What are the best type to breed to feed oscars?
and what size tank should I have? (if anyone does this)

Seek and ye shall find:

www.oscarfishlover.com/component/option,...tid,35/id,1941/#1941

Ken will give you some excellent information on this subject, I'm sure.

However, guppies breed like rabbits so would be my obvious choice for feeder fish. If you are going to feed them on a regular basis, get the largest tank you can, and and get as many as you can. I'm not an expert could be breeder but make sure you have lots of females compared to males

Like I said, JJ will give you loads of information on this subject

thanksssssss

If you don't care for breeding or feeding Guppys to your Oscar, another excellent choice of fish to raise at home for feeders is the Zebra Danio who also are pretty easy to breed. The difference is that Guppies are Livebearers while Danios are Egg Layers.

I myself am beginning to breed Guppies for feeding purposes, because I already know from experience just how easy that is to do but down the road if I get bored I may set up to breed Zebra Danios too, which will require a shallow tank (about 6" of water only) and a marble like substrate for the eggs to fall between. I like Zebras because they are pretty darn quick and will keep your Oscars occupied (as dither fish) before being caught and eaten one at a time over a longer period of time too.

great answers thanks for everyones input this is a great site!

Breeding Danios (as Oscar feeder fish) is EASY!

Diet
Zebra danios are omnivorous, accepting almost any foods. Although undemanding in diet, they particularly enjoy small live or frozen inverts, and fresh vegetable matter.

Breeding
Ideal for beginners, as they are prolific breeders. Zebra Danios are somewhat unique, as they are quite loyal to their chosen mate. Mated pairs remain together, and rarely spawn with others, even if one mate dies.

The breeding tank should be set up with shallow water, approximately six inches deep (2" substrate and 4" of water). Furnish the tank with fine-leafed plants or a spawning grid on the bottom. Course gravel works well, as the eggs will fall between the gravel pieces and will be protected from the adult fish, which will readily eat their own eggs. A 5-10 Gallon tank is all that is needed.

Spawning requires temperatures of up to 78 degrees, and can be triggered by raising the water a couple of degrees near dawn, when spawning normally occurs. 300 to 500 eggs will be scattered across the bottom and on the plants. Remove breeders after spawning, as they will consume the young.

The fry will hatch in two days. They are very tiny, and can easily be lost when changing water, so take care when maintaining the grow-out tank. Feed the young commercially prepared fry food, or finely crushed dry foods. Powdered egg may also be added to the fry food to promote growth.

You cannot stop danios from breeding. Parents and others eat their eggs and fry. Remove all the fish from any tank containing zebras and tiny eye-lash size fry start showing up in a few days. Your brood size goes way up when you put a layer of marbles on the bottom. Feed the fry infusoria.

Danios make a great choice for the Oscar Aquarium for three main reasons in my opinion.

ONE: They are easy to breed at home to raise your own feeders

TWO: Thet are very fast swimmers and will act as good "Dither" fish in your Oscar aquarium and a small school will last for several days to a few weeks even, before eventually being caught and eaten. You can maintain a school of 10-14 fish by simply replacing the eaten ones on a weekly basis from your breeding grow out tank.

THREE: Feeding a zebra danio is incredibly easy. They will try to eat practically anything floating and mouth-sized in your tank. I have found that they actually help to keep your Oscar tank clean because all those little bits and pieces ejected by your oscar as he eats will make the Danios swarm and they then eat most of those smaller pieces that would otherwise begin to foul your tank.

I myself have not bred danios but have used them in my Oscar Aquarium and know the benefits of reasons two and three above. They may in fact be the ideal fish to breed as feeders for an Oscar Tank because of this and I myself may breed them in the future.

CAUTION:
Zebra danios are notorious jumpers, and will make frequent bids for freedom by jumping through whatever gap they can get through. Do not be surprised to find that if your hood has large gaps for cables and air hoses that your danios have miraculously managed to get through. There are few fish more tenacious when it comes to escaping their tank to the daylight in the sky than the zebra danio.

Ok that sounds great I will probally buy 6-8 of them in two days?my tank might be setup tonight.


that would be the normal time to wait? (because thats what I did with my smaller fish tank before i wanted to get oscars and what the petstore clerk told me to do )

If we're talking about the danios to help cycle your new tank? You can put those fish in right after you fill it with water and have the filter set up and running. Just dechlorinate the water with tap water conditioner before introducing the fish and make sure the temperature is correct too, say around 78-80 degrees Farenheit. The water wil be fresh and highly oxygenated but the Danios can certainly handle it. (Waiting overnight won't hurt though.)

Later, after the tank is fully cycled out, you can consider removing the danios to start off a "feeder breeding" tank of your own. Just get some small marbles t make a 2" layer in a small tank and save at least one male and two female danios to get this going.
You might want to consider two tanks, one to house the parents and one to grow out the fry. I myself am thinking of setting up a danio tank too for breeding and can use the guppy grow out tank I have to share with danios that are growing out too.

You keep switching topics here though as this thread was initially about breeding "feeder" fish..

because I need alot of information im a perfectionist!

And THAT is a good attitude to have!!

In talking to you about feeder fish, I have also decided to try my hand at raising my own Danios too and have ordered a few small 10 gallon aquariums and 30 pounds of marbles. (30 pounds was shipped free and I could easily have paid as much for just a few pounds of them, plus the shipping)LOL I just feel that Danios have extra benefits in my oscar tank and I hope to keep a continual small school in there to act as dither fish and fast food. Fast, because they are very quick swimmers and often outrun my Oscars and FOOD because one by one they all eventually get caught and eaten. I intend to continue to raise feeder guppies too and can simply use the same tank (I ordered a new 29) as a grow out tank for both Guppies and Danios babies alike. Heck, my wife even consented to allowing me to put the grow out tank downstairs which is why I am getting a new Oak trimmed 29 for use there. I put 10 Danios in my Oscar tank on Saturday and currently there are still 7 left. They are a good match for these Oscars and give them plenty of swimming exercise all day long too.

When not needed to breed, I can simply keep the required 4-5 danio parents in with my Guppy parents and place them into the 10s for breeding. (You need to seperate male and female for about a week before breeding them)
Its easy enough to do and inexpensive as I needed a few small tanks, air pump, tubing, and small sponge filter for each 10, and glass canopies, 2 stealth 25W heaters plus those marbles. Each tank will be filled only with about 4-5 gallons of water anyway for the breeding / egg laying process.

(I'm losing my mind and should have used the few marbles I have rolling around in my head, so says my wife...)

thats awesome I cant wait, Im putting in my danios today do I need to do anything to my tank before do you think? its been sitting for more then 12 hrs.