Cichlids need a variety. I feed a combination of 2 to 3 foods each day. On the buffet they have Frozen Brine Shrimp, Free Dried Brine Shrimp, Frozen Blood Worms, Freeze Dried Blood Worms, Tubiflex worms, Cichlid Flake, Tropical Flake, Cichlid Pellets, Peas, Zuc, Algae wafers (which they eat before the pleco's do, it's not a Cichlid food so don't feed them the wafers), and plankton. The base of their diet is either the Pellets or Cichlid Flake. Then I will put in a little bit of blood worms or another worm. Then top off with a couple peas. That's just an average day. I mean, it's like in the morning they will get pelllets, then at night the peas and worm. You just have to vary it. You will start out with just a few foods and pretty soon you have accumulated TONS of it. We have 3 containers of Cichlid and Tropical Flake, 2 containers of pellets and 1 bag of pellets, 3 things of tubiflex worms, and so on. Variety is key. Make sure they get a veg about twice a week. Zuc is great because all you do is cut the zuc in half, then each half in thirds and hang a piece by a veg clip in the tank. The next morning, take it out. No need to cook it. The peas on the other hand need to be blanched in the microwave. They LOVE peas and zuc.
