Cichlid Feeding Advice please...

[Michele.]

Hi All.
I'm currently running a 3ft fresh water tank with cichlids
- 2 convicts
- 2 aftrican jewels
-2 Green Terrors

I'm used to feeding them 2 times daily... but was recently told I am apparently "overfeeding" and should be feeding only every 2nd day....

since doing this plus a slight thermostat problem... I lost a number of fish prior to the ones mentioned above...

can someone please advise me on the correct frequency that I should be feeding... previously through many years... I've always feed them twice daily...

I'm running an undergravel filter, 2x corner filters as well as an internal filter....

see pics attached. [emoji4]

thanks

 

[TMRC Exotics]

I would only feed once daily with a high quality food. Didnt see a mention of what type of food you are using. I personally like NLS thera a plus and their cichlid formula, I've also read good things recently about cobalt foods. I've also used hikari gold cichlid pellets and the fish seemed to like them. If you are using gravel I would avoid flake, it can fall in the gravel and rot. I would also note they would prefer a sand substrate.
But overall I agree you do not need to feed twice daily, any casualties were not from the feeding reduction. Also as you may already be aware your convicts and terrors are Central American cichlids, the jewel cichlid is African riverine cichlid. Some people have success mixing jewels with other species, some insist they should be housed with only their own species, they can be pretty aggressive.

 

[dpeco33]

Also the green terror can get very large and you have two.. They are also very aggressive or at least can be and can be dirty so duration in that tank needs to be high.. undergravel filter could end up giving you water issues when they get big to. Might want to her a large canister filter as more filtration.. just my two cents.. Just got rid of my cichlids.. Had a 10 inch green terror.. Here he is after a complete tank overhaul...[emoji12]

 

[Michele.]

thank you. even once daily seems better for me than being told only every other day... I've run cichlid tanks for about 15 years already... and as said... was never a problem with feeding....

I've also breed both convicts, green Terrors and jewels previously...

they are all quite aggressive fish but I've paired them up and have built quiet a few in closures for each pair to remain and they do seem fine.... I feed them both cichlid pellets as well as blood worms once weekly only...

 

[ambizro]

don't look at how many times you feed per day as much. Focus on how MUCH your feeding and the quality of feed your using. Remember variety is key!

I think using a bit of common sense here is important. Think about any living creature. Would you think if you could only eat a set amount per day you would want it all at once or rather split up in bit throughout the day? I would vote a bit at a time throughout the day. you would feel as full and bloated, you would be less hungry throughout the day, and would have your energy level kept up throughout the day as well.

There is no science behind what I am saying but I am just trying to think what makes most sense to me and what a fish does in the wild. Like most animals they move around looking for food constantly. if they are super well fed they rest. This is obviously generalizing but its somewhat true in many cases.

How would you want to eat?

 

[TMRC Exotics]

That isn't the correct way of thinking about it, fish do not feed like humans, in the wild they are constantly hunting and feeding, in an aquarium that would ruin the water, their concept of hunger isn't like ours, hence why they gorge themselves. Aside from growing out fry there is no benefit to 2 smaller feedings opposed to a single one. My adults Africans eat every other day, some weeks I'll fast for 2-3 days or so.