LA
Feed a variety.
Big Eaters: On the
average, cichlids rank among the larger fishes. Many
cichlids sport some very bright colors. Cichlids
also rank among the smarter aquarium fishes.
They’re very active and quite entertaining in their interactions with
one another. Their most endearing quality? All
can easily earn a place on the Olympic eating team.
Cichlids love to eat. They line up
at those all you can eat buffets. Very
few cichlids are thought of as “picky eaters.”
LA
Numerous Menu Items. When
we examine our Aqualand fish food shelves (and our freezers), we see 45
different foods (not counting different package
sizes) of foods specially made for cichlids – some even made for specific
cichlids such as angelfish, discus, and red parrots -- not counting our live
foods.
If we stock dozens of cichlid foods, you better believe lots of people
like cichlids – and like feeding their cichlids.
LA
Natural Foods: Most
cichlids prey on smaller critters. For
these guys we stock feeder goldfish, crayfish,
feeder rosy reds, feeder white
clouds, feeder guppies, feeder ghost
shrimp, mealworms, crickets,
red wigglers, and California
blackworms.
LA
Frozen Foods: In the
frozen category you can find large silversides (a skinny fish), small
silversides, krill, plankton, brine shrimp, blood worms, glass worms, tubifex
worms, and beef heart as well as several cichlid formulas designed for them.
Cichlids eat any of these frozen critters as eagerly as they devour any
live critter. Most of these contain
good quantities of fats (fatty esters encourage spawning activity) and coloring factors
(that enhance their natural colors).
LA
Freeze-Dried Foods: You
can get any of the above in an easier-to-feed canned format (except the
silversides). Plus, you can find
lots of other smaller critters such as daphnia.
LA
Flakes: Eight companies
make at least one type of cichlid flake food.
Some make several. Some fish
will not eat flake foods. You will
not find cichlids on this list. Cichlids
love flake foods. Give them the
frozen and live foods for dessert. If
you’re not locked into a particular brand, try our Aqualand brand.
They’re nutritious and you’ll save some bucks on the refills.
LA
Granules: HBH in
particular specializes in granulated cichlid foods.
Feed these concentrated foods lightly.
It’s easy to overfeed granules.
LA
Shrimp Pellets: Lots of
companies make these hard little pellets that fall to the bottom and dissolve
into the gravel. We strongly dislike
these pellets. They foul your gravel
and foul your water. However, some
fish (and people) like them.
LA
Pellets: Hikari in
particular makes a wide spectrum of nutritious cichlid pellets.
All are good. Some are
excellent. Since we feed lots of big
cichlids, we prefer these – especially the ones with added carotenes.
You can choose between floating pellets and sinking pellets.
We prefer the floaters. They’re
easier to clean up when someone accidentally overfeeds them -- about a third of
the time.
Sticks: TetraWerkes
makes a wide variety of cichlid “stick foods.” Hikari
and others make some also. Cichlids
eat all brands quite readily.
LA
Algae Wafers: Algae
wafers are made for plecostomus. However,
African cichlids, particularly Tanganyikans, like wafers with spirulina algae in
them.
Algae Stars: O.S.I.
makes rock-hard “stars” that African cichlids love.
They carry them around till they soften enough to ingest.
Don’t feed them to small guys.
LA
Dried Algae: Ocean
Nutrition makes sheets of dried algae for African cichlids.
African cichlids need vegetation in their diet.
LA
Feeding a variety of foods brings out their color.
In Summary: You don’t
need to feed 45 different cichlid foods.
However, we still recommend a variety of different foods.
LA.
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