How and what is the best way to feed cichlids?

Aquarium fish of the cichlid family are very popular due to their relative unpretentiousness and variegated appearance. However, the health of these fish largely depends on a proper diet. Therefore, it is worth figuring out how and what is the best way to feed cichlids.

The family of cichlids unites more than 1900 different species of fish, among which there are both omnivorous and purely predatory or herbivores. therefore a single universal diet for all cichlids cannot exist in principle, and the diet needs to be selected precisely for the type of fish that you acquire.

If it is full of large and sharp teeth, you will see a pronounced predator, while cichlids that eat plant food usually have small teeth or are completely devoid of them. African cichlids are predominantly omnivorous, with the exception of purely herbivorous Malawian species. Most other types of cichlids are predators.

Among the species popular among Russian aquarists, predators are:

• Akara
• astronotuses;
• cichlomas.

Of the herbivorous species, the most common are:

• astrothelapia;
• trophies;
• petrochromis.

Some species of these fish require the use of special feed. These include:

• dwarf cichlids;
• red parrots;
• discus
• hover's floral.

Having decided on what type of food your pets need, it is also worth considering the following principles:

• it is better to keep predatory and herbivorous cichlids in different aquariums - this will help to organize their nutrition more correctly;
• fish do not have a feeling of fullness, so it is important to correctly calculate the dose of food and in no case overfeed them;
• do not give fish food from your table;
• alternate dry and natural foods if possible;
• try to choose food with a high content of carotenoids - this will make your pets color even brighter.

By origin, food is:

• natural (living organisms for predators, algae and plankton for herbivorous fish);
• dry (finished feed from industrial manufacturers);
• additional - such food can be used as top dressing and is usually prepared from ordinary food products (vegetables for herbivorous fish, minced meat or boiled egg yolk for predators).

According to the format, dry food, in turn, is divided into several types.

• Sticks - designed for large fish. Usually they have a length of about 2 cm, consist of crushed and mixed algae, fish products and protein-vitamin complexes. Recommended for omnivorous breeds.
• Granules - are released separately for predatory (usually red), herbivorous (differ in green or green-brown) and omnivorous (red-brown pellets) fish.
• Flakes - for cichlid predators, they are red and composed of meat, for lovers of plant food - they are produced in green and composed of spirulina, beets and carrots, but for omnivorous breeds yellow flakes are suitable, which include algae and meat, and vegetables.

By location in the aquarium, the products are divided into:

• floating - designed for fish that prefer the upper layers of water;
• middle layer - the density of these feeds is selected so that they "hang" in the water approximately in the middle between the bottom and the surface of the water;
• bottom - they should be given to fish, mainly located closer to the bottom of the aquarium.

The dominant position in the Russian market is occupied by the German company Tetra.

In this line you will find many options.

• Granules - granular middle layer feed for medium and large breeds, best suited to omnivorous fish. The granules are divided into green (contain algae) and red (contain meat).
• Sticks - sticks floating on the surface. Suitable only for large (from 15 cm) omnivorous species, since each stick contains both plant and animal components.
• Flakes - flakes floating on the surface. Red flakes are intended for predators, green ones are for herbivorous breeds, both types can be poured by omnivorous cichlids. Flakes are equally suitable for pets of all sizes.
• Algae - granules of the middle layer with a high content of spirulina for all herbivorous and omnivorous species, regardless of size.
• Red parrot - A special food for red parrots.
• Color - small sized pellets with a high protein content floating in the middle layer of water, designed for herbivores and omnivores of any size.
• Pro - An analog of Color granules with an increased amount of vitamins, suitable for all types of fish.

And also the products of the German company Sera are quite popular:

• Cichlids sticks - sticks for large breeds that prefer to stay near the surface of the water;
• Granugreen - grounded diet for herbivorous and omnivorous small fish that live in the middle layer;
• Green xl - granules floating on the water surface for large herbivorous breeds;
• Granured - granular feed for small predators;
• Red xl - surface granules for large predators;
• Arowana - floating granules for especially large predatory breeds;
• Red parrot - special food for red parrots.

Most predatory and omnivorous breeds well absorb such varieties of live food:

• crustaceans (daphnia, artemia nauplii);
• bloodworm;
• coretre;
• worms (earthworm, nematode and tubule).

All are sold at pet stores.. You can catch earthworms and bloodworms yourself. Daphnia and other crustaceans can be grown on their own in an improvised incubator of 2 plastic bottles with saline (3 tablespoons of salt in 2 liters of warm water).

The diet of young people of all types of fish is often very different from the diet of adults. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately put them in a separate aquarium. Crustaceans (Artemia nauplii) and nematodes have proven themselves as a starting diet for predators. After 2 weeks, you can start feeding with a finely chopped tubifex, and after a few weeks add bloodworms. As an additional top dressing, you can add yolks and minced meat.

If you intend to use crustaceans to feed fry, then Please note that live crustaceans can be aggressive and attack your pets. Therefore, in the early stages of development, you should either use dried crustaceans, or use the eggs of crustaceans, and not adults.

A general principle that should be followed if possible when scheduling feeding - better less often, but less. In this case, you can feed large fish 1-2 times a day, but it is better to feed fry according to a schedule that includes at least three feedings per day.

Anyway the interval between feedings of adult cichlids should be at least 4 hours.

If the cichlids have not eaten a small amount of food, and it has fallen to the bottom - this is not necessarily evidence of the disease, perhaps they just ate too much. Anyway do not let the feed stagnate in the aquarium - you need to remove it from the bottom with the help of a net.

The main reasons why cichlids do not eat:

• bearing offspring - cichlids carry fry in the mouth, during this period the female stops eating;
• disease - it is worthwhile to carefully examine the pet for other disturbing symptom;
• adaptation to new feed - then you need to wait, and if the fish does not start to eat new food, you need to return to the old diet;
• inappropriate feed - then you need to change the food to a better one as soon as possible;
• bad conditions - improper water composition or improper temperature conditions;
• stress from a new aquarium or water change - in such cases, the appetite disappears for 1-2 days and is restored by itself, therefore it is better not to feed the fish on the first day after moving or replacing the water.

If loss of appetite will help you identify a sick fish, then you need to immediately transplant it into a separate aquarium.

You can quickly understand that fish food is not suitable, you can also watch their secretions. If their excrement is painted in dark colors (from black to red depending on the type), then the diet is selected correctly.

In case of underfeeding, the following symptoms gradually appear in cichlids:

• lethargy;
• exhaustion;
• sunken belly, back and sides;
• desire for solitude.

Excessive feeding is usually manifested by such signs:

• decreased mobility;
• roundness and bulge of the abdomen and sides.

In the next video, you can learn about the diet of Malawian cichlids, as well as watch their feeding.