CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

Howdy all!

Just got my first Oscar. He's alittle tiger O about 2.5". He has finally warmed up to me after about 3-4days in his new home.

I'm had him for about a week now and started feeding him Hikari Staple, which he ate well at first 2Xs a day(5 mini pellets 2Xs a day). I bought the Hikari Gold earlier this week and he ate one and left the rest.. didn't seem to like those. Lately he will eat one or 2 pellets at most then leave the rest per feeding. I know he's hungry bc he keeps chases buddles on the surface and looking for food. He'll swim up to the pellets, then at the last minute refuse them. I thought these fish weren't too picky?

I tried giving me some flake food lastnight and he eat it up, but only to spit most of it out. Is this common? Do they have a hardtime eating flake? He keep some down but was making a mess with the rest.

Any suggestions on what and how to feed this guy? He looks healthy and he's not scared of me anymore. When i go to feed him pellets he attackes the food when it first hits, but usally eats one then ignores the rest. Also seems as though he takes some time trying to swallow a single pellet. When he does eat one, he goes to the bottom for about 2 mintutes trying to get it all down.

Thank you in advance for any insight!
Yo Han

Weclome to the forum, Yo Han... Flakes are messy, best to avoid them and he seems to not eat them anyway.. Stay with the Hikari gold.. This has the protein he needs for color and health.. The staple is not adaquate for a Oscars really.. He will eat when he gets hungry enough.. let him go a day with out ANY food, then place in 2-3 pellets.. His stomic is only as big as his eye, so that is plenty really..
Fish dont' swollow their foods..As pellets are hard, they have plates that take the food and smash it like to get it smaller so they can digest it better.. So your O is fine on eating.. Also when he gets bigger, he wil let a lot of food go threw his gills.. They do this as they eat to much at one time, so the extra goes out, mostly through the gills.. As he is young, dont' worry about OTHER foods right now.. MOST on the market, krill, frozen beefheart and others,  are messy and foul the water fast.. Oscars are messy eater.. IF you do ever feed him any kind of OTHER frozen foods, do a water change, clean the filters that day, or within 24 hours so the water stays fresh..
I alway kept others with my Oscar and they ate under him.. Depending on the size of your tank, you might want to get some kind of OTHER cichllid as big or bigger.. NOT a long one, as the Oscar wil eat any slinder fish you place in the tank.. A Firemouth, OR a convict wil help here, they are aggressive enough to defend them selves and stay alive as the oscar grows...
Cory cats are a good choice for bottom feeders.. BUT GET the adult ones and  have a low structure they can scurry to if the Oscard desides to try to eat them.. Most of the time, their just are nosey with other bottom dwellers.. A Severum is a good choice here to if your tank is over 55 gal. (210 liters) IF not, best to get the smaller cichlids, firemouths OR a  convict.. BUT only ONE of either, they spawn like rabits if you get a pair.. Get others NOW as the Oscar is small they can all ajust to each other.. 
this may also help the Oscar eat.. competition for food is greater and he wil eat trying to get it all.. SO be careful YOU dont' over feed..

Thank you Barb for the reply! That is everything I was wondering and more

I will heed ur advice and stick with the gold and skip today on feeding and just feed him 2-3 pellets tomorrow. Great advice on the other fish for competetiion and cleanup. I do have some small catfish and a Pleco, but the catfish hasn't done much cleaning. Maybe I'll give a firemouth a shot.

Thanks again!
Yo Han

Your Catfish, do U mean the cory cats that are small on the bottom of the tank?? IF you are feeding pellets, and they float, you are going to have to feed the cory cats some sinking shrimp pellets so they can eat.. Just try to drop some 2-3 at the back of the tank OR front on where ever they like to hang out at.. They won't eat most foods, like flakes as they float though the tank and they like the food to lodge in the gravel so they can eat at leisure.. FYI.. You can starve thiese guys fast if you dont feed them a sinking pellet.. They like the shrimp ones.. Specialy made for them only really.. The Oscar may eat a few too as they drop..