Feeding
Captive oscars may be fed prepared fish food designed for large carnivorous fish, crayfish, worms, and insects (such as flies or grasshoppers). Feeding live foods may increase the rate of growth but also may cause endoparasites. Poultry and/or mammalian flesh, including beefheart, should not be fed long term as these fatty foods will contribute to fatty liver disease. Since these fish eat fruit in the wild, items such as melons, oranges, and other fruits can also be used as a type of food. Just about anything that falls into the water would be eaten by oscars. Live feeder fish can be given, but fish such as goldfish and rosy red feeder minnows should not be fed. These contain an enzyme (thiaminase) within their flesh which binds vitamin B1, leading to deficiency. Most fish eaten by A. ocellatus in the wild are relatively sedentary catfish, including Bunocephalus, Rineloricaria, and Ochmacanthus species. The species uses a suction mechanism to capture prey, and has been reported to exhibit "laying-on-side" death mimicry in a similar fashion to Parachromis friedrichsthalii and Nimbochromis livingstonii. The species also has an absolute requirement for vitamin C, and develops health problems in its absence.
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—Selma H. Fraiberg (20th century)
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“Man may have his opinion as to the relative importance of feeding his body and nourishing his soul, but he is allowed by Nature to have no opinion whatever as to the need for feeding the body before the soul can think of anything but the body’s hunger.”
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)