay eggs. they can do that without a male present, just infertile.

+1. Without further info this sounds like the most likely cause.


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[petspoiler]

I'm going to pick up some different pellets tomorrow to try, as well as some live food to confirm if he's being picky, or just not eating at all.

don't give it any feeder fish from store, they introduce illness & parasites.
so far, your maintenance & fish sounds real healthy. probably why it's trying to lay eggs. throwing richer foods in there will further encourage that.
Just give her a good female name ;-)

 

[F1 VET]

don't give it any feeder fish from store, they introduce illness & parasites.
so far, your maintenance & fish sounds real healthy. probably why it's trying to lay eggs. throwing richer foods in there will further encourage that.
Just give her a good female name ;-)

Granny knows her ****




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Cheap way to decrease nitrates and keep your fish healthy: http://monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504763

 

[ecoli73]

Live food is unethical? Don't tell that to an Oscar.

Store Feeder fish is no good though. Either raise your own or settle for a good mix diet of pellets and freeze dried food stuff. If you hand feed it freeze dried krill, it will be your best friend.


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[BuffaloPolypteridae]

Yes it's unethical, hence it being illegal to sell fish in the UK if it is known the fish is for live food.

I highly disagree with this. Its still okay to feed crickets and worms live to fish, but not other fish. Ludicrous. Some fish will only take live feeders at young ages, although I'm sure most people lie about it and then go feed their predators. No big deal but the idealism introduces a scary notion, what about the chicken you ate for dinner? That was alive, just because you didn't eat it while it was alive doesn't mean it didn't live a miserable existence just to be eaten by us.

To be back on topic, I'd try cut worms, my aunt has a blueberry Oscar that will do this, just not want its usual pellet. So she goes and buys worms, cuts em up and he is all over em, then she stuffs the worm with pellet and try normal pellets and usually a few days he will be back on his staple

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