Oscar fish treats are the fun part of keeping these big, personable cichlids. We all know the look — your oscar swims to the front of the tank, stares at you, and starts begging the moment you walk past. While their daily diet should consist of quality pellets and scheduled live foods, occasional treats add variety, boost nutrition, and strengthen the bond between you and your fish. In this guide, we cover the best treats for oscars, which ones to avoid, and how to use treats without ruining your feeding schedule or water quality.
Safe and Healthy Treats for Oscar Fish
Not everything that an oscar will eat counts as a good treat. We stick to foods that are nutritionally beneficial, safe for long-term use, and genuinely enjoyed by the fish. Here are our favorites, tested on our own oscars over many years.
Raw Shrimp
Grocery store shrimp — raw, uncooked, and unseasoned — is one of the best oscar treats. We buy shell-on shrimp, peel them, and cut them into bite-sized pieces for our fish. Adult oscars can handle larger chunks, while juveniles need smaller pieces. The shell can be left on for adults; the chitin provides fiber and the shell contains astaxanthin, which boosts oscar coloration. Never use cooked, seasoned, or breaded shrimp — additives and salt are harmful to fish. Raw shrimp is high in protein and low in fat, making it one of the safest frequent treats.
Freeze-Dried Krill
Freeze-dried krill are like candy for oscars. They are lightweight, crunchy, and packed with color-enhancing carotenoids. We soak them in tank water for 5 minutes before feeding to prevent the krill from expanding inside the oscar’s stomach. Hikari and Omega One both make excellent freeze-dried krill. One or two large krill pieces make a perfect snack between regular meals. Because they are calorie-dense, we keep krill treats to 2-3 times per week maximum.
Earthworms
We know earthworms appear in our regular feeding rotation too, but they also work perfectly as a special treat. The way oscars react to an earthworm hitting the water — the immediate lock-on, the aggressive strike, the satisfaction of watching them eat — makes it one of the most rewarding feeding experiences. If earthworms are already part of your weekly schedule, use them as a treat on off-days when the oscar has been particularly well-behaved (yes, oscars have good and bad days). For full details on sourcing and feeding, see our oscar food guide.
Fruits and Vegetables as Treats
Oscars are primarily carnivorous, but they do eat some plant material in the wild. Certain fruits and vegetables make acceptable treats when offered in moderation.
Blanched Peas
Peas are our go-to vegetable treat. Boil frozen peas for 30 seconds, cool them, and squeeze each pea out of its skin. The soft inner pea is easy to eat and acts as a natural laxative, helping clear the oscar’s digestive tract. We feed peas once a week, usually on our “fresh food” day. If an oscar looks slightly bloated, a few peas usually sort things out within 24 hours. This is one treat that doubles as preventative health care.
Zucchini and Cucumber
Slice zucchini or cucumber into thin rounds and blanch them in boiling water for 15 seconds to soften them. Drop a slice into the tank and watch your oscar investigate. Not all oscars eat vegetables — some will mouth the slice and spit it out. That is fine; these treats are more about variety and enrichment than nutrition for carnivorous fish. Remove uneaten vegetable pieces after a few hours to prevent them from decomposing in the tank.
Occasional Fruits
Small pieces of banana, watermelon, or orange can be offered very occasionally — once a month at most. Fruits are high in sugar, which fish do not need in large amounts. The attraction is novelty and enrichment rather than nutrition. Some oscars love banana and others completely ignore it. We treat fruit as a “special occasion” food, not a regular part of the rotation. Remove any uneaten fruit within 30 minutes as it breaks down quickly and fouls the water.
Seafood Treats From Your Kitchen
Your kitchen is a treasure trove of oscar treats if you know what to look for. Raw, unprocessed seafood is always the way to go.
White Fish
Raw tilapia, cod, or haddock cut into small strips make excellent treats. These are low in fat, high in protein, and easy to portion. We buy a single fillet, cut it into oscar-sized pieces, and freeze the portions individually. Pull one out the night before, thaw it in the fridge, and feed it at treat time. Avoid oily fish like salmon and mackerel for regular treats — they are nutritious but the high fat content makes them better as very occasional offerings.
Scallops and Mussels
Raw scallops chopped into small pieces are a luxury treat that oscars find irresistible. Mussels can also be offered — remove them from the shell and cut the meat into appropriate sizes. Both are high in protein and contain minerals like zinc and selenium that support immune function. We feed these maybe once or twice a month because they are expensive, but the feeding response from our oscars is always spectacular.
Squid
Raw squid rings cut into small pieces are another great option. Squid is very high in protein, low in fat, and has a firm texture that oscars enjoy tearing apart. The tentacles can be fed to larger oscars as well. Buy squid from the seafood counter — avoid pre-seasoned or pre-breaded options. We find that squid pieces sink slowly, giving oscars at all tank levels a chance to grab them. This is useful in tanks with multiple fish.
Treat Comparison Table
| Treat | Protein | Fat | Frequency | Preparation | Oscar Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw Shrimp | High | Low | 2-3x per week | Peel, cut, serve raw | Excellent |
| Freeze-Dried Krill | High | Moderate | 2-3x per week | Soak 5 min, serve | Excellent |
| Earthworms | Very High | Low | 2-3x per week | Rinse, serve whole or cut | Excellent |
| Blanched Peas | Low | None | 1x per week | Boil 30 sec, peel | Good |
| White Fish | High | Very Low | 1-2x per week | Cut into strips, raw | Very Good |
| Banana | Low | None | 1x per month | Small pieces, raw | Mixed |
| Scallops | High | Low | 1-2x per month | Chop small, raw | Excellent |
| Crickets | High | Moderate | 1-2x per week | Gut-load, drop on surface | Excellent |
Treats to Absolutely Avoid
Some foods that seem like they should be fine are actually dangerous for oscars. We have made some of these mistakes ourselves early in our fishkeeping journey, and we want to save you the trouble.
Processed Human Foods
Bread, crackers, cheese, lunch meat, chips — none of these belong in a fish tank. They contain salt, preservatives, artificial flavors, and processed ingredients that fish cannot handle. We have seen well-meaning people feed their oscar pieces of their sandwich. Do not do this. It pollutes the water, provides zero useful nutrition, and can cause digestive blockages.
Cooked Foods
Cooked meat, cooked fish, and cooked vegetables (except briefly blanched peas and zucchini) should not be fed to oscars. Cooking changes the protein structure and often involves oil, butter, or seasoning. Even plain cooked chicken — while technically protein — contains saturated mammalian fats that oscars cannot process. Always feed seafood raw and unmodified. Your oscar’s digestive system is designed for raw food, not cooked meals.
Feeder Fish From Stores
This is not really a “treat” — it is a gamble with your oscar’s life. Store-bought feeder goldfish and rosy reds are disease factories. Ich, columnaris, internal parasites, and bacterial infections are standard among feeder fish populations. One contaminated feeder can destroy months of careful fishkeeping and lead to serious health problems. If you want to feed live fish as a treat, breed your own in a separate, clean tank. Our disease prevention guide explains why this matters so much.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I give my oscar treats?
Treats should make up no more than 20-30% of your oscar’s weekly food intake. We give treats 2-3 times per week as part of our feeding rotation, with pellets covering the remaining days. Treats are not extras on top of regular meals — they replace a regular meal on the days they are offered. Giving treats in addition to full meals leads to overfeeding and water quality problems.
Can I hand-feed treats to my oscar?
Yes, and it is one of the best parts of keeping oscars. Many oscars learn to eat directly from their owner’s hand. Start by holding food just at the water surface and letting the oscar grab it. Over time, you can submerge your hand slightly. Oscar bites do not hurt — their jaws are designed for crushing soft prey, not cutting. Hand-feeding strengthens the bond and showcases the remarkable intelligence these fish possess.
My oscar begs for food constantly. Should I give more treats?
No. Oscars are professional beggars — they will always act hungry regardless of how much they have eaten. Giving in to begging trains them to beg more and leads to overfeeding. Stick to your feeding schedule. The begging stops (mostly) once the oscar learns that food only comes at specific times. If you must interact, put your hand against the glass instead of feeding — oscars enjoy the social interaction just as much as the food.
Are there any treats that help with oscar fish color?
Shell-on shrimp, freeze-dried krill, and gut-loaded crickets all contain natural carotenoids that enhance red, orange, and yellow pigmentation. These are the best color-boosting treats. We see the most improvement in tiger oscars and albino oscars with red or orange markings. Consistency matters — occasional krill feedings over several weeks produce visible results, while a single feeding does nothing noticeable.
Can I use treats to train my oscar to do tricks?
Absolutely. Oscars are smart enough to learn simple behaviors through food reinforcement. We have trained oscars to follow a finger, swim through hoops, and come to a specific corner of the tank on command. Use small, high-value treats like tiny shrimp pieces as rewards. Keep training sessions short — 2-3 minutes maximum — and always end on a success. Oscar fish are one of the few freshwater species that genuinely respond to positive reinforcement training.
Last Updated: March 15, 2026
Written by the team at OscarFishLover.com. Learn more about us and our passion for oscar fish.