Feeding Live Food

TrevorScott

TrevorScott

King Neptunes got nothing on me!
Aug 31, 2007
98
0
6
MidWest, USA
I was talking to a guy at work and he told me that it is important to keep a routine of live food in my cichlids' diet. So I went to the LFS and bought 10 small guppies. I have 6 cichlids and they went nuts!! they ate all 10 guppies in less than 15 minutes. I had expected it to take a few days. So my question is how often should I feed them live food and if I bought 25 guppies would they just try to eat them all as soon as possible or would they just eat them as they get hungry. I don't want to overfeed them. thanks in advance!
 
Live food is very anoying at times, my oscars love the stuff, i believe they need some every once and awhile to keep them fit, but then again it can be very unheathly.
I would say 25 guppies is far to much and so is 10, i normaly give on feeder per oscar once a week.
But then what type of cichlids are there?
The main problem with feeders is that they are not looked after as well as normal fish and often carry disease which if your fish eats is very bad for them.
I personaly breed my own feeders, simlpe, not expensive and rewarding.

I know maaany peolpe will tell you not to use feeders but i say go for it.
 
It says in your list of tanks that you have Africans, is that what your feeding guppies to?
 
I have a huge Jack Dempsey. I've never given him live food and his previous owners never did either. He's fine. I think he hates me because I'm not black, but other than that he's fine. He loves my food.
 
Live feeders should only be fed to South/Central American Cichlids, African Cichlids do not need feeders. The reason for using feeders is they are very high in protien. However over feeding with feeders can lead to a couple of things, 1st being they'll start to depend on it for their food source, 2nd is it can cause HITH (hole in the head) Disease in some Cichlids such as Oscars. A varied diet of pellets, flakes, and brine shrimp with suit most fish's needs.

I only feed Live feeders to my Jaguar Cichlid, and I only feed him about 5 a week.
 
No feeders for Africans. They are high in protein and can lead to Malawi Bloat. For the next few days feed them mostly vegis to clean out their system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom