Feedings?

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Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


milky648
 
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:41 am

Feedings?

by milky648

Question how often should you feed your baby chilids and adults ?


cedricandcandy
 
Posts: 134
Joined: Tue Nov 04, 2008 1:36 am

by cedricandcandy

Thats a very generalised question; but we feed our south american cichlids twice daily and our malawi cichlids three times daily. Each feed is a different meal as we try and provide a variety of food sources.

We try to work on the 30 second rule: that is; we put a small amount of feed in and when it is all gone, another small amount is put in, and this continues until it takes longer then 30sec for the small amount to be consumed.

We dont breed ours so I haven't had to feed the fry.

What cichlids have you got?


milky648
 
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:41 am

by milky648

I have 2 sliver dollars 2 jacks 2 africans 1 i dont know what it is and 2 covicts ther new and my cew dosent like them the pet store person toled me to feed them 3 times a weeck so i feed them mondays wed and frie and nothing on the weeckend but my 2 africans look a bit on the thin side i feed them pellests somtimes i put in lettus


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

3 times a week is not enough, especially if they are still young and growing. I do like C&C, 2x's a day. I feed mine when the lights come on in the morning and then again in the afternoon. The Africans get African Cichlid pellets in the morning, then in the afternoon they get flakes, either algae based ones or vegetable based cichlid flakes. I will also give them a zucchini or cucumber to munch on all day a couple times a week.. I will mix it up at times too and give them algae pellets, or fresh peas (skinned) Africans eat a lot, especially while young and growing.

My community tank gets 2 feedings a day too, flake in the morning, then in the evening either crumbles, blood worms or shrimp pellets. My fry tanks, with the tiny ones, get 3-4 feedings a day because they need it. I take and mix up 3 different flake foods, grind them up into powder and that is what I feed the fry. I also have to do more water changes because of this.

If your tank is new the guy may have told you this to keep you from overfeeding and having ammonia spikes. Just make sure that when you do feed them its only as much as they can eat withing 30 seconds. That way you wont have to worry about food getting lost and crapping your water out.

Don't feed the Africans any meat based food like blood worms or shrimp, it will give them bloat.

Actually, you should not have them in with your SW cichlids, they need a higher pH, ONLY vegetable based foods and will get very aggressive. Your SW fish, the convicts, jacks, and the silver dollars need a omnivore diet, a mix of protein (meats) and veggies. If you feed only veggie based foods they will not thrive like they should, but if you feed them protein the Africans will eat it too and they will get sick from it. It is not advised to keep the two groups together. Africans need a high pH (7.8-8.5) and hard water whereas SW need softer water and lower pH. Africans become VERY aggressive fish as they grow, and should only be kept with other aggressive Africans. You are going to have trouble when they become adults. They are probably all getting along now, but when they hit sexual maturity all hell is going to break loose.


milky648
 
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:41 am

by milky648

well the thing is my femal jackdempsy is 4years old and my africans are 1 and 2 ther preaty mutch all adults ranging from size 4' to 8' ther fine toghter but how mutch sould i feed them ? I do put lettus in


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

If your Africans are on the thin side and you are only feeding them every couple days you are slowly starving them to death! Lettuce is not enough!

Feed them a good pellet food at LEAST once a day. Africans need to eat DAILY. Feed them a small handful of pellets. They will scarf them up, and I am sure your other fish would appreciate it too. I do not know how often your other fish, like the JD's and Convicts need food, but I do know Africans need DAILY food. Best to feed twice a day. Africans should be nice and stocky, not thin. If they are getting thin they are not healthy, and it is probably because you do not feed them enough.


milky648
 
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:41 am

by milky648

ok well thats why i come here to ask bc lke i said the guy at the pet sotre said 3 times a week ill do that from now on daly small dose of pelletes and other flakes .
My other ones i think need to go on a diet ther well feed they look good its just my afrcians look on the thin side. ok well thanks you for ur info , and you said brin shrimp and blood worms are not good for them? im just trying to find out bc my frind thats what he feeds them and he feeds them less then i do . ok thanks again


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

African Mbuna have very long digestive tracts, made for digesting vegetable matter. When given foods like shrimp and blood worms, they are highly susceptible to Malawi bloat. This can and mostly does kill them. So, if you want to feed it to them, do it very sparingly. I will give mine a treat of shrimp or blood worms once a month. But in very small amounts, like maybe one each.

This is why it is not good to mix up the fish groups. You say the other fish are big and healthy, but the Africans are getting too skinny. The way they eat is very different, so one group is doing good, the other not so good.

Your friend is asking for a disaster to happen. He will find that his fish will slowly die off if that is all he is feeding them.

Here is a good article on how and what to feed Africans
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/feeding_mbuna.php

And one on Malawi Bloat:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/malawi_bloat.php


milky648
 
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:41 am

by milky648

thanks


milky648
 
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 4:41 am

by milky648

ok i have been feding my africns 2 times a day and ther looking better pellets in the moring and flakes afternoon bevore tank turns off

queston how long do u leave your light on i do 7h or 8 max???

Feedings?

14 posts • Page 1 of 2

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