wont eat

Question
Hi there hows it going...?
                     my name is vanessa i have a oscar fish.. i bought it just over a week ago and i have tried nearly every type of fish food pellets and that but he just doesnt seem to want to eat i was told by a friend to feed him live feeder fish but i would like to get some ones opinion who knows a bit about these fish before i do so.? so is it a good idea to feed them fedder fish he is only about 1 inch long and i have another one which is about 2 inch which i have had for a long time and have been having the same problem..please wb thanks....

Answer
Hi Vanessa,
 New oscars take a long time to get used to a new home. They are very sensitive to their surroundings and moving is quite traumatic for them.  So, I would be patient.  I would never feed an oscar with feeder fish. Feeder fish like feeder goldfish almost always have parasites and I can't tell you how many emails I get from people who fed their oscars with feeder goldfish and then the oscar died. It is really sad.  
 I would keep offering him food (TetraCichlid flakes are good) but if he doesn't eat it, remove the food. You absolutely don't want uneaten food rotting in the tank. When he gets larger, you can feed him sticks or pellets.

 Oscars are very sensitive to water conditions.  It is essential that you change 25% of the water in his tank once a week, EVERY week to keep it clean enough for an oscar.  That is in addition to having a good filter and a good bubbler in the tank.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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