My new oscars...

Question
Hey Ron,

I'm one of the experts from over in the electric guitars section, and I have asked you a question in the past regarding what I now know is called Flashing.

Now I have a slightly different, but possibly more simple question for you...

My Oscars have basically completely stopped eating the pellet food that I've had them on since I introduced them to my home.  So here's what I have got them on:

New Life
SPECTRUM
Large Fish Formula
(Hormone-Free Color Enhancing 3mm Sinking Pellets)

For the sake of saving you the time of looking up this particular fish food, here are the specs:

Ingredients: Krill, Herring, Wheat Flour, Algae Meal, Soybean Isolate, Fish Oil, Beta Carotene, Spirulina, and multiple vitamins.

Protein (min): 34%
Fat (min): 5%
Fiber (max): 5%
Ash (max) 9%
Moisture (max)8%
Vit A (min): 8000 IU/KG
Vit D (min): 450 IU/KG
Vit E (min): 200 IU/KG

Now, I'm not sure what most of this means, but most of the articles and research that I read before purchasing my Oscars said that protein was the most important in most circumstances...

So I guess that my question is, why do you think my Oscars are rejecting their food?

Do I have to switch up their food like a child?  Or have I made the mistake right off the bat of choosing the wrong food for Oscars?

Answer
Hi Matt,
 Very sorry for the delay in responding; I was out of the state for a bit there.  

 In general, you should not have to switch up their diet.  I feed my fish the same food (TetraCichlid flakes or sticks) every day and they do fine.  

 The most likely thing to look at is deteriorating water quality.  If you can, change about 50% of their water today or tommorrow and then do the same thing in a couple of days.  In most cases, this does the trick.

 You should, as a general rule, be changing 25% of their water once a week, every week.  Oscars are unfortunately very messy eaters and at the same time they are also very sensitive to water quality.  Of course they make up for it by having a fantastic personality.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>