My Oscar eats everything in sight

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:18 pm

Reminds me of a stoned kid.

Yesterday it ate 3 crickets, about 15 of those rolly-polly or potato bugs, 6 moths, 1 fly, a few food flakes AND a few food pellets...and a couple small earthworms.

Good grief

WhatsUpSucka · Post by **WhatsUpSucka** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:52 pm

Humboldt?
do you know anything about albino convicts.
I mean besides my brother.
im talking the fish!

Meggie · Post by **Meggie** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:54 pm

ok is oscar ur kid or ur pet?

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:08 pm

Originally posted by WhatsUpSucka
Humboldt?
do you know anything about albino convicts.
I mean besides my brother.
im talking the fish!

A bit...more about cichlids in general than convicts but...do you have a specific question? No convicts here but I do have a Bolivian Ram and a Keyhole Cichlid...and now this Oscar.

A buddy gave this albino oscar and I'm just blown away. VERY cool fish...

Heh, most fish aren't supposed to eat for a few days after being moved, this beast was sucking down earthworms within 20 minutes of my setting him up in this tank. He begs like a mofo...follows me with his eyes whenever he sees me in the living room, all but stands on his tail if he thinks there's any food involved

Jstyr · Post by **Jstyr** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:20 pm

When they get big they will eat entire hotdogs.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:24 pm

Originally posted by Jstyr
When they get big they will eat entire hotdogs.

ewww

Brandon_k_W · Post by **Brandon_k_W** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:26 pm

They eat goldfish too, that's cool to watch

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 4:29 pm

Originally posted by Brandon_k_W
They eat goldfish too, that's cool to watch

I'll get some feeder fish eventually, but everything I read says to steer far away from them...ESPECIALLY goldfish

Since they just come into the petstore and right back out, the chance of introducing diseases or parasites to your tank is all but guaranteed unless you set up a quaranteen tank for a couple weeks first.

Also all but nutritionally worthless.

but yes, I do want to watch the chase and will eventually get some and do the quaranteen tank thing

axtrader · Post by **axtrader** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 5:03 pm

Originally posted by Meggie
ok is oscar ur kid or ur pet?

I thought he was talking about his wee-wee....

Certainly would have made for a more entertaining thread.

Cypher · Post by **Cypher** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:09 pm

Humby I did'nt know you were really into fish. I thought you were kidding about leaving us.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:37 pm

Originally posted by Brandon_k_W
They eat goldfish too, that's cool to watch

Yup...purchase a bag of comets from the local fishstore...then dump the bag into your tank. Even better to watch than oscars...big snakeheads! Nutritionally worthless? That's all my buddies have feed them.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:42 pm

Originally posted by cyPHer_138
Humby I did'nt know you were really into fish. I thought you were kidding about leaving us.

I am into fish

but am not going anywhere.

Just teasing you guys after I found another forum...some really good information there but not that fun of a place to hang out, heh.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 7:51 pm

Originally posted by YeOldeStonecat
Yup...purchase a bag of comets from the local fishstore...then dump the bag into your tank. Even better to watch than oscars...big snakeheads! Nutritionally worthless? That's all my buddies have feed them.

I can post some links if you're interested.

Feeder fish really can and eventually WILL introduce diseases to your fish. Folks that are really anal about their aquariums, especially after they have thousands invested, have q. tanks that all new fish go into before being released in the main tanks. Shops get them from dealers at big shows...none of the movers have any interest in quaranteening them, they just want to sell them quick. Same with most shops. The fish you see are normally not quaranteened at all, especially not feeders.

That aside, another of the "bad" things to do is to dump the water from your new fish directly into the tank, as this is another way of almost guaranteeing that any disease in the store's tank water or any previous water mixed into their tanks will get into your tank. Much better and safer, if not doing a quaranteen, to float them a while, get them adjusted to the temp, then add a cup or 2 of tank water into the bag every few minutes. Never let any bag water into the tank, and after a bit re-net the fish out of the bag and into the tank. This is a pain in the ass and takes longer but in the long run makes a lot of sense.

Feeder-fish wise, I can post several sites that state feeder fish do NOT have much of anything except a bit of protein...and in fact can lead to severe and debilatating (sp?) health problems for the fish if they are the sole source of food (vitamin deficiences). Nothing wrong at all with using them occasionally as part of a balanced diet aside from the quaranteen issues.

Jstyr · Post by **Jstyr** » Wed Aug 27, 2003 9:21 pm

I used to work at a fish store a few years back. I would have a blast feeding goldfish feeders to the convicts. These guys would rip them apart in brutal fashion. Every now and then we'd throw something BIG in there and watch the horror show!

EvilAjax · Post by **EvilAjax** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 2:08 am

oscar the grouch?

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 5:29 am

Originally posted by Humboldt
I can post some links if you're interested.

Huh, interesting after reading what you say...it sure makes sense about bringing in disease...knowing many places aren't the cleanest I'm sure. The boss of a place I used to work years ago...very proud of his huuuuge tank that had 6-8 oscars...and one huge snakehead. That's all he fed them, for the years that I knew him, always saw him dumping a bag of comets in there...fun to watch the turmoil...esp the snakehead.

Humboldt · Post by **Humboldt** » Thu Aug 28, 2003 3:05 pm

Originally posted by YeOldeStonecat
Huh, interesting after reading what you say...it sure makes sense about bringing in disease...knowing many places aren't the cleanest I'm sure. The boss of a place I used to work years ago...very proud of his huuuuge tank that had 6-8 oscars...and one huge snakehead. That's all he fed them, for the years that I knew him, always saw him dumping a bag of comets in there...fun to watch the turmoil...esp the snakehead.

lol, not doubting that at all!