5 Best Foods For Oscar Fish (More Growth & Color) – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Oscars are some really cool fish no doubt. There is also the fact that they tend to be fairly easy to take care of. However, Oscars are known for being a little picky or finicky when it comes to mealtime. You have to feed the right foods, the foods they want, and the healthiest foods around if you expect them to eat. You can’t just dump some flakes into the tank and expect them to love them.

On that same note, Oscars need real protein and mineral-rich food to grow big and strong, which is why we are here today. Let’s take a look at the best food for Oscar growth (this one is our top pick), what they are, and what benefits they bring to the table.

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The 5 Best Foods for Oscar Fish

These fish need a lot of protein and nutrients to grow big and strong, which is exactly what they will get with the foods listed below. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options to see what they are all about.

1. Hikari Bio-Pure Freeze Dried Blood Worms

Lots of people like this particular fish food because it comes with a simple ratchet top dispenser for quick and easy feeding, but that really is not the main benefit of this particular food.

This food is shown to increase the appetite of all kinds of fish, and eating more calories does lead to increased growth.

The main benefit of these freeze dried blood worms is that they are packed to the brim with vitamins and minerals. They contain more than enough nutrients that an Oscar needs to thrive and survive. This food helps to increase the strength of the immune system, it helps Oscars grow faster, and it helps increase their coloration too (more on color change here).

At the same time, we do appreciate freeze dried foods because they are free of parasites, making freeze dried options are generally much safer for fish consumption than live foods.

These things also do not make the water cloudy unlike other foods can do. At the same time, this stuff has been nitrogen charged, which helps to stop the oxidation of the food prior to the container being opened.

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2. Freeze Dried Brine Shrimp

In all honesty, there is really not much of a difference between this option and the first one we looked at. Yes, the first option was blood worms and this one is dried brine shrimp.

However, in terms of their nutrient levels and benefits, they are more or less the same. Yes, these freeze dried brine shrimp do probably taste different from the blood worms, but Oscars still seem to like this food none the less.

Like we said, freeze drying foods helps to get rid of harmful bacteria and parasites which can make your fish sick. Just like the first option we looked at, these freeze dried brine shrimp will not cloud up the water, which is always a big benefit no doubt. This stuff is also shown to enhance the appetite of picky eaters, something which can hinder a fish’s growth.

In terms of the nutritional value provided by these freeze dried brine shrimp, brine shrimp are extremely high in protein, something which Oscars need to grow fast and to be healthy.

Yes, this stuff does also have many other vitamins and minerals present, but the real star here is the protein. These freeze dried brine shrimp do contain a lot of other vitamins and minerals which are shown to make Oscars brighter and more colorful, plus they help to strengthen the immune system too.

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3. Hikari Gold Floating Pellets

One of the reasons we like these is because they float. Knowing how much food your Oscars eat and how much is going uneaten is important when it comes to developing a good feeding schedule, so this aspect is quite useful no doubt.

This way you can gauge exactly how much you should be feeding your Oscars. There is also the fact these things do not cloud up the water, which help the aquarium to look nice, plus it helps lighten the load on the filter too.

One of the main aspects of these Hikari Pellets is that they are extremely high in protein. Protein is very important for the fast and health growth of Oscars. That is not to say that Hikari Pellets are not also very rich in other vitamins and minerals. For instance, this stuff is high in beta carotene and in NS germ, both things which help to increase the natural coloration and brightness of Oscars.

These Pellets are also very high in other nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. This stuff has been enhanced with high levels of vitamin C for a strong and healthy immune system. It is a very high quality food with all of the vitamins and minerals needed for an Oscar to grow, have a healthy immune system, and great colors too.

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4. Tetra JumboKrill Freeze Dried Jumbo Shrimp

They are fairly large shrimp that have been freeze dried, making them good for the healthy appetite which Oscars possess. This food actually gives them something to chew on and to keep them busy.

Make no mistake about it, this food is not meant for really small fish. However, it is a nice choice for a variety of larger tropical and marine fish that love their protein boosts. Of course, these Jumbo Shrimp are freeze dried. This comes with the added bonus that they are not loaded with bacteria and parasites which live foods often contain. This stuff is perfectly safe for your Oscars to eat, plus these shrimp are very easy to digest too.

Tetra JumboKrill Shrimp are loaded to the brim with protein, roughage, vitamins, minerals, and everything else that an Oscar needs for fast and healthy development. This particular food has also been enhanced with Vitamin E for some extra kick. In terms of fast growth and development, a healthy and strong immune system, and bright coloration.

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5. Monster Fish Medley by Aqueon

When it comes to giving your Oscars a treat, Monster Fish Medley is a good way to go. The fact that you get both meal worms and shrimp is a big deal here. Oscars might not have the most developed palate out there, but they love the fact that they get to choose between these things.

Variety is something that not only humans like. This stuff is perfect for spurring on the appetite of picky eaters due to the bold flavors and selection that Monster Fish Medley comes with.

This stuff is freeze dried, which is a big benefit no doubt. There is no risk of your Oscars catching parasites from Monster Fish Medley by Aqueon. On that same note, this stuff is very rich in protein, minerals, and vitamins, or in other words, all of that good stuff that your Oscar needs to grow big and strong.

In terms of developing a healthy immune system, growing big, and increasing coloration. This is an all-natural meal, snack, and meal supplement that Oscars really seem to love.

All About Feeding Oscars

Oscars can be picky eaters in a home aquarium, but in the wild they tend to eat many different foods. In the wild, these fish eat many different things including small fish, shrimp, prawns, plankton, muscles, meal worms, blood worms, brine shrimp, mealworm beetles, and many other things too. As long as it doesn’t have a really hard shell and can fit in an Oscar’s mouth, it will go down the hatch no problem.

Therefore, any of these foods that have been commercially prepared will do just fine. As you will see from the selection of foods below, things like brine shrimp, worms, meal worms, blood worms, and other such things are perfect for Oscars.

Remember, these are carnivorous fish and they need a whole lot of protein to be healthy and to grow fast. Yes, they do need other vitamins and minerals, but for Oscars the star of the show is protein. On a side note, you always want to look for freeze-dried foods as opposed to live foods.

Live foods can contain bacteria and parasites that can make Oscars very sick. However, the freeze drying process eliminates these bacteria and parasites, this making the food perfectly safe and edible.

You can choose to add some feeder fish into the tank, which are small fish that your Oscar can swim around and catch, but don’t add too many due to parasites, the cost, and the fact that you will spoil your fish. That being said, you do want to give them a mix of high quality live food and commercial food in order to ensure that they get all of the nutrients they need for quick growth.

When it comes to the feeding schedule, once per day is more than enough for Oscars. In fact, for fully grown Oscars, feeding them 4 times per week will do just fine. Feed them as much as they can eat in about 3 minutes. This should suffice.

Conclusion

When it comes to food for Oscar growth, all of the above foods are good options to consider in our opinion (These blood worms are our top pick). Just be sure to feed the Oscars a well-balanced diet with a whole lot of protein. They can be a little picky, but with the above foods you have the best chance of getting your Oscar to eat properly.

• See Also: 10 Best Foods For Blood Parrot Fish

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Feature Image Credit: slowmotiongli, Shutterstock