just curious but would raw meat be good for large cichlids like rd and buttikoferi.because my butti will only eat with a meat based diets.all i feed him is beefheart and crawdads.this is a serious question
raw meat for large cichlids
- Thread starter large_cichlids
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BAD! Beefheart is the only mammal meat that is even half decent to feed fish. All that fat is very bad for the fish. Even with beefheart though it should be fed sparingly because it still has over the normal amount of fat in it.
Chad
Chad
i dont think its the fat
you could easily cut that out
i think its just that meat (assuming cow) would be hard to digest and clog the system
you could easily cut that out
i think its just that meat (assuming cow) would be hard to digest and clog the system
i would have to agree that meat would be harder for fish to digest but isn't heart muscle pretty tough muscle compared to skeletal muscle?
messiner;554358; said:
thats only if its proccessed
meat you buy off the meat department or butcher is just meat
maybe red food coloring, but im sure thats harmless.
try fresh fish fillets they work good.. red meat (beefheart) is not healthy for fish or humans but as a treat... thats the only thing you should use beefheart for is a treat otherwise your fish will get overweight
I bet ya a DOLLAR that he'll eat Earth worms !! 
DMF brand are freakin huge.. All my fish including my gar destroy anything in the way to get at them Bout as much as feeders but much less fear of bad stuff invovled .. Thoug i feed both
DMF brand are freakin huge.. All my fish including my gar destroy anything in the way to get at them Bout as much as feeders but much less fear of bad stuff invovled .. Thoug i feed both 
Fat doesn't necessarily have to be visible. While organ meat is less fatty than say, a steak...it still contains fat and cholesterol. Rottbo is right on. Catfish fillets, raw shrimp, scallops all work great. You can even by smelts frozen to feed.
The people who feed Beefheart generally do so because of the misinformation that it will dramatically increase growth. Not true. The single best way to ensure growth is a varied diet close to what the fish eats in the wild...not many cow hearts being consumed inCentral and South America...and frequent large water changes.
One caution on earthworms. AN earthworm will propel themselves through the ground taking in earth (duh) and absorbing the nutrients available. If the earthworm originates in ground that is treated with pesticides or any other chemicals, the chance are they will also contain the chemical. So obviously try and get earthworms that are "fresh" from untainted soil.
Second is that they are messy. One good trick to "clean them out" is to take the worms you are feeding and place them between wet newspaper. As they move forward they will expel the dirt in their system.
Like any other high protein food, be careful of over feeding. It's a sure fire way to invite bloat.
The people who feed Beefheart generally do so because of the misinformation that it will dramatically increase growth. Not true. The single best way to ensure growth is a varied diet close to what the fish eats in the wild...not many cow hearts being consumed inCentral and South America...and frequent large water changes.
One caution on earthworms. AN earthworm will propel themselves through the ground taking in earth (duh) and absorbing the nutrients available. If the earthworm originates in ground that is treated with pesticides or any other chemicals, the chance are they will also contain the chemical. So obviously try and get earthworms that are "fresh" from untainted soil.
Second is that they are messy. One good trick to "clean them out" is to take the worms you are feeding and place them between wet newspaper. As they move forward they will expel the dirt in their system.
Like any other high protein food, be careful of over feeding. It's a sure fire way to invite bloat.