My 6 year old son caught a big black spider (that's what he said) and put it on my oscar tank when I was at work. He told me with excitement when I got home...daddy... Fred eat a big black spider!!

Told him not to do that again as I am not too sure if spider is oscar food list. I know they eat insects in the wild...but spider?? They have some kind of toxic venom havent they? (although some of the spiders are not harmful to human being but I dunno if their "mild" juice can upset my oscar)

Please tell me it's ok =( I did ask what kind of spider it is and from my son's description it sounds like a normal black house domestic spider...not the red back kind of thing or colorful poisonous spider.(usually the more color they have the most potent the venom is)

I'm sure the fish will be perfectly okay. A lot of these poisons need to get into the bloodstream before they are actually a cause for concern.

I've fed my Oscar grass spiders with no ill affects. I would imagine they eat quite a few spiders in the wild. I don't think it will be a problem. Just keep an eye on him.

Eric J.Twk. wrote:

i concur with OFL and eric on this. in the wild, oscar can not chose what kind of
spider should fall in water...and they grab any opportunity that comes along.

Thank you for quick replies. Glad to hear all of u think its ok. Is this actualy something that needs to be encouraged for additional diet variety? I remember the guy from the lfs told me to feed Fred with cricket once in a while but I never dom

In the wild, Oscars will probably eat a lot of insects and bugs that end up in the water, often falling out of trees and bushes overhanging the water, especially in the rainy season when the rainforest is flooded so feeding your fish on garden critters is probably not a bad idea at all.

sure its fine oscars eat spiders all the time in the wild.

lol now the spiders in my garage needs to be worry.

And to spice up the story, not only does an O's diet in the wild consist of 60% bugs, they are known for eating even Tarantula spiders!

Noddy wrote:

u serious? they re way to big for oscar mouth

Noddy wrote:





okay, thats a bit excessive.... i for one am not going to be keeping crates full of tarantulas around to feed to my oscars.


lol only if it was freeze dried!

md1017 wrote:


The article didn't state the size of the spiders, but it was about Oscars not being effected by poison of spiders.
Supposedly not all predatory fish will eat those toxic spiders...