oscar ?

[jrpsaros]

I have around a 4 inch tiger oscar, I feed him two different kinds of pellets, tropical flakes, and frozen brine shrimp/bloodworms. I have him in a 55 gallon with 3 clown loaches, a firemouth cichlid, rainbow shark. I know I'm overstocked, I'm in the process of building a 120 gallon with a 60 gallon in the stand.

My question is that when my oscar was smaller, as I'd feed him the frozen cubes, he would grab it and swim around with it. It would break up and every fish in the tank could eat. Now he is able to just swallow the cubes whole, and my other fish aren't able to get any. What can I do to be able to feed all my fish and not just my tiger oscar?

 

[jrpsaros]

I know the first question to be asked. PICTURES!!!! lol. Here he is around 3 inches in length.

 

[haynchinook334]

Pellets..

 

[CODzilla]

Defrost the cubes before adding them?

 

[Kcoastsurfguy]

Pellets..

x2

Also try spreading it out over the tank. For instance feed on one side so the Oscar goes to that side then drop some more on the other side of the tank for the other fish. This always worked for me because Oscars are pigs

 

[iloveyouDIE]

1st.. I'd start buying bloodworms in big packs instead of cubes. It's like a big frozen sheet of bloodworms. I've just switched to these.. I find that I get more out of it and pay less for packaging.

I also have a community tank where I have to make sure my bottom dwellers get food. What I do is put the frozen chunks of food into a glass, pour some hot water over them and swish them around until they are defrosted then I pour the water/food mix across the whole top of the tank. This spreads the food over the whole tank and gives everyone in the tank a good chance to get some. The bloodworms will float around EVERYWHERE instead of just being in one spot.

 

[CTU2fan]

Yes that works, another trick is get yourself a piece of pvc or other similar pipe and stick it in your tank, then pour in the thawed bloodworms so they're in the pipe until they get to the bottom for your loaches & shark. Eventually your oscar will catch wise to this though, so best bet is drop a chunk in for him and then sneak the food down to the others.

 

[jrpsaros]

Awsome, I'll finish up the cubes I have now, then buy the sheets, I'll also defrost them before adding them to the tank, thanks for the help!

 

[Kolkri]

I defrost mine before I feed. And I make sure to feed extra for my other two fish.