Should I worry about feeders?

[Lady G]

Ok, so I've had my Oscar for a while and wasn't going to feed him feeders. He eats his pellets very well, also gets frozen shrimp, bloodworms, beefheart, and siversides (frozen).

So I come home and my Hubby had went and bought feeders (for the fun of it), now he wants to start feeding them to him all the time...I tried to tell him it would be better to not feed them to him but he insists and wont listen to me...."they eat other fish in the wild" is what he says to me. Now I know that is true and do not have a problem with that or find it cruel or anything like that I just have read so much against live feeders...should I worry about it or let him have his pleasure...will it effect the way he eats his pellets and stuff??

 

[Paullywolly]

Just start him off slowly on the feeders and keep feeding pellets too.

 

[proaquatics]

feeder will give oscars "hole in the head" and thats the number one thing with oscars so i would only feed as a treat.once every 2 weeks or so.not as a consistent thing. stay on the pellets.and hole in the head doesnt look attractive,most pple look down on that when they see it


so yo are right tell your hubby to back off the fish hehe

 

[TrikkyMakk]

Make the feeders a once in a while treat. And don't feed too many.

One benefit that feeders do have however is that they make Oscars exercise a bit.

And I believe HITH comes from dirty water, not strictly from feeders (although feeders can certainly contribut to dirty water).

 

[Lady G]

Ok, thanks everyone.....I'll tell him he can have his fun but only once every two weeks, I'll tell him it WILL cause HITH if they have them more then that...so maybe it will help to make him think twice about it

Now there are other fish in with him....I have my JDs, RD, clown knife, and Midas/RD....should I worry about any of them? (Yes, I know they can not all stay in the same tank and the clown will need a huge tank).

 

[TrikkyMakk]

Ok, thanks everyone.....I'll tell him he can have his fun but only once every two weeks, I'll tell him it WILL cause HITH if they have them more then that...so maybe it will help to make him think twice about it

Now there are other fish in with him....I have my JDs, RD, clown knife, and Midas/RD....should I worry about any of them? (Yes, I know they can not all stay in the same tank and the clown will need a huge tank).

My main concern would be just keeping the water clean with all those fish. Oscars are the messiest fish I have seen and by themselves can dirty things quite a bit (notice how half the food falls out their gills when they eat). The rest of those fish (except I dont know about the knife) will eat feeders as well as long as they can fit it in their mouth.

Just mind the water cleanliness.

 

[duanes]

Unless you breed your own feeders there is a "host" of parasites and bacteria that they can bring in. They are bred and kept in overcrowded, often dirty conditions, the reason they can be sold cheaply.
If you must, at least run them thru a salt water bath for a short period before they are fed, it may help them to loose anchor worm, flukes or other nastys hanging on them, and never dump the water they come in into your tank.
A friend fed some WMrt gold fih the other day, the next day his fish were listless and laying on their sides, and he spent the next weeks treating them.

 

[Lady G]

My main concern would be just keeping the water clean with all those fish. Oscars are the messiest fish I have seen and by themselves can dirty things quite a bit (notice how half the food falls out their gills when they eat). The rest of those fish (except I dont know about the knife) will eat feeders as well as long as they can fit it in their mouth.

Just mind the water cleanliness.

Oh, I do at least one 25% wc a week...usually two because yes he is VERY messy! When he was in his 55 it took lots of maintenance to keep clean now that he is in a 150g it is a little easier. He is my biggest fish (10-11") all the others are between 3-6". As far as the clown...he was out chasing them but not sure if he got one or not.

Unless you breed your own feeders there is a "host" of parasites and bacteria that they can bring in. They are bred and kept in overcrowded, often dirty conditions, the reason they can be sold cheaply.
If you must, at least run them thru a salt water bath for a short period before they are fed, it may help them to loose anchor worm, flukes or other nastys hanging on them, and never dump the water they come in into your tank.
A friend fed some WMrt gold fih the other day, the next day his fish were listless and laying on their sides, and he spent the next weeks treating them.

Yes, I told him that too...he said well they aren't the gold fish from wal-mart (they weren't) they were some sort of minnow from the baitshop. Not really sure they are any better though.

 

[Lady G]

Not the best shot...but here is the tank right now...

 

[Westie]

Feeders are notorious for disease. BTW-if your other fish don't catch up they're going to be feeders! lol!