Alot of people recommend using the NLS formulas. It is made so that is a great staple and produces excellent color in just about any Cichlid. That is what I am using (Cichlid formula) and also feed them spirulina flake and about once a week I give them piece of the frozen baby brine shrimp as a treat.
Lake Malawi species fish food suggestions.
I am ordering the last few things I need for my new 75 gal Malawi tank setup. In the order from an online store I want to order some cichlid foods. I have in mind some vegi flakes, spirulina pellets, and some brine shrimp freeze dried or maybe flakes.
Or am I going in the totally wrong direction. Would any type of meaty freeze dried food work, such as any kind of worm.
If you mix a Carnivore, Herbivore,and Omnivore together will that work. Not totally sure what cichlids I'm going with yet, but I'm looking for the best color and coolest looking. I am totally aware you can't mixed the same species in fear of cross breeding.
But I want to play it safe and order enough food and type of food to make them all happy. Plus I dont want to forget any food because I dont want to have to order some and have to pay shipping & handling. Any help would be very great thank you!
Or am I going in the totally wrong direction. Would any type of meaty freeze dried food work, such as any kind of worm.
If you mix a Carnivore, Herbivore,and Omnivore together will that work. Not totally sure what cichlids I'm going with yet, but I'm looking for the best color and coolest looking. I am totally aware you can't mixed the same species in fear of cross breeding.
But I want to play it safe and order enough food and type of food to make them all happy. Plus I dont want to forget any food because I dont want to have to order some and have to pay shipping & handling. Any help would be very great thank you!
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Just the New Life Spectrum Cichlid Formula is fine. Some of the other foods mentioned may not be healthful and may actually be harmful.
If you really want to provide a treat, go with veges. They can't hurt the fish unless you leave leftovers in more than 10 hours so they pollute the tank.
If you really want to provide a treat, go with veges. They can't hurt the fish unless you leave leftovers in more than 10 hours so they pollute the tank.
+1 to the New Life Spectrum! :thumb:
Mbuna - NLS
Bigger Haps/Peacocks - Dainichi Supreme + Thera A once or twice a week
Growouts - NLS Grow
Beware of the cheaper brands that contain a lot of bloodmeal and poultry byproducts.
Bigger Haps/Peacocks - Dainichi Supreme + Thera A once or twice a week
Growouts - NLS Grow
Beware of the cheaper brands that contain a lot of bloodmeal and poultry byproducts.
I know everyone is on the NLS bandwagon but I found it rather expensive.
I bought Ken's premium cichlid pellets and Ken's spirulina flake. I bought this stuff by the pound and it was a lot cheaper than NLS.
I bought Ken's premium cichlid pellets and Ken's spirulina flake. I bought this stuff by the pound and it was a lot cheaper than NLS.
The best always cost the most :wink:
I don't know if I'd call NLS the "best" but it is my only choice as the one single container can feed everything I own from my cichlids and all the way to my corals and Salt water fish!
Stopped me having to order a little of this, little of that.. etc.
Stopped me having to order a little of this, little of that.. etc.
I kinda feel embarrassed to admit it on this forum, but I just don't get it when it comes to NLS. When I compare ingredients to price, I feel I'm getting a much better value with the HBH brand from Kens Fish.dotbomb said:I know everyone is on the NLS bandwagon but I found it rather expensive.
I bought Ken's premium cichlid pellets and Ken's spirulina flake. I bought this stuff by the pound and it was a lot cheaper than NLS.
AlphaWild I always say, if it's not broke, don't try and fix it. If cheap, bulk food works for your species, by all means continue.
For my pets...
INGREDIENTS: Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Blood Meal, Stabilized Fish Oil, Poultry By-product Meal, Hydrolyzed Feather Meal, Special Blend Of Color Enhancers, Wheat Germ, Dried Whey, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal Sterol (D3), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulphite-Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin, Biotin, DL Alphatocopherol (E), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (C), Choline Chloride, Cobalt Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide Ethoxyquin (Anti-Oxidant)
I have many species of fish and corals that would not be able to use some of the above, and some that might actually suffer from some of it.
Personally, I think that ingredients list looks like something on the back of a hot dog package... :lol:
For my pets...
INGREDIENTS: Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Blood Meal, Stabilized Fish Oil, Poultry By-product Meal, Hydrolyzed Feather Meal, Special Blend Of Color Enhancers, Wheat Germ, Dried Whey, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal Sterol (D3), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulphite-Complex, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamin, Biotin, DL Alphatocopherol (E), L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (C), Choline Chloride, Cobalt Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide Ethoxyquin (Anti-Oxidant)
I have many species of fish and corals that would not be able to use some of the above, and some that might actually suffer from some of it.
Personally, I think that ingredients list looks like something on the back of a hot dog package... :lol:
What's wrong with vitamins and minerals? Don't let the scientific names for iron, vitamins, and other minerals scare you off.
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride is Vitamin B6 for example.
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride is Vitamin B6 for example.
I'd rather see broccoli and peaches like the NLS list, LOL.
I'm not sure which one you listed, but here's mine for Malawi's...
HBH SUPER SOFT & MOIST SPRIRULINA:
This is a new and improved formula that will replace the original soft&moist with spirulina large. This is a nutrient packed food that can be used with fresh and salt water fish. This fish food contains spirulina and a full complement of vitamins, amino acids, essential nutrients and color boosters for healthy vibrant fish. Perfect for herbivores or grazing omniverous from tangs to plecostosomus to tropheus!
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Spirulina, Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Green Pea Powder, Propylene Glycol, Fructose, Fish Oil, Brewers Dried Yeast, Lecithin Dry, Zuchini Powder. Carrot Powder, Garlic Powder, Zeolite, Haematococcus, Glucone-Delta-Lactone, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (C). With Added Vitamins And Minerals
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:Min. Protein 33%, Min. Fat 13%, Max. Fiber 2%, Max. Moisture 18%, Max Ash 8%.
You can argue some fine points ingredient by ingredient, but it's just 2 high quality foods IMHO, and the HBH is less than half the price of NLS. I'll take that value every time.
HBH SUPER SOFT & MOIST SPRIRULINA:
This is a new and improved formula that will replace the original soft&moist with spirulina large. This is a nutrient packed food that can be used with fresh and salt water fish. This fish food contains spirulina and a full complement of vitamins, amino acids, essential nutrients and color boosters for healthy vibrant fish. Perfect for herbivores or grazing omniverous from tangs to plecostosomus to tropheus!
MAIN INGREDIENTS: Spirulina, Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Green Pea Powder, Propylene Glycol, Fructose, Fish Oil, Brewers Dried Yeast, Lecithin Dry, Zuchini Powder. Carrot Powder, Garlic Powder, Zeolite, Haematococcus, Glucone-Delta-Lactone, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (C). With Added Vitamins And Minerals
GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:Min. Protein 33%, Min. Fat 13%, Max. Fiber 2%, Max. Moisture 18%, Max Ash 8%.
You can argue some fine points ingredient by ingredient, but it's just 2 high quality foods IMHO, and the HBH is less than half the price of NLS. I'll take that value every time.
NLS vs HBH
Protein: (Min) 34% vs 33%
Fat: (Min) 5% vs 13%
Fibre: (Max) 5% vs 2%
Moisture: (Max) 10% vs 18%
Ash: (Max) 9% vs 8%
I guess if HBH is twice the moisture and more fat (course, fat could be good, I dunno), that would explain the reduced cost.
Protein: (Min) 34% vs 33%
Fat: (Min) 5% vs 13%
Fibre: (Max) 5% vs 2%
Moisture: (Max) 10% vs 18%
Ash: (Max) 9% vs 8%
I guess if HBH is twice the moisture and more fat (course, fat could be good, I dunno), that would explain the reduced cost.
Glaneon said:NLS vs HBH
Protein: (Min) 34% vs 33%
Fat: (Min) 5% vs 13%
Fibre: (Max) 5% vs 2%
Moisture: (Max) 10% vs 18%
Ash: (Max) 9% vs 8%
I guess if HBH is twice the moisture and more fat (course, fat could be good, I dunno), that would explain the reduced cost.
opcorn:
So I could feed this to my clowns and my coral? =D> I should have bought more!! It cost me as much to ship it as it did to buy it.Number6 said:I don't know if I'd call NLS the "best" but it is my only choice as the one single container can feed everything I own from my cichlids and all the way to my corals and Salt water fish!
Stopped me having to order a little of this, little of that.. etc.
So how long does food keep its nutrients? Say I were to buy like a year supply, would it still be good (nutrition wise) a year later?
(sorry for hijaking, but I've been curious about this for a while)
And sugar is sugar by any other name... Alpawilds reply with the ingredients for one of the more expensive hbh foods lists things that I just don't get why it would be added... Fructose? Zeolite? Why are they adding a mineral like that to food?dotbomb said:What's wrong with vitamins and minerals? Don't let the scientific names for iron, vitamins, and other minerals scare you off.
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride is Vitamin B6 for example.
Zoie, many say that pellets shouldn't be kept and used for as long as I use it for... But I find NLS is fine for over a year. I feed NLS to some pretty fussy reef fish. My pair of breeding clowns gobble it up along with the fussy fish!
If NLS has peaches it also has fructose. Zeolites can be used as antibacterial agents and antioxidants.
I understand that natural sounding ingredients are big in marketing products right now but just because an ingredient list shows "peaches" you can't know what exactly that peach contains. What fertilizers were used? What pesticides? And oh man did you know they contain fructose? :wink:
I understand that natural sounding ingredients are big in marketing products right now but just because an ingredient list shows "peaches" you can't know what exactly that peach contains. What fertilizers were used? What pesticides? And oh man did you know they contain fructose? :wink:
Zoie, many say that pellets shouldn't be kept and used for as long as I use it for... But I find NLS is fine for over a year. I feed NLS to some pretty fussy reef fish. My pair of breeding clowns gobble it up along with the fussy fish![/quote]
:thumb: Thanks
:thumb: Thanks
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