Large Oscar Not Eating

Question
I was given a 10 inch oscar a week ago along with a large pleco.  I
moved both of them into a 90 gallon tank.  The tank had been
occupied by a jack dempsey which I moved to another tank.  I have
tried med. And lg. Hikari pellets and earrthworms.  He will watch the
pellets until they stick to the filter, but is not interested.   The
earthworms, he struck at the first but then let it go.  He watches
them whether I let them fall into the tank or dangle them at the top,
but hasn't actually eaten.  The water tests ok.    Also his color is a
little faded (top half of body), but there are no white spots or
anything like that.

What should I do?  

Answer
Hi Melissa,
 Give him time. Oscars are VERY sensitive to being moved and to new food.  A 10 inch oscar can go many weeks without eating anything. Keep trying but offer him just a little food.  If he doesn't eat it, remove the uneaten food and try again tomorrow.  Usually what will happen is that once he finally decides he is hungry enough, he will "taste" a new food. To "taste" it, he will take it into his mouth, then spit it out. He might do this many times in a row.  Basically he doesn't know if he can trust you to put good food in his tank; that trust takes time, possibly many weeks.

-- Ron C.
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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