My oscars are babies, 2 of them. I fed them dead flies that I killed.
Before they ate them they circled them, strafing sideways all the way around the floating flies - as they do with live crayfish.
They don't do this with their pellet/flake food, they simply eat it without thought.
Why do they circle the dead flies or even dead crayfish? Are they smart enough to know it COULD be alive and its not regular food?
Oscars are quite smart, and know that a bug or crayfish may try and escape. It may also be a bit spikey, so they eye it up and make sure that the grab it properly. Pellets are just boring old pellets.
Ian
Maybe when with the flies, a liquid or something that they could have on their outside could dissolve into the water, same as the crayfish, and, your oscars maybe smell it.
Yes Oscar fish are very Intelligent.
