Im new to the oscar fish world and I have about a 3.5 in Oscar in a 55 gallon tank that is looking at me and going up and down the tank really fast like it wants to eat me. I feed him twice a day and he always seems to be hungry. Please help me judge if hes stressed, hungry, or just being friendly.

He's 'begging' for food. He's pegged you as the 'dude who puts food in the tank' guy, and he recognizes you. He'll zoom up and down the tank when you come in, or follow you around and open and close his mouth and wiggle around. Feed him just what you regularly do...lol he's not starving, but I'm sure his goal is to make you THINK he is. Now I'm not saying he is necessarily aware of the fact that he's manipulating you, but it is a conditioned response, and it does achieve it's intended goal when you think about it. Very intelligent, interactive, and observant fish. True water dogs.

And yes, if you think about it, he would eat you. If somehow you were shrunk down to about 1-2 inches and placed in the tank...he would eat you. No doubt about it. Owner or not. All up. And then you'd become fish dookie. Probably get caught in the filter wool, and end up as nitrate at some point, and removed as part of a water change. But then, who would be doing the water change? Ah, catch-22. So I guess you better not end up as Oscar food b/c that could negatively impact water quality.

I definitely agree with Johnny. My Oscars know who feed them, they also know exactly when it's dinner time, I know that may sound far-fetched because fish are not supposed to have a memory, but at 9:30-10 o'clock they start getting restless because they know food is on the way.

Fish are not supposed to be smart, they have got primitive brains, the Oscars are the exception, they are definitely a little smarter than any fish I have ever kept.

You will get used to your Oscars being addicted to food, they love the stuff am absolutely live for dinnertime. You've just got to be sensible and don't let them fool you into thinking they need more food than they do. These guys beg like pros and it would be so easy to overfeed them. And yes, given half a chance, they will take your finger as well as the foods you are giving them.

You know, I have often thought about their 'cognitive' abilities. I know their brain operates very much on the same primitive instinctual 'fish' level, and I know we as owners tend to give their behavior greater 'meaning' or we tend to 'humanize' them in some capacity.

But still...for example the other day I adjusted the airstone to give it a slightly lower output. Not really very noticeable at all. But, as usual, my oscar went right over to it and inspected it. It's the way he does it though. The 'thoroughness' and 'care' in which he does it. He approaches it quite slowly, turns his head carefully to view it...looks at it from a couple angles with his admiral ackbar eyeballs. You can almost see him 'processing' it...'thinking' about it...if you will.

Never ceases to amaze me.

johnnyphoenix wrote:


Johnny you are killing me!!! My tummy hurts now from laughing at you!

Nicki--Sue wrote:


It is absolutely true though. Little Penn, little Nicki, little JP, little Noddy, little Matt E. fish lover(oh pleeease)...all of us unceremoniously gobbled up by our beloved 'pets' and converted to ammonia. And all in the tank that we painstakingly set up, no less. That's gratitude for you.

Johnny might be the funniest forum addict I have ever read the postings of, and I have been on MANY forums!