[chefkevin]

I will be starting a malawi mbuna tank soon and have a couple questions...I am trying to decide on a food and after some research, the one I am leaning towards is hikari cichlid excel. I am wondering if a floating food such as this is ok or would sinking be better? Also, what size fish corresponds to what size pellet (specifically using hikari's scale of mini, medium etc)? The fish will be bought as juveniles. Thanks.

-Kevin

 

[DNK]

What fish are they? If they're gonna be large ones, then a larger pellet size might be a good idea in the future.
Mbuna are generally pigs when it comes to eating, so sinking ones don't often get a chance to hit the floor.
I use 1mm NLS sinking pellets for my Mbuna along with dried seaweed and cucumber.
The largest fish at the moment is a yellow lab at around 4" and he's doing fine.

 

[DJRansome]

Another vote for NLS (New Life Spectrum) Cichlid Formula. The ingredients are high quality and the protein is low which works well with herbivore (and omnivore) digestive tracts.

 

[bma57]

Mine are really healthy, active and colorful on NLS 1mm pellets as well. I mix it up with spirulina flakes once a week, but I've read plenty of posts from people that feed NLS exclusively with good results.

 

[DJRansome]

I often can't get NLS Cichlid Formula locally, so I wait until the online suppliers have their free shipping sales, and I order a 6 month supply of food, filter media, and whatever I need. I keep unopened jars in the freezer.

 

[cichlidaholic]

Hikari is also fine, but start out with the small size and increase as your fish mature.

I prefer sinking pellets, but my fish will eat either.

Kim

 

[chefkevin]

So i ended up going with cichlid excel after some delays getting the tank up and going. Problem is unless i sink the pellets (get them wet and gently squeeze them) they don't rush up to get them making it impossible to monitor how much they eat and lets them get swept away in the current often getting stuck around intake/outflow tubes.
I feed them 1 to 2 mini pellets each once a day (there are 3 small mbuna right now) at this rate of feeding, even when i eventually add more fish, the 2 bags of cichlid excel that i have are going to last a while so I was wondering if there is any way I can encourage them to start coming to the top for it as sinking the pellets does add a significant amount of time to feeding. Any suggestions welcome.

 

[plow]

i put mine in a little cup of tank water for a few minutes first, let them soak and then pretty much chuck it down into the water, the splashing also brings the fishes attention to activity near the waters surface, gets them curious and then they see the food and down it goes.

 

[DJRansome]

Fast them for a day. I think they will eventually come to the top on their own. If your current is sweeping the food away, turn the filters off for 15 minutes while you feed them.

 

[Timkat4867]

Use the mini pellets. The medium pellets are way too large for your juveniles, even too large for when they mature in my opinion.