Please help me sort out a feeding regiment for my new oscar from 1 inch to adult!

[FINWIN]

Here is Brick, my red Oscar. He got to 15 inches and just under 4lbs before I lost him to tumor. He was between 5/6. As a juvie I fed him lightly 6-7 times a day. He was raised in a 225 so between playing and exploring he burned it off like a furnace. At one point he grew about 2 inches a month. He was an amazing and intelligent fish.

I'm going by memory but his food schedule went something like this:

2-4 inches 6-7 times a day. Pellets.

6-8 inches 4-5 times a day, pellets

8-10 inches 3 times a day, pellets/insects

10-12 inches twice a day pellets/insects/worms

12-14 inches once a day insects

14-15 inches once every 2-3 days insects.

Once he got mature he refused pellets so I fed him fortified insects. Clean water and space is a must. No compromise! Oscars don't like being crowded either. Match the pellet with mouth size to reduce waste. Altho with oscars and their big mouths you can scale up pretty quick. As a baby Brick got 1mm 2mm pellets. At 6 inches he could gulp 3mm. At 10 inches and above I combined 3mm and 6mm pellets.

 

[FINWIN]

I've been reading this thread with interest, and although there have been some partial answers to the OP, 4 days later the thread still seems a bit incomplete wrt to the original Qs. This stirred up some discussion last time I did this, but I went ahead and put the opening post into AI (ChatGPT specifically) and got a direct and complete response. I'm posting it here not to suggest it's better than what others have said based on their knowledge and experience--most or all of this is very consistent with the things others have already said--but perhaps to fill in some gaps. Take it for what it's worth, and if you're not a fan of AI please just move on and ignore it:

Hey and congrats on the new Oscar! They're such fun fish—intelligent, interactive, and grow like crazy when cared for right. Sounds like you're well on your way to giving him a great start. I’ll break down your questions into sections:

Feeding Routine for Maximum Growth​

Oscars grow fast their first year—6 to 8 inches in the first 6–8 months is typical with ideal care. The key is variety, high-quality food, and not overfeeding in one sitting. Here's a rough guideline:

Feeding Schedule by Size (first year)​

Size	Feedings/day	Amount & Notes
1–2"	3–4x	2mm pellets, tiny krill, crushed 3mm pellets
2–4"	3x	2–3mm pellets, chopped frozen krill, small prawn
4–6"	2–3x	3mm Northfin, occasional 5mm if chewed, frozen krill/prawn pieces
6–8"	2x	5mm pellets, whole krill, chopped mussels/prawn
8–12"	1–2x	Larger portions, mix of pellets and meaty foods

• Pellets should be your staple—Hikari and Northfin are both excellent.
• Frozen krill/prawns/mussels are great 2–3x/week, but not daily. Variety helps avoid nutritional gaps.
• Freeze-dried krill is a decent treat, especially if soaked in vitamins as you said. Not a daily food.
• Vitamins: Soaking freeze-dried or thawed frozen foods once or twice a week is a smart move.
• Don’t overdo fatty or protein-heavy treats daily or you risk fatty liver down the line.

Tip: Feed only what he’ll eat in 1–2 minutes. Oscars are messy eaters, so scoop out leftovers!

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Decor & Cover​

I took a look at your image. For a 1-inch Oscar? That’s plenty of cover—looks like you've got some mid-height and floating plants in there, and that’ll give him a sense of safety. Juvenile Oscars do like to dart and hide when startled, so cover is important. As he gets bigger and bolder, he’ll be more out in the open.
Just make sure:

• The plants are secured well. Oscars like to redecorate!
• The tank isn’t too bright. Diffused or indirect lighting helps new fish feel safe.
• If your tank is over 3ft, consider placing more structure in the middle or center—like a driftwood arch or rock pile—as they don’t like too much open space when they’re tiny.

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Final Tips​

• Monitor water quality closely—Oscars produce a lot of waste. Ammonia and nitrite must stay at 0.
• Keep the water temp around 26–28°C, and do 25–50% water changes weekly.
• Growth rate will also depend on genetics, but with your plan, you’ll easily exceed 9" in a year.

You're doing exactly the right thing by planning ahead and asking questions. Keep updating us with pics as he grows—nothing beats watching a tiny Oscar turn into a majestic beast!

This is similar to my method. As a baby (2-4 inches) the 225 had water changes of 30% once a week. Around 5-7 inches 50% per week. At 10-12 inches 75%. Above 12 inches 90%. I should mention the leap from 12-15 inches...Brick's mass had increased by a third and his waste output was enormous. I was cleaning filters 2-3 times a week at that point.