fishfun

Hi all,

Was wondering what is the best food to feed to herbivore cichlids? I'm planning on having them in a tank with 2 other varieties of omnivores. I noticed that the Omega One Cichlid food looks to be high in protein, and doesn't contain much in the way of vegatable matter.

Anyone have any ideas for a well balanced diet? I'd like to have a good quality prepared food that I can supplement with veggies. Here is what I'm planning for the tank:

Metriaclima estherae (Red Zebra) - omnivore
Pseudotropheus saulosi - herbivore
Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Yellow Tail Acei) - herbivore

Thanks!

steveangela1

What I have bought for my mixture of omnivores and herbivores is OSI Spirullina flakes, and then the color enhanced cichlid flakes.... once every other day then I skip 3 days I give them blood worms... I rotate the 2 types of flakes then every day w/ their 2-3 feedings a day. They say also you can put zuccini (sp) in the tank w/ a vegi clip, and other veggies for the hervivores.. they also will eat the alge in the tank... I haven't had any issues w/ them eating on that sced at all. I keep the sced rigid so that they get a well rounded diet and I will cut back on the feedings (the 3 a day when they get to be adults) My peacocks get the same sced.

I fed them the "cichlid" flakes from walmart.. (I lost 2 fish to malawi bloat") on that stuff.. so I don't trust it! I have had no sick fish on this food that I buy.. plus my lfs gives me refils in my containers for 20 percent off...

FishKing

I would get some algae wafers and feed them fresh fruit and vegetables. Herbivores love that kind of stuff. There is a specialized food for herbivore cichlids called Cichlid Vegi formula flakes. Try this website.http://www.aquariumguys.com/herbivore-food.html

steveangela1

BTW make sure you let the alge grow on the back of the tank enough for them to have it to eat that is great for the herbivores diet.. in fact the omnivores eat it too..

fishfun

Oh, I guess I though that all cichlids needed to eat a pelletted food. Not so?

I have some spirullina flakes already. I'd heard peas and zucchini are good too.

Thanks!

Butterfly

Omega One also makes a floating Kelp Pellets, and flakes that my fish like.
Carol

steveangela1

I never thought of the kelp, that sounds really good for their digestion..