Cichlid food

[jratuszn]

I have a tankfull of Malawi cichlids, and, not having any cichlid foo, I have been feeding them tropical "crumbles" for the past week. I finally got some cichlid-specific food, and it's the same size as the other stuff, but my fish don't seem to like it. Johnny [acronym:58710405b0="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:58710405b0] guy said that in all likelihood, th etropical food wasn't good for the cichlids, and that they needed a cichlid-specififc formula. Well, I went to Meijer's and got the same stuff they had at the [acronym:58710405b0="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:58710405b0] for cheap, but if my fish won't eat it, then there isn't really any point. Is it actually bad for african cichlids to eat tropical food? I am still feeding it to my guppies in the same tank (I sprinkle it on the top, so the guppies will eat it but the cichlids won't). If the cichlids manage to eat some of this as it falls, in addition to the cichlid-specific pellets, will that be ok? Just want to cover all the bases.

Thanks,

-J

[TankGirl]

Malawi cichlids in general need a primarily veggie diet, so you should avoid feeding protein like bloodworms and such, to prevent bloat. I think if you find a spirulina based veggie flake that would be great for them. Check the cichlid food label, as some cichlids need tons of protein, so all cichlid food is not created equal. That said, it is not at all unusual for fish to refuse a new food. When I introduce something new it can take 4-5 days for them to get used to it, so don't worry on that score.

[jratuszn]

Well, I looked at the label in the store before I bought it- main ingredients are whitefish meal, soy, I think some wheat-based things (I can't remember exactly, I don't have it with me). Will this be ok? I have 5 yellow labs, and what I think are two Cynotilapia Axelrodi. They're pretty young still, so it's hard to tell.

[TankGirl]

That sounds okay, like it probably does not have high protein, but it also has a lot of meal and byproducts, so a higher quality flake is always better, like Omega One. It is a little pricey but it can be had from Bernie in TN for cheaper than my [acronym:12cf53ee2f="Local Fish Store"]LFS[/acronym:12cf53ee2f] carries it, shipping included. They have a veggie flake that would be very good for your labs. I like Hikari products, also. Nothing wrong with sticking with what you have, as long as it does not claim to be a "protein flake" food, which it would probably have prominently displayed on the label.

[Terry]

Tankgirl is right your malawi cichlids like veggie based foods, do not feed your malawi's bloodworm as it will give them malawi bloat.
Hikari do a malawi food called hikari excel which is very good, basically you want foods that are more veggie based that meat, but as long as you stay away from the higher protein foods you will be alright. you will also find that a flake food will not be substantual enough for them, pettets and granuals are better. there are some other frozen foods that are alright like brine shrimp, malawi mix, cockles, etc that will be fine.