feeding advice
 

I am looking for some feeding advice for my cichlids. What do you suggest I feed them? Right now I have freeze dried blood worms (smell horrible haha), shrimp pellets, and some flake food. Obviously i do not feed them all of that but that is what i have at home right now. is this good or do you reccommend something different?

thanks
Jamie

depending on what type they are most african cichlids require spirilina which is like a sort of algae or plant matter which is what they mainly eat in the wild. i would definately reccomend some flake or pellet that is made up from that OSI sells something wwith it in flake form which i use and could be any happier with it.

Bloodworms are most often the kicker (if thawed out properly before feeding).
The sperulina Mitch mentioned was the kicker for my Yellow's (org bought for my Cray's & Shrimp). which you can either get pretty pricey for a few at the LFS OR you just go to your next best health food store and get a big bottle there with these tablets, that's what I always did and will do again for my shrimp now.
My Yellows also liked to play tackle & snack n cucumbers. Just offer a few times over & over and see if they start liking it (mine where always skiddish on anything new)

what is OSI?


i have the freeze dried AKA dead blood worms. are those good?

I always used frozen one's personally, but I wouldn't see why these should not be any good, being freeze dried they should hold the same nutrition then regular frozen one's, so I see nothing wrong with this at all.;-)

O.S.I is the brand that makes a fish food made up of spirilina green tube with spirilina written on the front hard to miss if you look in the food aisle.

thanks for the info!!!!!

If they are the fish in your sig the auratus is an African cichlid and requires mostly plant matter such as spirulina like Moneymitch suggested. The JD is a new world cichlid and is carnivorous. In the wild they feed on insects, worms, crustaceans and fish. You can feed the bloodworms as a treat but a good quality pellet should be the staple. From what I understand Africans are prone to bloat if they eat too much protein so watch for that. One of the reasons it is not recommended to mix Africans and New World cichlids is their difference in diet.

so are the shirmp pellets good for the JD

Totally! They not only feed on insects, but also smaller fish and shrimp.
Generally for him or any other fish: Offer a variety to keep 'em all colorful & healthy