I’m running a 375g with 27 2-3” Fronts and a mixture of calvus, comps, leleupi, julidochromis. I’ve been feeding NLS and Northfin pellets, looking to add some variety and curious what foods you all feed, and what types/brands of pellets. Thanks.
Mixed Tang Feeding
- Thread starter Nanook
- Start date
I feed a Mix of Dainichi Ultima Krill 1mm, NLS Thera A 2mm, Dainichi Color FX 3mm; however, any of these foods could be fed exclusively really. My only complaint with NLS Thera A is the smell and it messes the water a little bit more...but it's my all time favorite probably.
The Dainichi though has a little bit better quality in regard to ingredient sources and is basically designed for DT's, but it is also much more expensive (so is this difference worth it when compared to NLS which is also a really decent food...that comes down to personal preference/choice).
Actually, I had some Calvus and Julies with a Tropheus colony that was exclusively fed Veggie FX, it only has like 39% crude protein, but there is something with the kelp that really gave the fish a sheen/luster. The Calvus and Julies loved the stuff and looked great as a result.
I don't get into the debate of which foods are better Xtreme, NLS, Omega one, Dainichi, Hikari, Kens, spirulina flake (Some people get passionate and all defensive when the Dainichi vs. NLS debate arises, but I don't care that much). They are all good imo and I feed whatever I have on hand. Right now I have a huge container of NLS Thera A, and several bags of Dainichi...so I am blending them all together. Most of the fish in my tanks are pigs and will eat anything.
I would go with what you have until you run out unless your bored and want to spend some more money haha.
PS those Lelupi can be nasty little buggers.
The Dainichi though has a little bit better quality in regard to ingredient sources and is basically designed for DT's, but it is also much more expensive (so is this difference worth it when compared to NLS which is also a really decent food...that comes down to personal preference/choice).
Actually, I had some Calvus and Julies with a Tropheus colony that was exclusively fed Veggie FX, it only has like 39% crude protein, but there is something with the kelp that really gave the fish a sheen/luster. The Calvus and Julies loved the stuff and looked great as a result.
I don't get into the debate of which foods are better Xtreme, NLS, Omega one, Dainichi, Hikari, Kens, spirulina flake (Some people get passionate and all defensive when the Dainichi vs. NLS debate arises, but I don't care that much). They are all good imo and I feed whatever I have on hand. Right now I have a huge container of NLS Thera A, and several bags of Dainichi...so I am blending them all together. Most of the fish in my tanks are pigs and will eat anything.
I would go with what you have until you run out unless your bored and want to spend some more money haha.
PS those Lelupi can be nasty little buggers.
I’ve been feeding NLS and Northfin to my cichlids for the last two years. Prior to that I used New Life Spectrum for over 10 years with nothing else. Over those years it has been a lot of Lake Tanganyika fish: tropheous, cyps, frontosas, foai, and they all flourished.
I don't buy the idea that you need lots of variety. If it is good quality and nutritious that is all you need.
I don't buy the idea that you need lots of variety. If it is good quality and nutritious that is all you need.
+1
I have raised a ton of African cichlids (15+ yrs), including many species of tangs, from fish classified as piscivores, to fish classified as strict herbivores, including Tropheus sp., all raised on NLS Cichlid formula. I have also never considered the ingredients, or the sources of ingredients in Dainichi to be better than NLS. Quite the opposite.
I would actually place Northfin over Dainichi in terms of overall quality. I have trialed it long term on a number of fish as well.Dainichi still use outdated and lower quality (and cost) sources of protein, such as soybean meal. Not a bad food by any stretch, but better source of ingredients? I don't think so. https://www.dainichi.com/cichlid_food_veggie_fx.html
Dainichi Veggie FX
Kelp, white fish meal, soybean meal, wheat flour (binder), shrimp meal, krill, spirulina, wheat germ, freeze-dried Cyclop-eeze®, calcium montmorillonite clay, brewer’s yeast, NatuRose® (Haematococcus algae), vitamin mix, mineral mix, garlic, protease (digestive enzyme) and natural gum.
NLS AlgaeMax
AlgaeMAX pellets contain a diverse range of aquatic vegetation including a whopping 9 types of algae and seaweed.
Ingredients Algae; Chlorella, Ulva Seaweed, Red Seaweed, Kelp, Spirulina, Wakame Seaweed, Whole Antarctic Krill, Whole Fish, Eucheuma cottonii, Spinosum Seaweed, Chondrus crispus, Whole Wheat Flour, Omega-3 Fish Oil, Alfalfa, Astaxanthin, Capsanthin, Zeaxanthin, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C), Choline Chloride, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, and Manganese Sulfate.
I have personally never even considered the comparison of most of these foods as a debate. lol
Yeah I have read posts on other forums where people are practically going at it and getting irritated trying to convince the other which food is better. Basically, as I said before they can all be fed exclusively because they are good quality pellets. Dainichi is actually made out here yet it isn't sold out here.. which I find ironic. I would say the most popular food is mostly NLS because you can actually buy it at the LFS's here in SoCal. I guess it is more popular throughout Texas and what not.
I bought several bags of Dainichi after talking with a representative there in Anaheim. Now, they have a pretty good pitch on the cold method of how it is made and the ingredient sources of krill...spirulina and such are claimed to be from more selective and different sources as other food. Whether this is true idk. If you get on the phone with them...they can really do a good job at selling the pellet.
As stated before, I basically just always use up the food I have on hand. Out of the last decade or more of my fish keeping I have been using Thera A mostly sometimes cichlid formula for my mbuna tanks. Tropheus were getting alot of Spirulina flake then switched to dainichi VFX for a while. Thera A is probably my go to...and have always seen good results, but I like to try new things too.
You seem to be an NLS man which speaks volumes for the product because you have several days of fishkeeping under your belt...haha. I think experience says alot in the matter. Anyways, I think spending the extra money for a high quality pellet like the ones discussed are definitely worth it in the long run.
I bought several bags of Dainichi after talking with a representative there in Anaheim. Now, they have a pretty good pitch on the cold method of how it is made and the ingredient sources of krill...spirulina and such are claimed to be from more selective and different sources as other food. Whether this is true idk. If you get on the phone with them...they can really do a good job at selling the pellet.
As stated before, I basically just always use up the food I have on hand. Out of the last decade or more of my fish keeping I have been using Thera A mostly sometimes cichlid formula for my mbuna tanks. Tropheus were getting alot of Spirulina flake then switched to dainichi VFX for a while. Thera A is probably my go to...and have always seen good results, but I like to try new things too.
You seem to be an NLS man which speaks volumes for the product because you have several days of fishkeeping under your belt...haha. I think experience says alot in the matter. Anyways, I think spending the extra money for a high quality pellet like the ones discussed are definitely worth it in the long run.
