my oscar won't eat food pellets but only eat feeder fish.is there any way i could make him start eating these food pellets????

In situations like this, starvation is often the best way to get an Oscar on to another food. I know it sounds cruel, honestly it is not. And Oscar can go without food for quite a long time, a few weeks actually. So even if you wouldn't eat for a week, he is not going to die. If he is healthy, he will eat. He will not starve himself to death just because you won't give him feeders.

Stop feeding feeder straight away, try a few pellets, if he doesn't eat them after a few minutes, take them out. Repeat the process every day. I'm sure that he will start eating them in the end.

Just out of curiosity, what type of fish were you feeding him? Were you breeding / raising them yourself at home or are they store purchased feeders? Not gold fish I hope..

Try your oscar on maggots(get from fishing tackle shop), prawns(frozen at supermarket- defrost 1st) or earthworms(in the garden on a damp or rainy day/night they lay on the grass in the evening- just go out with a torch and grab them- free food)

Joliet Jake wrote:



i dont feed my fish feeders but i am interested to know why you say not gold fish. Are they the worst feeders and why?

delboybully wrote:
i dont feed my fish feeders but i am interested to know why you say not gold fish. Are they the worst feeders and why?[/quote]

ANSWER:
Goldfish are not nutritious and are fatty, so there is little benefit and could in fact harm the oscar over time. Also, Goldfish are known high risk carriers of parasites, especially ICK. If you are going to feed your Oscar "feeders" you are better off with known species that are lower in fat. (lean fish) and you are better off if you breed and raise them yourself so you know the health and living conditions. Feed your feeders well with a good diet and in turn they will make a good snack for your Oscars. Use only as occasional treats though, otherwise the oscar will become less inclined to eat pellet food which should be the staple diet for them. Guppys are a good choice to feed or danios too and both are easy enough to beed yourself at home. Danios I have found are not easily caught by Oscars and make good dither fish, keeping the Oscar entertained, giving him exercise etc before disappearing from the tank one by one. Guppys on the other hand become a rather fast food banquet, so feed those in moderation. danios you can keep in the Oscar tank as a school (10-12) and will last a week or two. (Less with full grown Oscars)

i purchase these feeder fish. i come from malaysia so i feed the young koi or live prawns.

thanks for the help. it really worked