Cichlid food

[Lumberjack]

Sooo i have been feeding my cichlids, pleco and blue lobster "Top Fin color enhancing tropical flakes" for the longest time. And i have run out. So i went Black Friday shopping and got "API Tropical premium flakes for community fish" there is a big color difference and flake difference. The flakes in the top fin were big and colorful and easy for the fish to get and see. This API stuff is almost a powder. Is there any way to maybe bond them together to make bigger flakes or "bunches" "pellets" "flakes" to make it more visible. or should i dump this stuff. My fish seem to just swim by it as if it isn't even there. I've had the tank running about 6 months. Its a 30 gal. My stock is:
1 bumblebee
2 electric blue johanni
3 blue kennyi
3 red zebra
1 yellow lab
1 common pleco
1 blue crawfish


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[mikem691]

I would go get NLS Thera a + garlic 1mm sinking pellets.

 

[Cichlid ism]

I would go get NLS Thera a + garlic 1mm sinking pellets.

I agree with Mike on NLS pellets but if you prefer flakes I like Omega One super color flakes.


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[HUKIT]

The ingredient list is really no better than any other low end food which uses alot of fillers such as corn, wheat, and oat flour which serves as fillers and binding agents. Look at their list and then compare to NLS flakes which uses actual whole Antarctic krill and whole herring instead of fish meal which utilizes all the left over parts from other industries rather than the whole fish. Compare and you'll see the differences.

The other issue I have with API or TOP Fin and most other fish foods is they use the leftover fish that the other industries don't use rather than quality named source, so there is more waste which is evident from the ash content. Fish can assimilate only so much mineral content, and any excess will simply be adding unwanted pollution to the aquarium water.

The last big and most important issue I have is about protein it's not the percentage, it's the quality of them proteins themselves. Food that derives it's protein from high soybean, corn, wheat flour and other fillers is not nearly as digestible as a high quality pellet that uses quality ingredients. Proteins are made of amino acids which contain nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, so as the fish is breaking these poor quality foods down they in turn make a lot more nitrogenous waste which as everyone knows will effect water quality.

I agree with the NLS recommendation or if your really want to use flakes the only one I use is Zoomed Spirulina 20.

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Spirulina-Flake-2-Ounce/dp/B003I5ZP3Q

 

[aqua_holic]

I've done a lot of research on fish food and I just want to correct one thing. There is a common misunderstanding about what constitutes "leftovers". It's said that "fish meal" is comprised of the leftovers from fish processing plants but that is not correct. The leftovers to which people refer are not trimmings of fish, but rather the by-catch of commercial fishing vessels. "Fish meal" is a mishmash of various commercially undesirable fish, so the quality can be highly variable from batch to batch as some fish have more nutritional value than others.

 

[HUKIT]

I've done a lot of research on fish food and I just want to correct one thing. There is a common misunderstanding about what constitutes "leftovers". It's said that "fish meal" is comprised of the leftovers from fish processing plants but that is not correct. The leftovers to which people refer are not trimmings of fish, but rather the by-catch of commercial fishing vessels. "Fish meal" is a mishmash of various commercially undesirable fish, so the quality can be highly variable from batch to batch as some fish have more nutritional value than others.

That is correct, I didn't imply the proverbial lips and butts as in hot dogs but rather fish that isn't being consumed humans.

 

[aqua_holic]

Yeah I didn't think that you said it but it is said quite frequently by many.

 

[Lumberjack]

This stuff i have is almost a powder rather than a flake. I think im just gonna try to return it.


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[aqua_holic]

This stuff i have is almost a powder rather than a flake. I think im just gonna try to return it.


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Whatever happens, don't leave the store with it

I'm with mike on the NLS Thera A.

 

[Lumberjack]

They didnt have any of the nls stuff there. The highest quality pellet they had was omega 1. I know it aint the best but i guess for mid grade it will have to do. They seem to have trouble eating it. My cichlids are pretty small.


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[Nathan_Drake]

Omega one all the way. All those tetra fin flakes are like feeding McDonald's to your fish every day. Also give a diet that has variety. The fish will have better colors and a longer life span. I go between flakes, live stuff, pellets, and freeze dried stuff. Good luck with the tank

 

[PNWaquarist]

If your LFS doesn't sell what you want, Amazon likely has it. I order all of my fish food from Amazon.