Are feeder fish a bad idea?

I worked at pets mart and it is true they are bought in bulk, and even though not all make it they are not always sick.

I think if your oscar is healthy and grown then defiantly give them a couple a week, just try to hand pick them out of the tanks.

It is a natural part of there diet in the wild.

If your not comfortable still given them, then maybe try minnows instead of comets they are smaller and less diseased usually.

They are bad for them. Not only do they carry parasites, but the fat in the goldfish can actually choke off the oscars internal organs.

It actually isn't their natural food at all. In the wild, oscars eat mostly shell fish and snails, rarely do they eat other fish. Oscars in captivity should be fed high quality pellet food and shrimp or crayfish as snacks. Not freeze dried ones from the pet store, fresh ones from the grocery store.

I'd say if you really wanted to feed them, it'd be best to just breed guppies or platies or mollies or something that reproduces like rabbits and wait until they were big enough. But this way it'd be giving them the thrill of the chase, yet you'd have the satisfaction of knowing that the fish you are feeding to your oscar were healthy and disease free.

Not so much for guppies (suitable only for juvenile oscars anyway), but minnows and goldfish are both very high in fat and thiaminase, and can cause many, many problems later on.

EDIT: I see everyone pointing out the topic of disease, which is very valid. But even if a source of disease-free goldfish is secured, they are nutritional garbage, and should not be fed more than a very occasional (once every month or two, at most) treat, and even then, in a very limited quantity.

I had knife fish and a shovelnose. Feed them goldfish and they had a blast chasing them. Maybe once a week. I found out later not such a good idea. Goldfish carry disease. I feed my fish blood worms frozen and not, loved them. I'm not sure about your Oscar, though. Sorry, but as i said i wouldn't feed him goldfish. Good Luck. My knife fish were very cool, they used to come to the top of tank and i could pet one. Just thought it was funny.

I think it would be a bad idea. Some of those fish have sicknesses, and parasites that will harm your Oscar. I wouldn't risk it.

You never know what kind of parasites your going to add to your tank that come along with feeders.Bad idea...........