Will the Oscar eat its baby fish?

Answer 1

Oscars are carnivorous. The best food for them is formulated pellets for large carnivores, which are carefully balanced to provide optimal nutrition (if you invest the money in good quality ones). Their diet should also be supplemented with fresh food. Do not feed them too much mammal protein (meat from pigs, sheep or cattle) as it is bad for them. If you are going to use it, offer lean beef heart. They will also take fish flesh or prawns.

Some people feed their Oscars live fish, but this is not recommended. Not only do some live fish carry parasites or disease, but they are nowhere near as nutritionally suitable as formulated food. Also, the feeder fish are often kept in inadequate conditions before being fed to the predator, and this cruelty is unnecessary - it's a lot easier to keep lumps of meat in the freezer than have to set up, cycle and maintain tanks for live feeders, and it's also cheaper and healthier for your Oscar.

Answer 2

Oscars are carnivores. They eat insects, insect larvae, worms, smaller fish etc. Good pet shops carry special Oscar pellets for sale. These are OK but you should still supplement the fishes diet with live food now and then.

Answer 3

It is quite common for Oscar parents to eat their first few spawnings. Provided they are well fed and have heaps of room they will eventually get it right and rear their young until they are about 3/4 inch long. Then the young need to be removed to grow out tanks otherwise they will be eaten.

Answer 4

Oscar food is available at pet shops. This should be supplemented with live food like earthworms and small fish occasionally.

Answer 5

Oscar fish may be eaten by bigger fish, including by bigger Oscar fish. If a mother Oscar senses a predatory threat nearby, she will hide her babies in her mouth to protect them.

Answer 6

An Oscar will eat almost anything live it can get into its mouth. It will also eat most things dead that it can get into its mouth. Don't try to mix small fish with Oscars. It does not work.