some feeder fish questions

[kurt]

are feeder fish a good idea for oscars or should i stick to pellets? Also is it possible to breed guppies in a separate tank to save on trips to the pet store and if so is it hard to breed them?

[grnlemonade]

stick with pellets..........store bought feeders birng in diseases and parasites......also, they arnt very nutritious, being jsut msotly fat and all

[t_chelle16]

Like grnlemonade said, store bought feeders are generally very unhealthy and you're highly likely to introduce some kind of disease to your tank by feeding them to your oscars. You could quarantine the fish, but you'd have to keep them in quarantine for at least 2 weeks, preferably 4.

It is possible to raise your own feeders, but in my experience, it really isn't worth the hassle. You can't just throw 20 feeders in a 10 gallon and let them breed. You have to be just as careful about stocking level and overall care of the feeders as you would with any other pet fish (so you could only fit about 5 - 7 in a 10 gallon). If not, then it totally defeats the purpose of quarantining them or breeding them yourself.

Pellets are a good staple diet. They are specifically designed to meet the nutritional requirements of your oscar. Then, if you want to see them eat something live or just give them a little treat for variety, you can feed them things like crickets, earthworms, meal worms, and shrimp. They're healthier, safer, and in most cases, even cheaper than feeder fish (I can get a dozen crickets for $1 and even then they end up giving me closer to 2 dozen).

-Chelle