Feeders

[ECCO_]

Ok, Im not really into feeder fish and as far as I know they dont have alot of nutrition.... but I know alot of people are into doing it. How do you know if the feeder that you are feeding your fish doesnt have a disease or parasite?
Or do alot of people just put trust into their lfs?
This is not to bash those who do, Im just wondering in case I ever feed my oscar feeders. I dont want to risk it really.

 

[fishnovice]

Ok, Im not really into feeder fish and as far as I know they dont have alot of nutrition.... but I know alot of people are into doing it. How do you know if the feeder that you are feeding your fish doesnt have a disease or parasite?
Or do alot of people just put trust into their lfs?
This is not to bash those who do, Im just wondering in case I ever feed my oscar feeders. I dont want to risk it really.

DON't use feeders! Apart from the cruelty aspect you could easily introduce disease into your tank as you have stated. Feeders are not well cared for since they are not expected to look good to make people want to buy them as pes or even live long.Pellets and flakes should be finefor the oscar. For live food why not try an earthworm, flies, spiders, ants or even a slug from a pesticide free garden?

 

[ECCO_]

I want to try some crikets. Im not a fan of the feeders.... wouldnt wanna risk it. I was just wondering as I know alot of people use them. And some dont even remove the fish from the bag with a net, they just poor the water in the tank with the feeders.

 

[hamfist]

The only relatively safe feeders are from fish that you have bred yourself. I am aware of a few hobbyists who keep a tank of livebearers or convicts, purely to supply feeders.
As has already been mentioned though, fish feeders are not particularly nutritionally complex either, so should not be a staple diet.

 

[shroob]

Ethical aspects aside, the nutritional value of feeders wholey depends on if they are the generic, store bought type (often low in nutrition and a major disease risk) or the home raised feeder (high in nutrition and you can guarantee the quality).

I would like to argue that feeders can potentially be a very nutritional food if raised correctly, and even more so due to the process of 'gut loading'. This involves feeding the feeders on a nutritious diet so that when they get eaten in turn, they pass on the goodness. This isn't limited to fish, crickets and other food can be 'gut loaded'. This process is often used for fish that are reluctant to eat their greens as it were, for example by feeding crickets on veg such as lettuce, carrots or whatever, then feeding it to a fish that wouldn't normally accept that food.

In nature oscars would rarely get to eat fish, they primarily eat crustaceans, gastropods, aquatic insects and insect larvae. So crickets would be a more 'natural' diet.

 

[minxfishy]

Nothing wrong with feeding an Oscar crickets, mealworms, black worms etc (as a compliment to a good staple pellet diet), they like them, as for fish feeders, Im in agreement with the other comments, there is no nutritional aspect to them and if not produced yourself are likely to be poorly looked after and carry disease which you dont want to pass on to your Oscar.

 

[ChilliPepper]

Ugh I could never feed a live fish to any of my fish TBH I only feed insects when they are in the house and bugging me. We hardly ever find any earthworms, but when we do I have to get my boyfriend to cut it up I only feed crickets/grasshoppers etc if one of my cats has caught them and maimed them. Think they'd die in the wild anyway, so...

Feeders is illegal in the UK anyway, I think.