Hikari Cichlid Gold stained everything!

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tdkee1

Candiru
MFK Member
Aug 30, 2008
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I am curious to know if this has happened to anyone else using Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets. i have been using these pellets to feed various fish for a while now and have always noticed a slight reddish tint in my water. I figured it out once i cleaned my AC110's. the brand new sponges that use to be cream colored turned red. So my question is, does Hikari actually put color enhancer's in these pellets or are they adding a red dye that dye's the fish and everything alse in the tank? My fish always finished their food and there is never food left over. I had a pair of Silver Arowanas that didn't eat this stuff but turned reddish. I brought this subject up to a buddy that also fed this to all his fish and he says he thinks thats what dyed his Musk turtles shell red. His water was also always a reddish color. I do 30% water changes at least once a week, sometimes twice a week on a 180 gallon. We don't use the Hikari gold anymore and have noticed a huge difference. I just use the Hikari Cichlid Staple now. Check your filter media to see if they are red!
 
a good way to check is put them in a plastic cup and let them disolve and see if the water has a red tinge and if it dyes the cup. i have not had this happen to me
 
He's not crazy. Hikari Gold has a red pigment in it that stains Aquaclear spongs. However, I do not think the pellets bleed into the water. In my case, fish defecation was reddish and thus was absorbed by the sponge in my AC110.
 
rasa92re;3472043; said:
He's not crazy. Hikari Gold has a red pigment in it that stains Aquaclear spongs. However, I do not think the pellets bleed into the water. In my case, fish defecation was reddish and thus was absorbed by the sponge in my AC110.
agree......my tubing from my airstone turned red too :cheers:
 
Is this only with the regular Cichild Gold?

I use the Sinking Cichlid Gold and have never noticed anything like this.
 
I use Omega One Max flakes in my tank, and nothing like this has happened. They are dyed red.
 
I don't think it matters if the pellets go through the fish and come out as poop. The pellets still dye equipment and even the fish that don't eat it. The main purpose of me posting this thread is to inform people with platinum or silver fish. It might dye them reddish after long use. I am not positive about this so I will do my own test as swede said earlier. I'll do the test in white styrofoam cups to see if my theory is in fact true. I will post pictures. anyone else have problems? please post.
 
I've been feeding cichlid gold for the past few years(I'm about 8 lbs into my third 22 lbs bag) I will agree that it seems to tint/stain the AC sponges but I haven't seen any tinting to anything else.
 
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