Best flakes?

[SomeGuy88]

So heres the thing, I cant feed my cichlids pellets or else my oscar pigs out on them before they can get them, so I am stuck using flakes. Right now I am using Nutrafin staple food for them. I heard that the Cichlid flakes are only meant for some kinds of Cichlids (Dont know if mine fit into that). If my the Cichlid flakes are good for my Chiclids, should i use those or Nutrafin MAX food which I have heard is really great. I really want to bring the best colour possible out of my Acaras, There a very pretty fish.

Thanks

[Tightdog1]

if you have acaras like i do use TetraColor sticks and i think they have flakes too but not sure, i feed this to my blue acaras, and they are always beautiful.

[LongTime]

Feeding the most varied diet possible is always the best bet. I feed freeze dried tubifex, earthworms and krill. When it comes to flakes/pellets I feed omega-one or ocean nutrition. I try to stay away from foods where the first ingredient is fish meal
Take a look at this site:

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/feeding/flakes.shtml

[ScottoMacD]

After tring a whole whack of different brands of food these are the ones that I have found to do the best job of keeping my fish healthy and colorful.

I have been using the following flakes for years.

They are fantastic I really highly recommend them.

Ocean Nutrition Cichlid Omni flake. (IMO best flake on the market)
Zeigler Prime flake
Tetra Spirulinal flake (a little salad twice a week is always good)

There are a couple of others. Anything that HBH or Osi make is really great also. Tetras - Tetracichlid flake is also not bad.

I'm not a big fan of any of the bigger aquarium companies flake.
They always just seem to be on the cheaper end of the food market.

I find that fish are what they eat just like us.
I tend to stay away from the following
Hagen - Nutrifin http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/geno/rotz.gif
Big Al's - Brand flake (and I work there) http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/geno/rotz.gif
Wardley's - anything except their spirulina http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/geno/rotz.gif
Aquarium Pharmacuticals - Aquarian ( some of my fish won't even go near it) http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/geno/rotz.gif

This again is just what I have found with my fish. Some others swear by
some of the brands that I don't like.

Experimentation is always the best way to go.

[N8DOGG]

try these two sites
www.kensfish.com
and
www.jehmco.com
lots of info and the prices are pretty good too.
I'l going to order some HBH pellets tonight

[SomeGuy88]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll try the OSI or the HBH if I can find it at my LFS ( very limited food selection), If not ill just go to Super pet or something.

[Gunnie]

Also look at the Omega One (http://www.omegasea.net) brand flakes. They are the only brand with NO fishmeal. Fishmeal is not a bad thing, but sometimes it has ingredients that are not normal for a fish (like flour). I use different varieties of the Omega One for all my fish, and they are all beautiful. It's a little harder to find though. Let me know if you are interested and can't find it locally. They have started selling it at Petsmart. I can also give you a place online to get it cheaper than you may be able to find it locally.

[SomeGuy88]

I might be going to petsmart tommorow (its about a half hour drive from me) and I will definatly check that stuff out. If they dont have it, ill let you know.
Thanks

[Lazonby]

I've used TetraMin Pro flakes for a long time and have had very good results. Coloration is very good, and my fish's energy levels are always good. I've only had one fish turn it down, and he would only eat meat. I've been raising some kribs on this stuff, and their color, energy, and physical form is extremely nice. I do not like the normal Tetra flakes, nor do I like the vast majority of products they offer. TMP is my staple flake, but I prefer Hikari Cichlid Bio-Gold pellets for my cichlids--they float forever, and never mess up the water.

[Slappy*McFish]

Though I normally use 'New Life Spectrum' fish foods, currently I'm using the 'OSI' Cichlid flakes supplemented with frozen brineshrimp and bloodworms. My baby Jag and baby Dempsey readily take to these flakes. When they reach about 3" in size, I'll be switching them over to a 'New Life Spectrum' pelleted food.

http://www.nlpublish.com/fishfood/products/index.cfm?blnFoodPage=TRUE

^ Definitely worth looking into.

[LongTime]

Also look at the Omega One (http://www.omegasea.net) brand flakes. They are the only brand with NO fishmeal. Fishmeal is not a bad thing, but sometimes it has ingredients that are not normal for a fish (like flour). I use different varieties of the Omega One for all my fish, and they are all beautiful. It's a little harder to find though. Let me know if you are interested and can't find it locally. They have started selling it at Petsmart. I can also give you a place online to get it cheaper than you may be able to find it locally.

It does, like most, contain wheat flour but it is one of the two foods I use.

[125gJoe]

Try this food if you can find it...
I think it worked wonders on my Discus.

Here are 2 pics of them "going crazy" for the Tetra Color Bits!

http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL332/715239/1597696/46472364.jpg
http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL332/715239/1597696/46471920.jpg

[SomeGuy88]

Do those "bits" sink? Cause if they do that would be perfect. My Cichlids nevr go to the top to eat and then my Oscar ends up eating all the food.

[Captain Hook]

Yes ColorBits do sink. I was going to recommend them, they are very good for helping with the colour of your fish.

I've also heard excellent things about Hikari's Cichlid Complete but haven't had a chance to try them yet. I believe it is also a small pellet that will sink but not sure.

[Lazonby]

Yes, the Cichlid Complete is a sinking wafer-like pellet. Good stuff. My fish enjoy it, but it's a little small for large cichlids. I don't think it really lives up to the claim of reducing aggressiveness though ;) Seemed to enhance my fish's aggressiveness...