Best food for RED colouring?

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Sinister-Kisses said:
Now that I have my baby super red texas settling in, I'm thinking about what to feed them to really help them get their super red colour as they mature. Thing is, I won't feed them garbage just for the sake of enhancing the red - Hikari, for example, is not an option as they have corn in the ingredients, and I refuse to feed any of my pets corn. So I'm looking for a good quality food first and foremost, with red-enhancing qualities secondly. Not interested in hormoning or chemically inducing colour, something natural. I think what I want is a food high in ASTAXANTHIN - natural red enhancer, right?

I'm leaning towards NLS Ultra Red, which I actually have a small jar of the small-sized pellets on hand for my baby creamsicle midas that I'm growing out. I know NLS is a good food, so that's my top pick I think?

Looking around online, I've also seen OceanFree XO Ever Red and Okiko recommended...they do both note astaxanthin on the front of the packages, but the rest is in a language I don't know so I have no idea what the ingredient list looks like lol. Are these good, and meet my requirements of high quality and natural?

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Ive had really good results with hikari blood red Parrot+image.jpg
 
Sinister-Kisses said:
Yeah...those foods from overseas do make me nervous for that reason. I won't feed Hikari either...super gold plus doesn't look like it has corn in the ingredient list, but the ingredient list looks like junk IMO. I think I'll stick with NLS...much, much better ingredients.
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Yup you've got the right idea. The two foods you pictured are both very garbage. Avoid at all costs.
 
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That's pretty much what I figured, thanks for confirming lol.
 
I think northfin krill is really good and I also use Omega one cichlid pellets. I have used Hikari super red parrot pellets and while the fish love it. I personally haven't got good results. I also use raw shrimp chopped up fine for the smaller fish and my bigger guys eat whole
 
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I’m dealing with a sick flowerhorn, and I think multiple factors have played into it. I’ve been Hikari Blood Red Parrot+ as I thought it would be good for digestion since it’s formulated for that, and the red color enhancing. I’m currently doing a fast after feeding epsom soaked food and dosing the tank. I’ve been lucky and all he wants to do is eat.
I have some NLS that’ll be arriving tomorrow. Very interested to see how he likes it.

I think a pellet only diet is the way to go with them. Did the seller tell you what they were feeding them? Maybe they’re withdrawing from the Japan junk? ?
 
hey_wood1981 said:
Did the seller tell you what they were feeding them? Maybe they’re withdrawing from the Japan junk? ?
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Japan makes quality fish food, not all Asian countries are the same don't you know...
Hikari blood red parrot has crap ingredients and only comes in 1 pellet size. If you're feeding a smaller fish and he's just swallowing it without chewing (nothing coming out it's gills is a good indicator) it will eventually blow out it's ********.
I've always got great results with omega one super color cichlid pellets.
I feed larger cichlids ramshorn snails and cherry shrimp when I need to cut their populations down a bit.
 
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Yeah, they came from Thailand, not Japan. No, I didn't ask the breeder what they were eating there. As I mentioned in my original post, I absolutely refuse to feed any of my fish Hikari foods, they're total junk IME. I've got NLS, Northfin and Bug Bites on their menu right now to try out with them, and have ordered Repashy Grub Pie and Redrum to mix in as well.
 
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