Feeding Oscar But He Doesnt Seem to be digesting

[nshockeyplaya]

I just bought a new food for my oscar, JumboMin Food Sticks for agressive, carnivorous fish by Tetra. Yet when he eats the stick he looks like hes coughing almost and all the food comes out through his gills in pieces. Is he eating and why would this happen?

 

[keeper-of-fish]

Ive seen food come through the gills on some of my fish in the past whenever they would try to eat something big I think its ok just he has a hard time consuming it mabe

 

[Synirr]

Sounds like he's just chewing it up to me... my oscar has food coming out his gills when he eats too many pellets at once

 

[nshockeyplaya]

yea but it looks like all of it is coming through the gills, looks like he isnt eating anything

 

[Synirr]

That's what it looks like on my oscar too, but trust me, he's eating. If you're that worried about it, buy him a smaller type of food.

 

[platyfreek]

try some smaller food and hope for the best

 

[rvm]

Yep, he's eating!! It would appear that that is just what Oscars do!! When I feed mine mussel, he takes one, then spits it out, and then sucks it back in and repeats this process a few times before he actually eats it. When he eats pellets, most of the food seems to come out of his gills!
Try varying his food, and always feed a variety of different foods and he should be fine!

 

[freddyk]

The seem to eat more and spit out less as they get used to the food.