First let me remind you I am a beginner and am only sharing what I've learned through trial and error, have read or gleaned through the many amazing forums full of people with vast knowledge and years of experience. YouTube is also a fantastic medium to get information from.
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| SeaWeed and Clip |
What I've learned about feeding my African and American Cichlids is that they are forever hungry! I feed them morning and night even though they look like they are ready jump out of the tank every time I walk by. I feed them mostly a diet of Cichlid flakes and pellets. These foods are professionally designed to meet a Cichlids dietary needs. Besides their regular diet I do give them treats. Not everyday mind you - but at least 3 times a week. Brine shrimp and blood worms I purchase. I also feed them fresh veggies like zucchini and cucumber. I found seaweed clips work well to anchor them. I buy seaweed on occasion for them as well. They rip it apart within seconds. It's a favourite of theirs. I also fast all my tanks 1 day a week. It's good to give them a day off and let them purge their digestive systems. Be mindful of this as being hungry increases aggression. We don't want to starve them.
Cichlids have a tendency to over-eat not unlike we do. Of course over-eating leads to health problems that can be avoided by a monitored diet. Bloating is one side effect. Over feeding can also cause your tank nitrates to rise creating an unsafe environment for your fish. If your filter system can't support the demand placed on it, you can either lower your fish count or feed them less. Feeding too much can also cause your water to get cloudy. If my tanks are cloudy, time it ends up being my over-feeding.
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| SeaWeed Clip holding a chunk of cucumber. |
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