You could look into NorthFin, New Life Spectrum or Xtreme pellets. A lot of cichlid keepers feel they use cleaner ingredients and less filler compared to some of the more mainstream foods, and most of their pellets float or at least stay suspended longer than Omega. NLS in particular has a pretty good reputation for large cichlids, and NorthFin tends to be a bit softer/easier to chew while still holding together well in the water.
Good Floating Pellet For Cichlids
- Thread starter Roger Mcfish
- Start date
I was just on Reddit looking for opinions about foods and found this. So note, this is not my chart, I copied it from someone on Reddit...
Fewer points equals better score...
Fewer points equals better score...
Xtreme don't make floating pellets. The fish I have are still 3 inch juveniles for this specific topic.
My larger fish eat northfin pellets and Xtreme big fella pellets.
I've tried northfin 2mm cichlid pellets and the Nicaraguans are the only ones that go for it. The jag and vieja only grab pellets from the top and won't go for the sinking pellets.
I've tried omega in the past with other cichlids and found my old trimac would only eat them, all others would spit them out and take forever to soften up. I could try them again at a smaller size.
Trying to find a beneficial pellet at 1.5-2mm that'll work for both vieja and parachromis
Vieja are omnivores with strong herbivorous tendencies. Parachromis are predators that require a high-protein, meat based diet. So any pellet will be a compromise to the ideal of one or the other.
That said, during the juvenal stage the Viejas will appreciate more protein. So a single "meaty" diet during grow out will likely work well. Then consider supplementing with raw vegetables (peas, zucchini, etc) or spirulina infused foods once reaching adult size.
I use sinking pellets (Bug Bites, NLS, Ron's). So I can't help with a floating pellet suggestion. But it does seem the highest rated pellets are "slow-sinking". Have you considered trying to convert them over to slow sinking?
That said, during the juvenal stage the Viejas will appreciate more protein. So a single "meaty" diet during grow out will likely work well. Then consider supplementing with raw vegetables (peas, zucchini, etc) or spirulina infused foods once reaching adult size.
I use sinking pellets (Bug Bites, NLS, Ron's). So I can't help with a floating pellet suggestion. But it does seem the highest rated pellets are "slow-sinking". Have you considered trying to convert them over to slow sinking?
I’m surprised that Dainchi, Vitalis, Aquatic Foods & Blackworm Co didn’t make the list. I tried Dainchi at least 15 years ago as if I recall they were the first company to use montmorillonite clay. Vitalis doesn’t necessarily have the best ingredient list but their pellets are interesting as they are soft and extremely palatable to everything, not a single fish turned their noses up at it. The Aquatic Foods and Blackworm pellets was with an order of live black worms. The ingredient list isn’t bad but they come in a weird 12 type sinking and floating in different sizes in the same container which is dumb, maybe if you had a variety of fish? The pellets were very light and airy which caused them to balloon up like crazy when they became water logged but again not a single fish refused them. I only fed it twice as I was concerned the pellets expanding like that could cause gastrointestinal issues. I always like trying new foods but there are quite a few on that list I wouldn’t touch.
Amazon.com: Aquatic Foods Inc. 12-Type Floating & Sinking California Blackworm & Coloring Pellets of 1mm, 2mm, 3mm Size for All Tropical Fish, Koi and Pond Fish, 4-Type Wafer Mix Included...1-lb 4oz Canister : Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: Aquatic Foods Inc. 12-Type Floating & Sinking California Blackworm & Coloring Pellets of 1mm, 2mm, 3mm Size for All Tropical Fish, Koi and Pond Fish, 4-Type Wafer Mix Included...1-lb 4oz Canister : Pet Supplies
www.amazon.com
I have Xtreme pellets and northfin pellets that slowly sink but they'll grab what they can on top and once it reaches 2 inches below surface, they don't even bother chasing and the Nicaraguans grab it up.
Hmmm I guess it's like a community mix of both protein pellets and veggie based. That's interesting
Fair point on the Xtreme pellets, I should’ve clarified that most of the ones I’ve used tend to suspend briefly rather than truly float. Sounds like your fish are already pretty conditioned to surface feeding, which is super common with jags and viejas once they learn where food comes from. Sometimes it’s less about the brand and more about the feeding behavior they’ve developed over time. You could maybe try presoaking the NorthFin slightly or feeding smaller amounts more frequently so the pellets stay near the surface longer before sinking. Some keepers even mix a few floating pellets in with new foods to train them onto different textures and sizes. The Nicaraguans going after the sinking pellets definitely tracks though- they usually seem less picky about feeding zones compared to larger amphilophus/vieja types.
