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I have just bought a new baby oscar 2 days ago and read a lot about them on the net befor getting him. he has lovely colours and looks healthy but he isn't that much of a eater like all the websites and books say he should be. when i bought him i also bought some NISHI-AQUARIA MULTI STICKS (recomended by my LFS) but he doesn't seem that keen on them!! today i bought hime some live blood worm and dropped them in his tank and he went wild for a few of them but once they fell to the bottom of the tank he lost interest. I also bought some frozen blood worm and dropped a cube in for him he had a nibble but again it dropped to the bottom and he left it. am i doing anything wrong? should he be eating something else?
I have already done a water change which was due anyway 50%
and he is housed with a pleco and a catfish which he gets along with fine (i think!) could these fish be causing problems for him that i dont know about??

there is a lot to answer there feel free to touch on one or all of the questions all comments would be greatly appriciated as even tho i have has him for only 2 days i have fallen in love with him aawh !!!!

Thanks and for now!!

he's fine mine took a few days to eat. i do not use any blood worm i fell they carry ick and others! mine are on pellets and earth worms (pellets are oscar show)but that is all i feed mine & and they are all in great shape and look great happy but i would try earth worms they are very good for them

Ok, Oscars are predators not foragers. Oscars prefer to get their food while it is in suspension rather than rooting thru the gravel for it. If you are going to offer your Oscar live worm, get yourself a worm feeder. If feeding frozen, thaw the food first then offer him small ammounts, so that the food is eaten as it sinks rather than giving it all to him at once and forcing him to search the bottom of the tank for it. Remember, this isn't the voracious pig that it will grow up to be one day. Feed small ammounts, wait, then feed more in small ammounts. If the food hits the bottom you are either feeding him to much/to fast, or he is full.

THANKS GUYS THAT HAS PUT MY MIND AT REST!!! PLEASE KEEP POSTING UR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS I CANNOT GET ENOUGH INFO ON THIS AMAZING FISH

Tanker: Good reply! I've never heard of an Oscar being full... but there's a first time for everything!

As has already been said, give him time. If he's only small, you'll prob. find your LFS didn't have him that long, and what you are offering as food might no be what he is use to. When my O's were about 8-9" each, i tried Nutrafin from Hikari Gold... a couple of days passed without either of them eating the Nutrafin, but eventaully they got hungry, and ate it. Now, i alternate between the Hikari and the Nutrafin... and they seem to enjoy it.

When i feed my O's treats like bloodworm or frozen blocks, i make them work for it. My normal practice is to wet a butter knife, then place a bit of block or a worm firmly on the end. You'll find the water forms suction, and the food sticks. Hold it above the tank water, and watch your Oscar do what he does best - JUMP!! Part of their natural diet is things that land on or hover near the water surface... so encourage it and enjoy the specticle. My friends love come over to have dinner with me, then watch the Oscar feeding! It takes them a little time to figure this out... but not long. Slowly, you can move the knife further away from the waters surface.

Another favourite is Crickets. They go maddd for them! I like to put them on the tank lids, and let the O's chase them around, leaping up to grab them. Great to watch.

Notice also that i said "treats". Things like feaders, frozen block, bloodworms etc. are only ocassional foods. If you also add Pea's to his diet, then you'll never have a constipation problem with him. I've also used Pea's to treat HITH, and it works well if caught early along with reduction in Nitrates etc etc. But again, they love Pea's, and it's good for them... so why not!

Dont worry about your oscar not eating he is just getting adjusted to your tank. Be patient, soon he will be begging you for food.

Yeah he's fine....Try live foods for a while wont take long for his instincts to kick in!

dont panic,mine were the same aswell for about 2 days,then once they settled in they were fine,infact mine are that greddy,that at feeding time they jump out the water to get the food first,and if they are at the other end of the tank,they swim up that fast that they bring a big gush of water with them.im sure once ya little fellas settle in they will be fine.plus they are a pretty harddy fish.