Wtf!? African Cichlids will not eat pellets, but will eat frozen live food?

[HANZAGOD]

I have a 55 gallon tank with a fluval 300 and several powerheads. I have many types of Haps, Peacocks, and Mbuna. I also have a fire eel, synodontis catfish, and 7 clown loaches. Before buying the cichlids, I placed synodontis catfishes in my tank in advance so the mbuna can never make any territories. My tank is peaceful with no deaths, killing, and chasing. No nests also. All male.

I fed my fish pellets for a long time. One day after a water change, they stopped eating the pellets. They chew it up and spit it out. I was hypothesizing that the water quality may be a suspect (don't care about PH). However, they are willing to eat frozen and freeze dried blood worms and brine shrimp. Logically, if they could eat other foods besides the pellets, it likely has something to do with their personalities instead of the water. I could switch their food to bloodworms and brine shrimp, but both are highly correlated with Malawi bloat for Mbuna. Does anyone have an explanation and any alternatives?

PS: I'm using Hikari sinking cichlid pellets and algae wafers primarily to also feed my bottom feeders, but I also use floating pellets as an alternative if there's an aggressive fish who just so happens to attempt to make a territory where the pellets are sinking to. I tried both pellets and the algae wafers, but only my bottom feeders are interested in them.

 

[tlindsey]

I have a 55 gallon tank with a fluval 300 and several powerheads. I have many types of Haps, Peacocks, and Mbuna. I also have a fire eel, synodontis catfish, and 7 clown loaches. Before buying the cichlids, I placed synodontis catfishes in my tank in advance so the mbuna can never make any territories. My tank is peaceful with no deaths, killing, and chasing. No nests also. All male.

I fed my fish pellets for a long time. One day after a water change, they stopped eating the pellets. They chew it up and spit it out. I was hypothesizing that the water quality may be a suspect (don't care about PH). However, they are willing to eat frozen and freeze dried blood worms and brine shrimp. Logically, if they could eat other foods besides the pellets, it likely has something to do with their personalities instead of the water. I could switch their food to bloodworms and brine shrimp, but both are highly correlated with Malawi bloat for Mbuna. Does anyone have an explanation and any alternatives?

PS: I'm using Hikari sinking cichlid pellets and algae wafers primarily to also feed my bottom feeders, but I also use floating pellets as an alternative if there's an aggressive fish who just so happens to attempt to make a territory where the pellets are sinking to. I tried both pellets and the algae wafers, but only my bottom feeders are interested in them.

Stop feeding the frozen until they start eating the pellets.

 

[Aqualoon]

Planning on doing any tank upgrades soon?

 

[RD.]

+1 x 2

 

[rucus]

Lots of fish in there. The one thing I found a little odd was Mbuna and no chasing. Those generally don't end up in the same sentence together.

Regardless, I agree with above, stop feeding the frozen for a while. When they are hungry enough they'll gobble those pellets down. Hows you water parameters currently with that bioload?

 

[J. H.]

Lots of fish in there. The one thing I found a little odd was Mbuna and no chasing. Those generally don't end up in the same sentence together.

Very few mbuna will do much chasing if there is a full grown Nimbochromis Fuscotaeniatus or something of that caliber as the boss fish. Also if the mbuna are just a bunch of yellow labs they may not do much chasing.
If really want to get them to eat veggies ASAP, (to get them to eat healthy), give them cooked kale or nori or something like that. I have never had a fish that was even vaguely omnivorous turn its nose up to that

 

[RD.]

It's already an overstocked 55 gallon for F sake, the last thing this person needs in there is a Nimbochromis.