So, you just brought home a new Oscar and you want to know what type of food will help them reach their full potential. You probably even bought an Oscar because you want to keep a large impressive fish as a centerpiece in your aquarium. That’s why it is extremely important to feed them the right food from the start, so you can ensure their growth won’t become stunted. In the following article, we will go over the best food for Oscar fish growth in more detail.
Best Food for Oscar Fish Growth
How Big Do Oscars Grow
The average Oscar will reach a full adult size of about 12 inches (30.48 cm). Females tend to be a little smaller with most maxing out at about 10 inches (25.4 cm). Males, on the other hand, can reach a maximum length of about 14 inches (35.56 cm) in captivity. It has even been reported that some Oscars in the wild have reached a size of 18 inches (45.75 cm).
Of course, the length of a fish isn’t the only thing to consider when you want to know how big your Oscar fish will grow. In order to fully appreciate how big an Oscar can get you need to know how wide, and tall they can get. In most cases, the average Oscar fish will reach a full adult height of 6 inches (15.24 cm), and a width of about 2 inches (5.08 cm).
Oscar Fish Growth Rate
The average rate of growth for an Oscar fish is about 1 inch (2.54 cm) a month until they are about 8 inches (20.32 cm). After that their growth will slow down, but they will continue to grow by about ½ inch (1.27 cm) a month until they reach their full adult size.
The one important thing to remember though is that the 1 inch a month figure is just an average. In an Oscars first month of life, they can have a growth spurt where they grow up to 3 inches (7.62 cm) in a very short period. For this reason, it is absolutely vital to feed then a high-quality fish food as early as possible, in order to fuel their rapid growth when they are still a juvenile.
Pellet Food
TetraCichlid Floating Cichlid Sticks
If you are looking for a high-quality fish food at an affordable price TetraCichlid Floating Cichlid Sticks (Buy Online) are one of the best foods for Oscars. These large floating Cichlid sticks measure 20-25 mm and they have a diameter of 3 mm. That makes them a perfect fit for the mouth of a medium to large size Oscar.
TetraCichlid Floating Cichlid Sticks are also fortified with vitamin C. This added vitamin C is essential for an Oscar since they need more of this essential nutrient when they are rapidly growing. This food has also been fortified with vitamin D3, vitamin E, biotin and Omega 3 fatty acids.
The primary nutrient profile of this food will also support rapid growth since it has a high protein and fat content. The minimum crude protein content of this food comes in at 46%, which is quite high for most Cichlid foods on the market. Where this food really shines is its 8% fat content, which is about 3 to 5 percent more fat than other Cichlid foods offer. Overall this is our top pick due to its excellent nutrient profile and its affordable price.
Hikari Cichlid Gold Floating Pellets
Hikari Cichlid Gold Floating Pellets (Buy Online) are one of the most popular fish foods on the market for large Cichlids. If you have been in the fish keeping hobby for any amount of time, then you probably know that Hikari food has an excellent reputation. This reputation is well earned since their food provides excellent results when it comes to enhancing a large Cichlids growth and color.
These pellets come in multiple sizes ranging from Mini to Large, which means you can feed Hikari pellets to your Oscar no matter what stage of development they might be in. These pellets will also keep floating for a long time, so they won’t end up on the bottom of your tank polluting the water.
Hikari Cichlid Gold Floating Pellets are fortified with a wide assortment of essential nutrients that will help accelerate your Oscars growth. Just to name a few of its key nutrients this food contains vitamins A, D, K and E. It also contains a high level of beta-carotene to enhance your Oscars color.
The base nutrient profile of Hikari Cichlid Gold Floating Pellets is also well suited to meet the needs of a fast-growing Oscar. This food is guaranteed to contain a minimum protein content of 40%. While its fat content comes in at about 4%, which is a little lower than other fish foods on the market. The lower fat content of this food means it will have fewer calories per pound. Because of this, you might need to feed your Oscar a little more of this food if you really want to increase their growth rate.
New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula
New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula (Buy Online) is another great food to feed a fast-growing Oscar. This food comes in the form of a medium sized sinking pellet, and they measure in at just about 1mm in diameter. Since they are sinking pellets that means they are a good choice for Oscars that don’t like to feed at the surface of the water.
These pellets are fortified with your usual assortment of vitamins and minerals. Some of the more notable nutrients in this food are vitamin C, A, D, E, and B12. These pellets are also fortified with Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil, and they also contain multiple types of ground up seaweed.
New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formulas macro-nutrient profile is also quite good since it has a high protein content and a decent amount of fat. These pellets have a minimum guaranteed protein content of 34%. The fat content of this food, on the other hand, is guaranteed to be no less than 5% at a minimum.
Aqueon Cichlid Food Pellets
If you are looking for a slightly more affordable food to feed your Oscar then Aqueon Cichlid Food Pellets (Buy Online) are a great option. This food comes in multiple pellet sizes ranging from Mini to Jumbo. That means you can feed an Oscar Aqueon Cichlid Food Pellets their whole life without having to change their diet.
These pellets are designed to slowly sink to the bottom of your fish tank in order to give your Oscars enough time to eat them. This is nice since it gives top feeders and middle feeders a chance to get to the food without running the risk of a conflict.
This food like all the others previously mentioned is fortified with vitamins and minerals. Some of the most important vitamins are vitamin C, D3, K, B12, and Biotin. This food also has added fish oil and spirulina to help round out your Oscars diet. One unique addition to this food is marigold powder. This ground-up marigold powder acts as a mild antibiotic, which means it can help reduce intestinal bacteria. In some cases decreased intestinal bacteria can lead to enhanced growth and vigor.
The overall macro-nutrient profile of Aqueon Cichlid Food Pellets is actually pretty good for a budget fish food. This food has a crude protein content of 42%. While at the same time it has a fat content of 8%. Overall this food has the second highest protein content of any pellet food on this list, and it is tied with TetraCichlid Floating Cichlid Sticks for the highest fat content.
Freeze Dried Food
San Francisco Bay Brand Freeze Dried Mysis Shrimp
San Francisco Bay Brand Freeze Dried Mysis Shrimp (Buy Online) are great to add to an Oscar’s diet to help increase their growth. Feeding your Oscar Mysis shrimp as a snack from time to time will not only help them grow, it will also keep them mentally stimulated.
Mysis shrimp have an excellent nutrient profile that will round out any Oscar’s diet. In general Mysis shrimp are made up of 69.5 percent protein. In addition, they have a fat content of just about 8.35%. The combination of high protein and healthy fats found in Mysis shrimp will definitely help your Oscar grow faster than ever.
San Francisco Bay Brand/Sally’s Freeze Dried Bacteria Free Tubifex
San Francisco Bay Brand/Sally’s Freeze Dried Bacteria Free Tubifex (Buy Online) can also be given to an Oscar to help round out their diet. These freeze dried worms can be offered as a treat in between feedings or mixed in with their regular fish food. Moreover, San Francisco Bay Tubifex worms are very affordable, so you won’t have to worry about breaking the bank when you want to give your Oscars a little something extra.
San Francisco Bay Tubifex worms have a good macro-nutrient profile since they have a good amount of protein and a very high fat content. The protein content of these Tubifex worms is 51.5%. While the fat content of these Tubifex worms comes in at 12%. That high-fat content will help you put some extra weight on your Oscar in no time flat.
Jacksuper Fish Feed, Floating Shrimp Krill
If your looking for a large filling snack for your Oscars Jacksuper Fish Feed Floating Shrimp Krill (Buy Online) is a great option. These large floating pieces of shrimp will entice even the pickiest eaters. The rich nutrients found in these krill will also help enhance your Oscars color.
The macro-nutrient profile of Jacksuper Fish Feed Floating Shrimp Krill is excellent since it has a high protein content and a good amount of healthy fat. The protein content of these shrimp is 60%. While the fat content comes in at about 8%. The protein content is what really sticks out since most foods on the market don’t approach 60%. Feeding your Oscars a protein dense food like this one will help accelerate their growth and it will increase their overall strength.
Freeze Dried Bloodworms
Freeze Dried Bloodworms (Buy Online) are a favorite treat for almost any size fish. Your juvenile Oscars will love them, and your adults will swallow them up by the mouthful. Bloodworms are also very affordable, so you can afford to buy a large quantity to keep up with your Oscars ravenous appetite.
The nutrient profile of freeze-dried bloodworms is also pretty good, so you won’t have to worry that you are feeding your Oscar a substandard snack. The average protein content of freeze-dried bloodworms is 53%. While their fat content is a little on the low side at 2%. That means bloodworms are an excellent snack to feed your Oscars when you want to boost their protein intake without filling them up with fat.
Live Food
Mealworms
Mealworms (Buy Online) are an excellent live insect to feed an Oscar fish to stimulate their prey drive. In general, mealworms mimic the types of insects an Oscar might eat in the wild, so they are more likely to chase after them and eat them.
Mealworms also have an excellent nutrient profile since they are a very good source of protein and fat. In their live form, they have a protein content of just about 19%, and they have a very high-fat content of 17%. This nearly one to one ratio of protein to fat makes them one of the more nutrient dense live feeder insects you can give to your Oscars to help speed up their growth.
Crickets
Crickets (Buy Online) are another popular insect that you can feed to your Oscars. For the most part, crickets will not sink as well as mealworms, so they are better suited for Oscars that like to feed at the surface. They also tend to be larger, so you only want to feed them to more mature Oscars that can fit them in their mouth.
The nutrient profile of crickets is also quite good, and they can be fortified with vitamins if you feed them with a special cricket food before you feed them to your Oscars. In general live crickets have a 20% protein content, and they have an overall fat content of 6.8%. That makes them a perfect high protein low fat treat for a fast-growing Oscar.
