Cichla bunch

[PantherEMT]

Very new here and just wanted to ask a few things to beef up my cichlas.

Been giving them chicken heart and shrimps since day 1. Just wanted to ask a few other options to maximize their growth and enhance their colors?

Attached their pictures

 

[kno4te]

Try a massivore/nls tablet with some krill. Feed daily along with Increasing the water changes schedule. Better food and clean water will do it.

 

[Alexandboi]

Clean water and a good quality pellet like sinking carnivore/massivore.

 

[PantherEMT]

Great! Havent tried any pellets for them. Will definitely try them!

Thanks! Will update in a couple of weeks!

 

[TheWolfman]

Welcome to the forums. I would stay away from the chicken heart, and focus more on tilapia, and shrimp with vita chem, and garlic guard added. Lots of big water changes, and they will put it on in no time. Get them on a good quality pellet asap, and they will put it on in no time.

 

[PantherEMT]

Just got a pack of massivore and put little pieces in the chicken heart but i dont know how they do it but they swallow the heart but spits out the pellet..
But there are times where they swallow the whole thing with the pellet inside. Looks like we have a fighting chance to train them

Reading on some transition methods on the other threads..

 

[Alexandboi]

The starve or die method usually works pretty well for cichla, and is what I use. But if you don't want them to starve, soaking the pellets in whatever you feed them for a bit to soften up and taste a bit like whatever they are used to works as well. It's great that they are already eating some.

 

[tcav88]

The starve or die method usually works pretty well for cichla, and is what I use. But if you don't want them to starve, soaking the pellets in whatever you feed them for a bit to soften up and taste a bit like whatever they are used to works as well. It's great that they are already eating some.

This is what I have always done even with expensive fish pellets or die never took longer than a week for any fish I’ve ever had

 

[Alexandboi]

Yeah in my opinion no healthy fish will starve until it dies. You just have to be strong and not give in...

 

[Blakewater]

Yup just starve em. Theyll take pellets eventually. They always do. I suggest Omega One Super Cichlid for growth and color.