Question About My Oscars

[Morquinn]

Now, I know that there is a no "live" food rule for Oscars, but I had this curiousity about something else. We have 4 reptiles, two of which we buy pheonix worms for (they are high calcium worms) would these be ok, as they arent really swimming around like crazy trying to get away from my oscars? They float on the top and my oscars react to them like they were floating pellets. Guess I kind of got curious about that... any info glady accepted.

Forgot to mention I have only fed them once and then I thought I better ask before I try again. They are soft, no hard shell on the outside.

 

[Lynden]

I stopped feeding my Oscars pellets long ago. I live out in the country, and feed my Oscar and Red Devil whatever invertebrates I happen to catch

They love this diet, it gives them a new reason to live. I would definetly reccomend an insect diet to anyone with cichlids. It also gives me a little excersise to catch them some grasshoppers. It's also alot cheaper

Stay away from anything poisonous, such as colourful or hairy caterpillars, centipedes, and venomous spiders, do not feed anything that uses scent or acid as a weapon, such as red ants, daddy-long-legs (also known as harvestman; not the spiders but the related species) or ground beetles. I wouldn't give them any type of beetle, personally. Aquatic invertebrates are nutritious, but be careful to collect from a non-polluted pond or river. I found out that a local river was polluted with mercury a little later than I should have

Also, do not collect Great Diving beetles. The adults (as well as the larvae) have very strong jaws. The adults also have a very hard exoskeleton and can bring down even larger fish. The larvae are OK, but make sure they get eaten before they develop.

-Lynden

 

[Morquinn]

Yeah, I actually order pheonix worms online by the hundreds, and are one of the few insects that i have found to feed my reptiles that does not carry diseases. They are high calcium, high protien worms, that turn into Black Soldier flies, if you let em. So I thought they would be a good treat for my oscars.