Oscar Food

Question
Not sure by your description if you can answer...but it's worth a shot.
I've read many places, by so many different people. Different diets on oscars. So I'll ask specific questions.

I know feeder goldfish and minnows are a bad idea for a few reasons.
I currently feed the pellets, freeze dried baby shrimp, and blood worms. Also earthworms on occation.

Are other worms ok? Blackworms, meal worms, etc?

Can oscars have fruit? If so, what kinds?

Can oscars have vegetables? Some say yes, some say no.

A friend of mine says they fed cooked/uncooked burger, chicken, etc... that seems odd to me like it might make life shorter for the oscar, or harm them. Insight?


Thanks in advance for any help!

Answer
Hi Bobbie,
  Most any kind of worm is perfectly fine (and a great food).

  I doubt if an oscar will eat fruit.  It wouldn't hurt it if it did.

  You can try algae wafers -- I have large cichlids that like those.  You might try slices of zucchini though I have never heard of an oscar eating that.  

  You are right not to use feeder fish.

  I would not use burger or uncooked chicken. That is likely to be a very bad idea.  Some people feed them beefheart, although others claim that it is too fatty.  I never use it.

  Personally, I would use cichlid pellets or cichlid sticks.

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