NLS Cichasoma vs. NLS?

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BillyBlanco

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 12, 2010
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Fontana, CA
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I've been searching the internet and this site for the past 2hrs. I'm trying to find out the main difference in the 2 formulas (Cichlasoma vs Lrg., XXL, Jumbo etc {<<<these seem to all be close to the same other than size}). I keep reading it's just a matter of size but you can get NLS Cichlasoma and Generic NLS in 3mm so I think it is a bit more complicated also the ingredient list is different. Which would a Festae benefit the most from? I am leaning towards the Cichlasoma because the other is a generic for ALL fish. But, I'm here because I'm not sure. The Cichlasoma costs more on amazon, buts thats not really a factor unless its not any better.

I currently feed them almost exclusively Massivore and they spit most other things out. But is Massivore balanced? I've been wanting to add some NLS and maybe some Ocean Nutrition Spirulina pellets to the mix. (I've tried feeding them spirulina caplets that I take and they spit it right out... and it was turning into a green cloud so I took it out as quick as possible.
 
I've found it extremely hard to switch a fish that has been fed Massivore for a long time to NLS, but not impossible. I recently read that it's due to the fact that Massivore Delite is much softer because it absorbs water rapidly (thanks to the starch content, which isn't good for your fish) unlike NLS sinking pellets which remain very hard even after being in the water for a few seconds (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...ikari-vs-NLS&p=3646341&viewfull=1#post3646341)

In the last year or so I have bought 3 Umbee and one 8" festae that were all fed Massivore for most of their lives. It took at least a month for them to eat NLS without spitting it immediately.

Here is a long thread discussing these topics (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?284825-Hikari-vs-NLS)

I personally prefer NLS thera a+ because it has a higher protein content than their other formulas (only NLS Grow Formula has a higher protein content but that's only available in fry-sized pellets) and it helps fight parasitic infections (I've experienced this first hand), though I have no idea if the constant feeding of a high dose of garlic will be detrimental to my fish in the long term. Hopefully not. Maybe an expert can answer my question.
 
Thanks for the help cacichlids... 39pages wow! It's bookmarked and will be the 1st thing I read but I have some plans to attend to tonight. I might try to get them to eat the thera a then. which one is close in size to massivore? For some reason my Festae are also really picky about when they eat and what size the food is?!?!? anything small they wont even go after. Also, they are the 1st cichlids ive seen that wont eat themselves to death. They will take one massivore pellet a day sometimes another 6-12hrs later. If i walk up to the tank and they are hungry they come to the top and when they wont eat they swim to the bottom. Every other cichlid i've had will eat as much as they can fit in their mouth at any given time and then more once that's swallowed. I've shyed away from gold and bio-gold because of all the fillers, corn, wheat, yeast have no place in my diet or a cichlid's diet in my opinion. Massivore does have a lot of the same fillers but I think less of them (mostly likely just way more poor quality "fish meal"). I worry about the garlic because it is a poison and a blood thinner and even in humans it kills all things good and bad in the blood stream... its a very mild form of the "chemotherapy and antibiotic mindset", to give someone or something that is not poisonous enough to kill them but enough to kill bacteria and so on. Would it be more effective to not take mild poison and let the immune system do the trick or give mild poison to suppress potential problems? It's still up in the air for humans let alone cichlids...lol would you add an ocean nutrition spirulina flake to the mix? I think NLS is more heavy on the veggies in the 1st place so maybe there isnt a need.
 
Billy ....... there is nothing in the cichlasoma formula that is not found in the 3mm Large Fish formula. If the 3mm pellets are too small for your festae, then you could try the 6mm TherA formula, or one of the larger floating pellets. Your call.

As far as garlic, it is in no way a poison, anymore than vitamin A is. Here's a post that I put together recently on the subject of garlic, and fish feed.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?458994-Garlic-and-the-Prevention-of-Disease


HTH
 
this is why I always have fed my fish a combination of different brands. Hikari always makes a good staple for cichlids it also never hurts to have a algae enriched pellet too (I use dainichi colour pellets) and also some shrimp pellets. my fish also all eat lettuce and celery when I put it in. its good to give your fish a mixed diet instead of relying on one product
 
Billy - to answer your question about spirulina flakes, that would be a negative. NLS is a well balanced nutrient dense feed that truly requires no other supplementation. Feeding a variety of different pellets may be required when using some brands of food, but not if NLS is your staple.

As an example, not only does it contain a mix of high quality & highly digestible amino acids (protein) derived from fish (Antarctic Krill & Atlantic Herring) but it also contains Algae meal, derived from Kelp, Seaweed, Astaxanthin, and several micro-algae, and also contains Spirulina. IMO adding even more algae matter to a festaes diet would be counter productive.

If your massivore eating fish simply refuse to eat it, then I guess you'll have to try something else. :)

Good luck.
 
RD. I have been feeding my fish NLS for the past five years. Just an hour ago, I received my first jar (300g 3mm) of the Cichlasoma formula and tried feeding it to the two fish (Titanium Flowerhorn and one of two Oscars) who refuse to eat the Thera + A (3mm 2270g bucket) formula. The good news is they ate it without hesitation. So now I will most likely switch over to the Cichlasoma formula for all my fish (african cichlids, flowerhorn, bloodparrot, oscars, etc. I was not satisfied with how much residue (excess garlic I assume) that was floating on the surface of the water after each feeding of the Thera + A formula; so the switch to Cichlasoma will take care of that problem. My question; does the Cichlasoma 3mm formula come in the 2270g bucket size?
 
No, it does not come in the bucket size, my advice would be to get a bucket of the 3mm Large Fish formula. You can try a smaller jar first if you think that there will be any feeding issues.
 
I already used up a bucket of the 3mm Large Fish formula. I had a few reluctant NLS eater fish that forced me into feed them (and other fish in the tanks) the corn soaked in fish oil brand foods (you know the brands I am referring to) in addition to NLS. When the bucket was used up, I bought a bucket of Thera + A with the hope that the extra garlic would entice the finicky eaters..Unfortunately I ended up with two fish flat out refusing to eat it. So my hope is that I can feed Cichlosoma exclusively and toss out the corn/fish oil foods.
 
If they will eat the Cichlasoma, they will eat the Large Fish formula. Same recipe, same sized pellet.
 
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