preventing bloat

[fishfool58]

What is the best way to prevent Malawi Bloat? Besides over feeding, is there anything I can add to their feeding to help? Fasting one day, adding deshelled peas? I currently feed my 42 Cichlid fry(1-1.5") a mix of NLF grow, & crushed flakes 2-3 times daily. I also have 6 Zebra Danios, that bolt around & look as to get most of what I feed.. Soon I would like to add frozen brine as a treat one day, & I'd love to add fresh veggies of some sort of that is okay? Anyways thanks for your input!

 

[Borderlesscott]

I keep South American Cichlids so i'm not to sure about African, but from what I've read peas are a great help with Africans also. I feed my fish deshelled boiled peas 3 times a week and out of all there foods they go crazy for them more than any and I've never had bloat, my Firemouth nearly jumps out of the tank while trying to get them first. Sometimes you need to crush them a little between your fingers after deshelling just to make them a bit softer, they also seem to the enjoy courgette I put in for my Clown pleco - he only eats the skin, but my other fish nibble at the rest.

 

[fishfool58]

So you boil the peas for regular time? Do you make extras & keep them in the fridge to you use them later? Never fed peas before..& thanks.

 

[Borderlesscott]

I usually boil for about 10mins then let them sit for another 10mins, seems to help them soften - drain the water and squeeze the peas between
my fingers to get the shell off then drop them in. Unlike other veg there is never a problem with left overs when I use peas, all gone in about 5 mins. I just use standard garden peas in a packet, never tried frozen.

 

[fishfool58]

I usually boil for about 10mins then let them sit for another 10mins, seems to help them soften - drain the water and squeeze the peas between
my fingers to get the shell off then drop them in. Unlike other veg there is never a problem with left overs when I use peas, all gone in about 5 mins. I just use standard garden peas in a packet, never tried frozen.

Ooh, frozen peas would be alright wouldn't they? I've got some in the freezer now.. But next time I'll look for those.. & what other veggies do you use? & how do you prepare them? I'd have to cut mine in like eighths for my cichlids to be able to eat them..

 

[Lady_Alia]

It depends on which Africans you have. If you have mbuna you should never feed brine shrimp, blood worms, nothing meat. Mbuna are veggie eaters. Feeding them peas, lettuce and other veggies are great!
Other Africans, say frontosas, LOVE brine and blood worms.
So what kinda fish do you keep?

 

[fishfool58]

It depends on which Africans you have. If you have mbuna you should never feed brine shrimp, blood worms, nothing meat. Mbuna are veggie eaters. Feeding them peas, lettuce and other veggies are great!
Other Africans, say frontosas, LOVE brine and blood worms.
So what kinda fish do you keep?

Mbuna.. Yellow labs, Maingano, Rusty, Hara sp. & one Frontosa, was given to me.. So it's not recommended I feed them brine shrimp like once a couple of weeks as like a treat?

 

[Ram897]

I bought a bag of frozen peas and just take out a couple of peas a day and set them on the counter for a few min, then peal the shells off and split in about 4 pieces and drop in the tank. I don't ever cook. I figured in the wild no one cooks for them and boiling destroys the nutrients so raw it is for mine.

 

[fishfool58]

Sounds good to me, I'll try a couple different ways..