Cichlid Feeding options?

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

well you sure fooled me lol:p :p

is it ok to feed cichlids betta color enhancer????

[OrionGirl]

I wouldn't use it as a staple diet--it's not going to provide the right nutrition for all cichlids.

I'm pulling this out and putting it in the cichlid forum--questions here won't get you the best response.

[dave76]

I use cichlid color flakes, I am assuming they have kerotine in them as my cichlids are extemely colorful where ones of the same species at LFS are not nearly as colorful. Speaking of....I was at a LFS this sunday and I saw two adult male green terrors in a tank together and of course one of them had big chunks missing out of his dorsal and caudal fin :mad: , it used to be my favorite LFS but now I have lost a lot of respect for them. I grabbed one of the employees and told him that they should separate them and he looked at me like I was a d*ck and said, is there anything I can help you with SIR? Really got under my skin. Sorry for the rant. I will find out what brand I use, but I would not use betta food, use something like brine shrimp or color flakes, they really enhance colors and provide the nutrients that you fish actually need. That and make sure and give them veggies!

[Tightdog1]

i use tetra cichlid color flakes and hikari cichlid gold. soon i will buy tetra cichlidcolor sticks for my blue acaras. also feed tetra cichlid sticks and frozen beef heart and plankton

[dave76]

I also feed frozen plankton but they do not seem to enjoy this as much as some of the other foods I give them, but they still eat it. I give it to them when I get home. I have a varied feeding regimen that has resulted in great growth. my GT has grown from 1.5" to about 4" in two months. I feed three times a day, morning he gets color flakes, after noon I alternate between sinking cichlid pellets, frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms, and frozen plankton. Evenings I give shrimp pellets and algae wafers. I feed whole night crawlers as snacks 3 to 4 times a week. He really loves the earthworms and normally wont even let them hit the gravel before he takes his first nip at them. I would say overall the best way to give your cichlid the best coloration is to give them stable water conditions and feed them a varied diet with vegatables as well.

[scott]

I don't think it will hurt if its just to get you through until you can make it to the store or something like that but I definately wouldn't use it as a staple. For flake I like Ocean Nutrition Formula One and Two and Cichlid. For pellets I also like the Hikari cichlid Gold and spirulina but my all out favorite is Omega One. It's the only one I have found where the first ingredient is Salmon, actual fish as the first ingredient!

[Eric86]

I use whatever is available... Hikari gold pellets.. blood worms, tubiflex worms, crickets, crawdads, krill, flakes... just about anything, but hikari gold is what I use for staple;)

[dave76]

HBH flake frenzy is what I have been using, seems to work rather well.

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

oh its only a before the actual feeding feedings you know what i meen i was just saying to my self i didnt start this thread but orion girl did

[scott]

I don't understand what is a before the feeding feeding?

[Mystroe_TheMyst]

got me stumped :( whats going on, before feeding, feeding? :confused: i'm so lost...but I don't think they would make betta food for cichlids...but i know what you were getting at and i just use whateva is around, my friend had a 2lt ice-cream container filled with pellets for cichlids, not sure about the nutritional value, but I use it...it was only $5 aus lol not much at all...I also use freeze dried river shrimp and wardley's cichlid ten.

I use live platy's and other feeders...oh aswell as lettus...but for colour wouldn't lighting etc also have an effect.

cause i remeber when i had a blue gourami, was lightest blue during day and while the light was on, and during night when just the room light was on it was an intense blue with the true pattern and colouration.

[Dragon_Lord_Tia]

like a little appetizer before the actual dinner now you understand?

[peifc]

I give my fish small dry shrimp before the big meal. :)