FEEDING FOR AFRICAN CICHLIDS

by **fish20085028** » Sat May 03, 2008 1:01 am

How often should they be fed, the reason i ask that is because the packaging of the pellets states to feed them 1 to 3 times a day. I know that all packages say this but i am new to the cichlids and still learning their personalities. I am currently feeding them cichlid staple mini pellets but they act like they cant respond to floating food. I have some tetra flakes that sink to the bottom and they just destroy that. So how many times should i feed them a day and any ideas on what food would be the best fit for them. Thank you

by **Serial324556** » Sat May 03, 2008 1:43 am

I have never owned African Cichlids. I have 3 Convict Cichlids. They are quite small and never respond much to the pellets they just spit them out.
I feed mine mostly flakes, once in the morning and once at night before the lights go off.

I also feed them Mysis, Plankton, and sometimes frozen krill which they love. I feed them one selection of these 2 to 3 times a week switching it up a bit here and there.

by **miami754** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:20 am

You'll need to be a bit more specific about what types of Africans you own, but if you are referring to mbunas, they need a diet high in vegetable matter and low in animal protein. They are hebivores so when you feed them live food such as brine shrimp or worms, they can develop a condition known as Malawi bloat.

Instead, feed them a spirulina-based food along with a piece of zuchini rubber banded to a rock or a peice of lettuce clipped to the side every once in a while.

I feed mine 2 times a day - nce in the morning and once at night. Feed them enough flakes/pellets such that they finish it off after 3-4 minutes.

The mbunas I raised actually did not immediatley feed from the top, but over the period of a couple of weeks, they learned. How long have you had yours? Mine especially learned quickly when I bough some acei that fed off the top like crazy. They learned that if they didn't go up there then the acei were going to finish it off. My demasoni were the most reluctant to go to th surface, but even they learned.

by **Serial324556** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:26 pm

I didn't know that there were herbivore cichlids. Sorry for my misinformation. :)

by **gumbii** » Sat May 03, 2008 7:35 pm

actually... not all mbuna's need a veggie rich diet... some like cynotilapia afra species, auruatus melachromis, and i think 6 other mbuna need protein rich diets... even p. demasoni are known to attack other colonies in the wild and eat thier young...

i just feed all of my africans... even my tropheus new life spectrum... i feed them at least once a day, and every once in a wile i throw in some spirulina 20 flake food...

by **miami754** » Mon May 05, 2008 2:34 pm

You are right Gumbii, but the vast majority are herbivores so that is generally the advice given New Life Spectrum Cichlid formula is a very good food. I use it as well sometimes.

by **gumbii** » Mon May 05, 2008 9:05 pm

well i'm just throwing in NLS because if it's safe enough for tropheus, anything else could eat it... if a tropheus eats even another fish's scale it will get bloat... i've tried every other food with tropheus and it's always the same thing... except for NLS... it's incredible...

that is all... thx...

by **thisfish884485** » Thu May 22, 2008 3:54 am

I feed my mbunas lots of seaweed, frozen cubes that are mainly vegetable matter, and spirulina pellets. Occasionally i give them frozen bloodworms or a few brineshrimp.

FEEDING FOR AFRICAN CICHLIDS

8 posts