Illness, Health & Nutrition • Food & Feeding Recommendations

[Idech]

Kelp is the first ingredients in Northfin Veggie formula : https://www.northfin.com/services/veggie-formula/

Yes, but the first 3 ingredients of Northfin's cichlid formula are non-vegetable (Whole Antarctic Krill Meal, Whole Herring Meal, Whole Sardine Meal).

I'm aware that there are vegetable-based foods available. That's not the question. The question is why are foods that have protein as their 1st, 2nd, 3rd ingredients recommended for cichlids that are omnivores/herbivores.

I know what your question was. And my answer is : Northfin Veggie is what was recommended to me by long time cichlid breeders who use it on their hundreds if not thousands of fish, along with spirulina flakes, and have great success. The word « cichlid » isn’t on the package, but it's perfect for them.

[Smeagol]

I know what your question was. And my answer is : Northfin Veggie is what was recommended to me by long time cichlid breeders who use it on their hundreds if not thousands of fish, along with spirulina flakes, and have great success. The word « cichlid » isn’t on the package, but it's perfect for them.

Yep. I've decided to give NorthFin Veggie a try. What brand of spirulina flakes do you use? And what species of cichlids do you keep?

[Idech]

I know what your question was. And my answer is : Northfin Veggie is what was recommended to me by long time cichlid breeders who use it on their hundreds if not thousands of fish, along with spirulina flakes, and have great success. The word « cichlid » isn’t on the package, but it's perfect for them.

Yep. I've decided to give NorthFin Veggie a try. What brand of spirulina flakes do you use? And what species of cichlids do you keep?

I don’t know what brand it is. The store sells it in bulk. I have the following species in my tank : pseudotropheus acei, pseudotropheus demasoni, astatotilapia latifasciata, cynotilapia sp. lion, labeotropheus fuelleborni, labidochromis caeruleus.

[Smeagol]

I don’t know what brand it is. The store sells it in bulk. I have the following species in my tank : pseudotropheus acei, pseudotropheus demasoni, astatotilapia latifasciata, cynotilapia sp. lion, labeotropheus fuelleborni, labidochromis caeruleus.

That's interesting. I don't think any stores near me sell fish food in bulk.

[Idech]

I didn’t know it was a thing either before I bought from them.

[Smeagol]

I didn’t know it was a thing either before I bought from them.

Is it a chain or a mom-and-pop fish store?

[Smeagol]

If I order fish online and have them shipped to me, I assume they will not have eaten for a couple days. So when should I start feeding them? As soon as I put them in the tank? A few hours later? Or, on the second day?

Also, for small juveniles do you recommend turning off filters/circulation pumps during feeding? I used to do that with other small freshwater fish. It seemed like it was easier for them to "catch" sinking food if there wasn't any current. But maybe this isn't a problem for mbuna?

[DJRansome]

Second day for new fish. First day is dark all day.

I never turn off my filters. If anything the current pushes the pellets down to the fish. I also feed all across the tank as opposed to one spot to give everyone a chance.

[Deeda]

I've never bought fish online but from LFS or local club auctions and some eat immediately and others take a day or so. You can try feeding a little bit of food to see if they will eat a couple hours after releasing them in the tank or sooner if they aren't hiding and are cruising around the tank.

Whether to turn off filters, I would say no just feed them and see how the food moves through the tank. Circulation pumps are a different animal so only you can gauge if it impacts how the food is dispersed when feeding.

[DJRansome]

Most online fish will eat first day also. But advice is to give them a day/night to settle and feed next day. Many new owners get concerned if the fish don't eat upon arrival, but they almost always eat on day 2 if they are healthy.

[Idech]

I didn’t know it was a thing either before I bought from them.

Is it a chain or a mom-and-pop fish store?

Mom-and-pop fish store.

[Smeagol]

.... Once/day and what they will eat in 30 seconds. I have to ensure some pellets hit the substrate for the Synodontis, most are caught mid-water by the cichlids.

But every time I feed them it's like a fish-nado. Total chaos. I can't tell who is eating or how much. So, if you're trying to limit feeding using time (30 seconds), how do you make sure all fish are getting fed? Isn't there a chance that the more timid fish (or fish lower in the hierarchy) will go hungry if you just follow a time limit?

[DJRansome]

First you spread the food quickly across the tank so the fish have to spread out and better chance each will get some. If your tank is properly stocked, it usually works that all get enough to eat.

Pretty much you just look for the ones that don't even try to get the food and those are likely sick.

If you really have a problem with a timid eater (still probably sick) you can observe over time the curve of the belly...concave means the fish is not getting enough to eat.

Fish-nado is good...a sign of health.

[jcjc]

Hi All,
What do you feed your calvus normally? they do not seems to like to eat pallets.
i try to feed Hikari cichlids excel sinking pallets (vege based). but they bite and spit out.
can i feed calvus frozen blood worms? or they need a more carnivorous type of pallets?
thanks

[DJRansome]

They are fine on both NLS Cichlid Formula and Northfin Cichlid formula sinking 1mm pellets. How long have you had them and what were they eating before?

I would not feed anyone blood worms, but you could feed Cavlus a higher protein food (if YOU desire, but not necessary) if they are not in a tank with omnivores or herbivores.

The food you are using has 37% protein and first ingredient is fish meal. The ingredients are listed in order of volume so there is more fish meal than any other ingredient.

If my calvus were not spawning and I wanted to condition them for spawning I might have them in a species tank and feed a NLS or Northfin carnivore food.