Good food for Primarily Cichlid Tanks, (I know it's cliche..)

[Rocketman]

Anyways, I've got Convicts, Jewels, Oscars, Tin Foil Barbs, African Clawed Frogs,and a Red-Tail Shark. They are all in the same tank except the convicts. Regerdless of price, what do you think somewater good foods are for these fish? I not only want to know for myself, but as I work at a Pet Store, so I can recomend them to others.

The other tank is fed; Tetra Tropical Flakes (this needs replacing, what Flakes do you recommend,) Freshwater Multi-Pack San Fransisco Bay Frozen Food, Hikari Gold Mini and Medium Cichlid Pellets, , Hikari Algae Wafers, Wardley Shrimp Pellets, and Tetra JumboMin Cichlid Sticks, ("The alternative to live food.") The Convicts get the first two items and Baby Pellets. After that lengthy introduction...what do you think I could add? I have the same love for fish food as some have for more tanks...

I did some looking around at work and saw some Hikari "Sinking food Sticks" as well as "Sinking Carniviour Pellets." The latter have something like 57% Protein Content. Also, do you think the Formula One and Formula Two Stuff, (I think Ocean Nutrition makes it or something,) is any good; I'm talking about the flake version of the frozen food.

[Andy16]

Brine shrimp and blod worms are also a good idea. Frozen is what i use.

[Rocketman]

I should probably include that the Multi-Pack Frozen Food is: Bloodworms, Cichlid Chow, (primarily Turkey Heart, Artemia, Daphnia), Emereld Entree, (mostly Artemia, Mysis, krill, plankton, spinich, romaine lettuce,) and Spirulina Enriched Brine Shrimp.

I need to buy more frozen food, what should I get? I don't mind getting multiple varieties...remember, cost is no factor, (but keep it reasonable, and anything I could get at a Pet Store or at Big Als Online.)

[Andy16]

I think hte stuff i use is called emerald coast. It works great for me and really gets the colors going on my afra. The brine shrimp is probably the best, but i used one htat had plankton and brineshrimd and other good stuff in it too. I stopped using that becasue some of it went to wastes cuz they didnt like all of the things taht they put in it.

[Tightdog1]

that emerald stuff smells so bad tho. but i would add san francisco brand Beef Heart. my fish jsut love the stuff i feed it to all my fish, also try cichlid color sticks by tetra. they are hard to find but you could probably order them, they work good for blue acaras, firemouths and a bunch of other fish but you couls use them for all large fish bkuz they bring out the reds and yellows in fish.

[Andy16]

Its the only stuff ive used, so i just hoguht it all smelled to same.

[Gunnie]

You may also want to look for Omega One Cichlid Pellets. I have heard they are the only brand that doesn't use fish meal as a main ingredient. My oscars go apey over them! I order mine online at www.fishstoretn.com. I can order it there cheaper including shipping than I can buy it locally. It's great stuff!

[MoJo]

Variety is the spice of life. It's not which ONE food is good for them it's what foods are good for them. The first thing you should do is research what their staple diet is in the wild.

[Sumpin'fishy]

I'm going to have to agree with Mojo on this one. A healthy, varied diet is much better than any single food source with all the "stuff" fish need in it. For one thing, you want the fish to remain adaptable, like in nature. Feeding them just flakes all their life tends to lessen some feeding habits of fish which eat other live critters (for instance) in the wild. A Betta is a good, common example of this. Feeding them your average flakes is not as good as frozen foods mixed with other smaller pellets (and such) high in protein.

I believe I have done a pretty good job of providing what my fish need to live very healthy lives, while still avoiding live foods. Live foods are necessary for certain fish, though! Here's a breakdown of what I feed each tank:

3-Continent 55 Gal. Communty:
(Not suggested, but works for me!)
*1x 8" Blackbelt Cichlid
*1x 7" Malawi Eyebiter
*3x 4" Silver Dollars
-New Life Spectrum Jumbo Pellets (staple)
-Nutrafin Max Spirulina Algae Flakes (staple)
-Hikari Freeze-dried Krill (1-2x week)
-Hikari Freeze-dried Bloodworms (1-2x week)

Planted 20 Gal. Community:
*1x Betta Splendins
*1x Florida Flag Fish (male from pair)
*4x Bronze Corys
*4x Otto Catfish
*6x Neon Tetras
-BIO Blend Tropical (staple) -will change to Spectrum
-BIO Blend Color Enhancing (staple) -change to Spectrum
-Hikari Sinking Wafers (every other day)
-Wardley Shrimp Pellets (every other day)
-FFF has more than enough algae to eat!

Future Planted 55 Gal. Tank:
*1x Betta Splendins
*1x Florida Flag Fish (female from pair)
-HBH Soft +Moist "Krill" (great for conditioning)
-Hikari Freeze-dried Bloodworms
-FFF has plenty of algae here, too!

[Rocketman]

Well, I have plenty of variety, what i'm trying to do is add more variety.

[Tightdog1]

Variety is key, fish jsut like variety as we humans do. I cant eat mcdonalds everyday, maybe twice a week, i have to mix it up and fish like it that way too.

[Bernie]

I whole-heartedly agree with most all posts supporting
VARIETY in the food given to fish. Let me, however,
point out that one should look at the ingredients you are
feeding!! By variety....I don't think the fish care whether
food comes to them in a wafer, a pellet or a flake!!!

The form the food takes is only a matter of "familarization"
for the fish. The fish will "recognize" what it sees and
remembers it as food (with a bit of instinctive reaction as
well).

Nevertheless, most foods use a "FISH MEAL" as the main
or chief ingredient!!! The rest is mostly binders and
vitamins, etc.

So if you want to feed "VARIETY" ..... LOOK at your ingredient
label..... just like some do for human food!

Omega One (which admittedly I use, sell and recommend)
is the only one I've found which offers a VARIETY of non-
meal ingredients:
Whole Salmon, Halibut, Black Cod, Whole Herring, Krill,
Rockfish, Shrimp, Squid, Clams, Octopus and more!!!
(That's right off their Label!!)

Show me another food which offers that kind of variety
and I'll definately try it too!!

Just thought I'd point out the mis-direction when we
talk "variety"

Bernie

[Wippit Guud]

I once saw someone who had a school of piranha he trained to eat dog food pellets... may sound like a stupid question, but would it work for cichlids?

[Bernie]

I'm sure you could.... But Why?? The ingredient make-up of
dog food is entirely different than that needed for FISH!!

So, other than maybe to save money... Why would you
rish the health of the fish??

Bernie

[Wippit Guud]

Originally posted by Bernie
I'm sure you could.... But Why?? The ingredient make-up of
dog food is entirely different than that needed for FISH!!

So, other than maybe to save money... Why would you
rish the health of the fish??


Well, lets see... Lets take a fish food, TetraFin Five Star Formula:

Wheat Starch, Fish Meal, Screened Cracked Corn, Cracklings, Dried Potato Products, Soybean Oil, Shrimp Meal, Torula Dried Yeast, Wheat Germ Meal, Monobasic Calcium Phosphate, Algae Meal, Lecithin, Artificial Colour, Ethoxyquin as Preservative.

Where the heck do fish eat any of that in the wild, anways? But compare it to cat food (which would have the fish component in it):

Chicken Meal, Ground Yellow Corn, Lamb Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Poultry Fat (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Ascorbic Acid), Ground Whole Wheat, Dried Brewers Yeast, Fish Meal, Corn Germ Meal, Salt, Dried Beet Pulp, Dehydrated Cheese

A lot of it is the same stuff... both have fish meal, both have, wheat and corn meal... seems like it would be fairly compatable.

[Bernie]

I'm sure there are certain ingredients... in certain proportions
that could be used and are used in different animal foods,
that overlap;
but they are made entirely different for for each.
Binders are different, vitamins & preservatives are different,
and on and on.

I, personally, don't like to use any "meal" products for fish.
Period.... which is why we feed Omega here, which does
not use any "meal" as binders.

But, if you would rather, go ahead and use the dog food.

I know of some folks that even use it in their ponds for
goldfish. So, if you're convinced all food is the same...
go for it. I just thought I'd point out that there really
are differences... For the most part, you get what you
pay for.

Bernie

[Rocketman]

Since I work at a Pet Store and have four tanks I am quite familiar with all those major foods...

A few people mentioned Omega One, and I see why. Does anyone have any prefrences between Omega One, Two, Brine Shrimp Plus, or the frozen food?

Also, just a small little question...Besides live baby Brine Shrimp, what could I feed baby convicts? I suppose it would have to be something in flake form, (I'm talking about the first 4 weeks) so any suggestions? Or just something high in Protein?

[Bernie]

We use Freeze-dried Brine Shrimp here or finely ground up
ocean plankton. However Hikari make a pretty good
food called "first bites" .....however, it does use fish meal;
so I tend to prefer the FD Brine or Oc Plankton.

Bernie

[Rocketman]

Are you referring to Omega's Brine Shrimp Plus when you say freeze-dried? I have seen some plankton...most notably those Seeweed select things, (they're packaged in something that looks like frozen food.) Any particular brands?

[Bernie]

No, I was referring to the standard freesze-dried BS that
many diff makers put out (like Hikari, etal.); I use a private
label version that I get in from the West coast and pkg it
up here in my store (we get it in bulk and is very fresh supply).
Its quite popular here. One of the chief reasons I use it for babies or young fish is that it can be finely ground up (fingers)
and is very tasty and high in protein (55%+) which is good for
growth rates.

Bernie

P.S. Don't think Omega has a Brine Shrimp Plus??

[Dahlia]

In response to "why not feed cat/dog food", fish aren't supposed to have mammalian derived foods (which lamb would constitute as).

I also noticed no one seems to have mentioned veggies... peas, zucchini, lettuce, kale...

[Rocketman]

Oh yes, what veggies do you use? is it the frozen or canned? i get em mixed up

[Cypherman]

I feed my jack dempseys a wide variety of exclusively frozen foods (right now I have Beefheart cubes, Mystis shrimp, Bloodworm, and Emerald Entree...Next time I'll probably go with squid, krill, and more bloodworm/beefheart) along with New Life Spectrum cichlid pellet. Hikari Gold is another good brand I like to use occasionally. Variety is key to happy, healthy fish. ;)

[Sumpin'fishy]

I mentioned veggies in mine. I have/do use: Romain Lettuce, Iceberg Lettuce (less desirable than Romain), Cucumber (their favorite!) Squash, Zuccini, Spinach, and have tried peas. I just slice them into wafer form and cut around the peel and add to a veggie clip. I have tried to freeze them for a half hour, boil them briefly, etc., but my fish prefer all their veggies RAW! It's easier for me too!:)

As far as their staple diet, I use primarily New Life Spectrum. It does use fish meal as well as other "meals", but it is high in natural color enhancers, and contains no hormones. I believe it's the only food that guarantees "fish having more color in 10 days or money back". My own experience....just to be fair and factual....is that I have not noticed any more color in my fish than I did before. I will say that they have kept up their "best colors" more consistently with this food than before they used it. I have always used a variety of good, quality foods in all my fish's diets, so I really didn't expect to see much. The manufacturer says to use this food exclusively, and you will have best results! I will not go to that extreme, but I did use it exclusively for my first two weeks just to find out if their claim is true. I didn't notice one bit of color loss, and they immediately dove at this new food!

I'm going to use the rest of my "other" staples (including Hikari Pellets, Bio-blend, etc), and then change to using Spectrum as my sole staple food. I will still continue to use Freeze-dried foods, veggie flakes, and occassional other treats.

[Rocketman]

Thanks all!