Crickets

[DanRad]

A lot of people (myself included) like to give their Oscars and other fish live treats from time to time.  Crickets are a frequent choice -- the fish like them, and they're easy to buy from your local pet shop.  The drawback is that sometimes a few swim to freedom, climb out of the tanks, and take up residence in your house. 

One way to avoid thiis is to place the bag of crickets in the freezer for about 5 minutes just prior to putting them in the tank.  This will slow down their metabolism, and reduce their ability to move well, so that the fish can get them all before they pull themselves out of the tank.

[altaaffe]

Thanks Dan, had a few recently that my O missed and were found at the farthest reaches of the house !!

[tashamike]

thanx

[ILLYOUNG]

I had that happen to me as well. But at the same time the next morning I have all this poop flooting at the top of the tank. Which is all dead peices of crickets! anything i could do about this?

[Barb Okla]

Only to net it out when U see it.. this will help keep the tank cleaner. NO easy solution here..

[DanRad]

You might have just fed them too many.  Predators in general live a feast or famine existence in the wild, so when there's something good aviailable, they'll eat until they just can't eat more.  It's a survival mechanism in the wild, but in our tanks, it doesn't work out so well.  They overeat to such an extent that they don't fully digest all of it, and it just pollutes our tank water.  If you keep the feeding quantity down, they'll digest a greater proportion of what you do feed them.  If they're still looking for more, it's not a totally bad thing.

[ILLYOUNG]

ok maybe I gave them to many. 12! but i get the point of them needing to break it down in their stomach. How often do you feed crickets?

[DanRad]

Only occasionally.  The dry food these days is very good.  I alternate between about three different pellets or sticks.  I give them some FD krill about once a week.  Once a month or so some live mealworms.  Also have some FD earthworms -- maybe once a week.  Just something to pique their interest every now & then.

[ILLYOUNG]

I try to switch up with the foods I give. Like yesterday I gave night crawlers.I also have one of them 2 times a day feeders with pellets in there. I also feed flakes, crickets, shrimp cubes and blood worms they both come in the same form frozen cubes.  Question? Is it good to give each O their own worm? I feel if I do this they wont fight over the worm. Because somebody will snatch soon as it hits the water. hen they were smaller I would cut it up it feed them pieces of just one worm but they out grown that stage it seems.

[DanRad]

I'd skip the feeders.  More for entertainment than nutrition, and a fair amount of risk (ich, etc).  Flakes are probably a waste of time once they're large enough to be eating pellets.  But yeah, I'd give them each their own worm!