When I last kept cichlids many moons ago, the food available was pretty mundane, flake,pellets etc, so I used to feed the odd earth worm, and as a special treat I would feed maggots I had left from fishing trips, they went mad for them. They would also eat the fry from spawnings some times. I have dogs, and as a treat they have frozen sprats (small fish) eaten whole, they are only about 2" - 3" long (the fish, not the dogs) and I would like to know, would these sprats be any good for feeding to larger cichlids, also, what other exotic foods can be fed safely, I read about someone feeding grapes to a fish, would dried fruits like currants,raisins or sultanas be any good, they would probably be eaten, but would they be safe ?
Varying the diet
- Thread starter RAB60
- Start date
my tinfoil barbs eat carrots, cucumber, peas every alternate day. for treats they get grapes, banana, apples . avoid high sugary fruits . as for cichlids the omnivores and herbivores can eat theses too but carnivores wont eat them . if they do its great news. you can feed them no problems . cabbage lettuce broccoli can also be fed. my juvenile vieja argentea and a juvenile convict eat cucumber and peas. my friend had an oscar who used to eat peas. you can , but just try to avoid starchy and sweet veggies.
cheers
cheers
Know what you mean about food years ago. Back in the day I experimented a lot to find the best available pellet. For years there weren't many choices, but eventually market competition had (at least some) companies coming out with new and better products, some were/are better than others. I also used to supplement with live brine shrimp, frozen blood worms and the like, always avoided lfs feeder fish, beef heart, etc. Commercial foods have come a long way since then. Some products work very well as a standalone diet. Still, for me, I find some benefit in certain treats for certain fish, for example extra fry or culls from my own tanks can encourage spawning in something like my kapampa gibberosa, ime freeze dried bloodworms encourage spawning in severums, angelfish, some geos, freeze dried bloodworms are a good growth food, etc.
Some SA fish, including some cichlids, naturally eat fruits, nuts, etc., at least during certain seasons. Don't know about dried fruits and the extra sugar content.
There are different philosophies on feeding, of course. Mine is to keep things simple, I mainly feed products that I've tested for years with good results, along with a few simple treats I've also tested for years. Some things you can add if you want to but aren't needed, and some treats can have some positive effects, along with a balanced staple. My main thing is healthy, long lived fish, which is what I get. I'm not out to set growth records, though my fish typically grow well. In some cases much better than some people report for species they say are 'slow growers.' I typically reach or exceed reported life spans for species. For example, I've had severums live well over 15 years and currently have an L260 pleco that's probably 17. Very seldom do I have sick fish. Not bragging or saying my way is the only way, just that it's working for me.
Some SA fish, including some cichlids, naturally eat fruits, nuts, etc., at least during certain seasons. Don't know about dried fruits and the extra sugar content.
There are different philosophies on feeding, of course. Mine is to keep things simple, I mainly feed products that I've tested for years with good results, along with a few simple treats I've also tested for years. Some things you can add if you want to but aren't needed, and some treats can have some positive effects, along with a balanced staple. My main thing is healthy, long lived fish, which is what I get. I'm not out to set growth records, though my fish typically grow well. In some cases much better than some people report for species they say are 'slow growers.' I typically reach or exceed reported life spans for species. For example, I've had severums live well over 15 years and currently have an L260 pleco that's probably 17. Very seldom do I have sick fish. Not bragging or saying my way is the only way, just that it's working for me.
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Since sprat are very oily they may, or may not be eaten, and the oils may tend to foul water.
If your fish like them, it may be neseccary to do a water change soon after feeding where water, is taken from the surface of the tank.
Cichlids have a very diverse dietary needs, depending on species.
Some are almost totally vegetarian (C pearsei, and bocourti, or E suratensus,) and need pellets high in algae or Spirulina, along with leafy greens, and if fed too much protein in the form of fish meat, may exhibit digestive problems.
In nature Vieja are at least 50% frugivores.
Some of course are piscavores, and most omnivores, so tailoring diet to the type could be important, depending on species .
One size does not always fit all.
Even some fish like Andinoacara (which many people think of as carnivores) get about half their diet from algae.
So I raise hair algae in sumps just to supplement that part.
Most high quality pellets these days are perfect, I just choose pellets based on whether a cichlid is more or less vegetarian, or carnivorous and what's available in my area.
If your fish like them, it may be neseccary to do a water change soon after feeding where water, is taken from the surface of the tank.
Cichlids have a very diverse dietary needs, depending on species.
Some are almost totally vegetarian (C pearsei, and bocourti, or E suratensus,) and need pellets high in algae or Spirulina, along with leafy greens, and if fed too much protein in the form of fish meat, may exhibit digestive problems.
In nature Vieja are at least 50% frugivores.
Some of course are piscavores, and most omnivores, so tailoring diet to the type could be important, depending on species .
One size does not always fit all.
Even some fish like Andinoacara (which many people think of as carnivores) get about half their diet from algae.
So I raise hair algae in sumps just to supplement that part.
Most high quality pellets these days are perfect, I just choose pellets based on whether a cichlid is more or less vegetarian, or carnivorous and what's available in my area.
Eh boy... just saw a mistake in my post above. Meant to say I've found freeze dried mysis to be a good growth food, not bloodworms. ?