Cichlid Feeding Advise?

In my 55 gal I have 5 medium sized peacocks (don't have lots of color). 1 Lemon Jake, 1 Ob and 2 others I don't know the name of. With them I have 7 mbuna and they do somehow wonderfully with my peacocks and even school with them (but they are babies) and 1 rainbow shark. So I heard that mbunas more like algae? And peacocks are more carnivores? Anyway, i've been feeding them tropical fish flakes but Aqueon and they all go absolutely nuts for it even the peacocks. Is this okay for them? I can feed them blood worms once in a while to supplement their diet. But the one I'm most worried about is my rainbow shark. He seems to get along with them its just he can't really stand up for himself. Whenever I drop an algae wafer in (ill try lettuce and other veggies) my mbuna and peacocks just go ham on it. So my questions are, 1) is the food I'm feeding to my cichlids okay? 2) How should I feed my rainbow shark? Should I get a breeder box and capture him every time its feeding time?

 

I've always fed pellets to my African cichlids. Aqueon minI pellets are good for younger fish, Cobalt small cichlid pellets are high end and work great for adult peacocks. I also use OmegeOne Veggie/kelp pellets and their cichlid pellets. Works just fine for mbuna and peacocks. Pellets seem a lot better for adult cichlids rather than flakes IMO. Skip the blood worms for the cichlids, they are not a good food for them, especially the mbuna. I see blood worm packaging specifically saying not to feed to African cichlids. High protein foods can mess with their digestive system (mainly the mbunas).

As for your rainbow shark, he may not last too long with mbuna. Both the shark and the mbuna stay closer to the lower levels, and they are likely to fight over caves. I've seen/heard it work before but I'd not risk it personally. For now, try putting sinking food in the shark's favorite cave. Perhaps even try tong feeding him blood worms. Trying to catch him eat time for feeding is not going to work at all, he will be too stressed to eat.

 

I've always fed pellets to my African cichlids. Aqueon minI pellets are good for younger fish, Cobalt small cichlid pellets are high end and work great for adult peacocks. I also use OmegeOne Veggie/kelp pellets and their cichlid pellets. Works just fine for mbuna and peacocks. Pellets seem a lot better for adult cichlids rather than flakes IMO. Skip the blood worms for the cichlids, they are not a good food for them, especially the mbuna. I see blood worm packaging specifically saying not to feed to African cichlids. High protein foods can mess with their digestive system (mainly the mbunas).

As for your rainbow shark, he may not last too long with mbuna. Both the shark and the mbuna stay closer to the lower levels, and they are likely to fight over caves. I've seen/heard it work before but I'd not risk it personally. For now, try putting sinking food in the shark's favorite cave. Perhaps even try tong feeding him blood worms. Trying to catch him eat time for feeding is not going to work at all, he will be too stressed to eat.

MY cichlids stay mid level to bottom and never go to the top (they aren't sick they just like the bottom). I have some minI pellets but they float and they won't get them so I put flakes under the flow of my filter to push them down. Should I just try to feed them pellets? I already have some. I will also try feeding my shark some bloodworms.

 

Try getting sinking pellets, I have a mix of floating and sinking pellets so they all get some. Your cichlid should grow bolder as they mature and eventually eat the floating pellets, just not right now I suppose.

 

Try getting sinking pellets, I have a mix of floating and sinking pellets so they all get some. Your cichlid should grow bolder as they mature and eventually eat the floating pellets, just not right now I suppose.

Ok, do you know a good brand of sinking pellets?

 

Sinking pellets, wafers and feed an hour or two after lights out. They will forage after dark.

 

Sinking pellets, wafers and feed an hour or two after lights out. They will forage after dark.

OK ill try that thanks