What would you feed a 2.5-3" p. maculatus?

[6 bar]

I just acquired 9 of these beauties. However, I've only been able to get them to eat frozen bloodworms.

I've tried:

1. Small pieces of market prawn. (They pick at but don't swallow)
2. Small snails. (Pick at them, chew and spit out)
3. NLS grow (I see them go at it, but spit out some of it, so I'm not sure they eat it).
4. Tetra flakes (They chew and spit out).
5. Hikari Gold pellets (ignore)
6. Earthworms (ignore)

Any suggestions?

 

[6 bar]

After all this experimenting with food I come to find out from the Denver zoo that they feed their malagasy cichlids Tetra min flakes as staple food. And low and behold my maculatus eat flakes too.

 

[jgentry]

All of the partroplus seem to love bloodworms best but they will eat anything once adapted. Mine eat everything from flakes to pellets.