How often should i fed my lake malawi fish

[Steo the great]

Very time I go over to my tank my fish go to the top waiting on food is this a sign I should feed them or what?
Thanks.

 

[garfy]

Malawi cichlids always come to the tank as if they are hungry but don't be tempted to overfeed them.
I feed mine once a day with a good staple pellet and once a week I treat them to a frozen brine shrimp cube.
Opinions seem to vary as to frequency of feeding.Some say every other day.

 

[Steo the great]

I was only feeding once a day but they always looked like wanting more. Tha is for the help so een every second day sometimes?

 

[garfy]

I don't think it hurts to make them skip 1 day a week.

 

[Steo the great]

I don't think it hurts to make them skip 1 day a week.

Ok thanks for the help.

 

[Squall]

Very time I go over to my tank my fish go to the top waiting on food is this a sign I should feed them or what?
Thanks.

I guess fishes in general are always hungry I feed my fishes once a day as well and sometimes skip a a day in a week. Whenever someone comes near the tank, they just swim instantly thinking it's feeding time.

 

[Convict2161]

I feed mine every other day. Every one I guess has a different feeding schedule. But it true they rush the top corner of my tank no matter what time of day it is. I'll have them all jumping and swimming at the glass. Man these guys are funny.

 

[Jmedic25]

If you want to mimic the way they eat in the wild then you should feed them two very small feedings a day...VERY SMALL. like 1-2 1 mm pellets per fish. They are supposed to spend the day grazing for algae on the rocks, plants and glass. The 2 times a day are to suppliment the diet and give a balanced diet for good color. Over feeding can lead to bloat and bad water. Beleive me I know...Im just getting them over bloat where I lost 4 demasoni. I also dont feed them anything on Wednesday. Fasting is good for them according to some experts. Them charging to the top is not a good indicator of hunger. Mine do that all the time because they are greedy lil fisheys!!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

I fed mine 2-3 times a week. Every 3rd day. IMO, less is more with mbuna. I never once had bloat.

 

[Jmedic25]

I fed mine 2-3 times a week. Every 3rd day. IMO, less is more with mbuna. I never once had bloat.

Do you still have good growth rates and colors?

 

[mfdrookie516]

I did. I sold them when I switched to planted. They were very healthy and grew quite fast. They were never sick and were breeding all the time. Obviously, that's not always an indication that they are healthy, but it's a good sign. I had them for about a year and a half, so I'm not speaking from a month or two of experience.

 

[Lady_Alia]

I feed small amounts twice a day and skip a meal once a week. I've had this group of cichlids for over a year and haven't had a problem (knocks on wood)

 

[Steo the great]

Ok I'll probably do a lil bit of everything lol. Thanks again for all the help.