I just got two cichlids, a tiger oscar and and albino oscar?

Question

i was reading that they eat small fish, and worms and such. is it ok to feed them meat humans would consume, like hamburger, chicken, and tuna fish?

Answer 1

Yes, but only very, very lean meats. Hamburger is out for sure but very lean chicken would probably be ok on rare occasion. The best bets are fish (white is better than dark) and beef heart (the heart is very low in fat). They also like small bugs like moths, flys and the like, just not ones killed with spray and not ones that can sting. A wide variety of frozen foods are available from better pet shops that will make better Oscar food though.

MM

Answer 2

Oscars require a varied diet, but to be honest i would not recomend you feed an oscar feeders from the pet shop as feeders are generaly kept in poor conditions and can harbour disease. If a person wishes to feed an oscar live fish (which is perfectly natural) then i recomend they raise their own. Somthing like convicts which breed and grow reasonably quickly and then only occasionaly (weekly).

I probably wouldn't feed raw meats as the oils can remain on the top of the tank and then i could not be sure if the meat didn't contain harmful bacteria. Plus I dont think hamburger is readily available in the amazon where they come from! LOL!

I would probably feed somthing like this

*good quality high protein pelets (hikari are good, daily)
*a spirulina or vegtable flake, daily or every 2 days.
*algee wafers, every 2 days, if they go for em, they may not.
*Rinsed canned tuna in spring water (to get the oil off, possibly weekely)
*processed crabmeat (Rinsed, fresh very sparingly like fortnightly)

Feed insects! They love them!

*blood worms, be carefull here as it is my opinion that these carry disease, and they get stuck in the gravel. Do this as an occasional treat but buy only from a trusted source.
*earth worms, grown in soil at home with out pesticides, feed weekly.
*crickets, available in pet stores, very nutritional the oscars love em. weekly

Dont just go grabing worms and insects from the garden as they may be exposed to incecticides and pesticides that may kill your oscar.

The main thing is feed small amounts twice daily, make the pellets and flakes the main part of the diet, and feed the goodies every few days. Vary brands of flakes and pellets and textures and sizes so the oscar does not get bored. They are very smart and will at times get picky with their food. For example the may decide they only want to eat feeders or a type of pellet. Ignore this behavior and continue to feed a varied diet.

Lastly how big is your tank? These guys get huge (like 40 cm or 16 inches) you really need them in a minimum of a 4x2x2. Dont put other fish, if you want to do that you will need a 6foot x 2x2. Make sure you have adequate filtration (a canister that cyclyes at least 4 time the volume of water in the tank per hour i.e an 50 gal should have at minimum a filter that does 200 galons per hour.)

I hope i have helped you out a little!

Good luck and happy fish keeping

Answer 3

I wouldnt feed them that. I have oscars as well. We feed them live fish, frozen blood worms, live mill worms, freeze dried crickets(you can feed them live crickets, but I am terrified of them which is why I got freeze dried), pellets, freeze dried brine shrimp, and pellets(specifically for Oscars). Make sure you feed your oscars a well balanced diet. Some people like to feed them beef hearts, but it really isnt nutritious, it is just a cheap way to feed them, it really does them no good. If you need any questions answered about oscars, or advice, email me.

**Note-I never feed them feeder fish from the overstocked tank, they can carry diseases. I buy small fish a couple times a month for them. They are more expensive(since those feeder fish are like 20 for a dollar!) but they are worth it so your fish doesnt get sick. Also Oscars can develop Hole In The Head Disease if they are not fed a proper nutritious diet.

Answer 4

No, mammal and poultry meat is not healthy for them and lead to problems like constipation, or worse.

The natural diet of Oscars in the wild are crustaceans and insects, insect larva, and the odd small fish.

In the aquarium they should get a good quality cichlid pellet, and as supplements a variety of frozen, freeze-dried, or live foods like shrimp, krill, prawns, worms, bloodworm, crayfish, and crickets. Feeder fish are ok on occasion if they are from a decent source.

Remember that your two Oscars will not get along forever, eventually they will begin to fight. If your tank is less then 100 gallons you really should just keep one, but it's understandable if you need to wait to see for yourself.

Answer 5

I wouldn't give them anything that we would normally consume. When I had mine I would buy a dozen minnows and put them in my tank. They will eat as they see fit. We would also feed crickets or little frogs to them and they seemed to enjoy them.

And as the previous person listed be prepared to buy a larger tank when needed. They will fight and seriously hurt themselves if they feel cramped. If this happens I would suggest putting something very heavy on your tank top to prevent them from knocking it off. Had to chase mine down and put them back in the tank a few times because they got ticked at each other.

Answer 6

No its not good for them .You are safer to stick with fish foods made for your type of cichlids.There are many on the market and if you do some research you will know the best ones for your type of fish.I would also avoid live fish if its possible as they can carry some disease.