What do you feed your cichlids?

[Jannika]

I keep a bunch of different food in a small compartment box, like a little tackle box, so they get a variety. I've never had fish this big, but some are bigger than others so I worry about feeding enough. Most of them are little pigs and will eat anything so I've got freeze dried bloodworms, tubifex worms, brine shrimp and shrimp floating pellets for the carnivores. They don't seem too wild about shrimp though, and some haven't learned yet to check the top for non-sinking food.

The staple is Tetra Color Flake, which I still crush up a little with my fingers. They all like the flake and go for the Hikari Sinking wafers and the Algae wafers, but I have to crush them with a hammer into bite-size bits. So far I haven't fed them live food but I was wondering about fresh veggies?

I like to feed them lightly maybe 3 times a day. They already know me and get all excited when I'm at the tank. They know they're either gonna get fed or get their picture taken. lol

I'm just interested in hearing other's feeding routines. How much, how often, flake, pellets, sinking or floating, and name brands if there's a particular food they love. Thanks! Oh, and pics appreciated but not mandatory.:drool:

Off topic, but does anyone know what the fish is in the above foreground? It's a juvenile and a cutie, but I don't remember ordering it. he he

 

[blue2fyre]

I feed my mbuna NLS and ken's veggie flakes.

My Tangs get tetra tropical flakes (until I use it up) and freeze dried shrimp.

 

[Lady G]

Well, I have a couple different things I feed mine. I have Ocean Nutrition Cichlid Omni Formula flakes, Hikari Cichlid pellets (Cichlid Excel and Cichlid Staple) then I have frozen spirulina brine shrimp. Sometimes I blanch a zuccini and throw some in for em they also seem to like peas.

Oh, mine are Mbuna.

 

[londonloco]

In my Cichlid days, mine loved zucchini. I would chop it up in a "handy chopper", blanch it for a couple of minutes, drain, then flatten it in a freezer zip lock bag. Feeding time is easy, just break off a tiny piece of the zuc and hold it in the water. My Africans would eat it from my hand. Be careful not to get bit, little suckas loved it!

 

[myswtsins]

I have Mbunas, they get NLS cichlid 2 times a day fed slowly for about 45 seconds. This gives the little juvis a chance to get some food without letting much food hit the substrate. They also get blanched veggies once in a while, no high protein snacks ever...well except all the fry they eat!

My picture taking skill are rather poor but you asked for it!

 

[WinstonCourt]

Feed 'em ground up beef heart, not only will they love you for it, you will see a growth rate which will astound you.

Bigger cichlids will also eat dry dog food chunks. I would not make a strick diet of this, however. My Oscar would chomp it down, if you listened closely by the glass, you could hear the CRUNCH, no lie!

 

[jpappy789]

Feed 'em ground up beef heart, not only will they love you for it, you will see a growth rate which will astound you.

Bigger cichlids will also eat dry dog food chunks. I would not make a strick diet of this, however.

Beef heart is pretty high in protein and should not be used as a staple as it can cause bloat.

I've always used a spirulina based flake or NLS for my tangs.

 

[toddnbecka]

I all feed my fish (cichlids, pleco's, catfish, silver dollars...) NLS Grow or Cichlid pellets as the staple diet. Depending on their preferences they also get spirulina-based flake, brine shrimp flake, canned veggies, and occaisoanlly frozen bloodworms.

 

[Pittbull]

Watch your high protein foods Bloodworms, Tubifex and def do not feed Beef heart Mbuna and Aulunacara will bloat with these foods if not watched..

 

[WinstonCourt]

Watch your high protein foods Bloodworms, Tubifex and def do not feed Beef heart Mbuna and Aulunacara will bloat with these foods if not watched..

Um, when I raised Oscars, Jack Demseys, etc. Beef heart gave me the breeders edge on everyone else. Not as a staple, of course, you have to mix pellets and flakes in between. But, beef heart is the stuff of body builders. It will give you accelerated growth and excellent health in your fish. Cichlids are meat eaters for sure!