What type of food do you feed your African Cichlids?

We are currently looking into switching over to Ken's fish food. The floating/sinking 1.5mm cichlid pellets. But we have also been feeding them Kelp flakes which they love! We were wondering if anyone has had an experience with Ken's Premium Vegetable Flake. And if their cichlids like it? We are going to switch over to the ken's pellets. Just wanting advice on the veggie flake to substitute for the kelp flakes.

From what I've read, lots of members here use ken's products.

I've used both, and my cichlids loved each of them!

Thanks Mikey that's VERY good to know. I think we will try both out!

I currently use Ocean Nutrition Cichlids Pellets and Marine Pellets Formula I and II

However, it's expensive if you don't buy online. Can get Formula I and II at Petco

I have a bit of everything from kelp, spirulina flakes, NLS Cichlid Formula & Omega One Marine pellets. Don't want them to get picky with just one flavor.

I use Kens Spirulina Max & the veggie flake both plus NLS.

I use nls and spirulina 20 flake

I use HBH Vege Flake, and Spiriulina supersoft pellets, and my newest fav. vege pellet is dainichi baby deluxe vege pellets.

I use kens premium veggie flake and the soft krill pellets. Both are eagerly accepted by my fish. I plan on trying out HBH's veggie flake next time I order for comparison. If I could afford it I would buy Hirkari's in the 22LB size, but it's like $150. Actually not bad when you do the math though. Just need a big freezer or a lake of fish.

We figured out the cost of Ken's compared to Hirkari's and Ken's was much cheaper and seemed to be just as accepted by the fish if not better. We ended up getting the 1.5mm Cichlid pellets and the Veggie flake from Ken's as well. We will let you guys all know how they accept it.


p.s. Me, all the fulu's died.

I make my own food . one veg and one meat .its cheap and easy

endangered cichlids, how do you make your own food?

I make my own food too with shrimp, garlic and spirulina powder.


Here are some links to Hikari and some other products in bulk, It took me a very long time to find these sizes at these prices, so I figure it's worth sharing. Some are for Koi, but if you compare ingredients they are not much different. I know cichlid breeders that buy koi food cause of the cost. The third to last and second to last are powdered products which I am considering purchasing for making my own food, the very last is just because hey, if anyone wants to test this expensive stuff I would love to know how you like it If you do the math some are pretty cheap especially the Hikari staple at about $5 per lb if you buy the largest size, and even the saki-hari is not too ridiculous. Given the choice I prefer Hikari over most brands, it really does seem to do wonder for colors and growth in many fish.

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I also make my own food.
I have never used kens and probably never will, I'm not a big fan of what all is in his food..... Too many fillers and not enough good stuff

well you take peas , brocolli , spirinia , seaweed , really any vegi put it in the blender and then brake it up into bags and freeze ...or buy the seafood mix thats frozen at albertsons and blend it up . i sometimes put beef heart in it .. that really makes em bright .. tropheus r not good fish to eat the seafood stuff

been using NLS cichlid food. been good thus far.
I've been thinking about making my own food.

Shrimp, Spurina, Earth Worms, and left over Cichlid sticks, grind them together and sun dry them in a thin sheet, break'em as needed....

I prepare gelatin and mix it in with my other ingredients, let it set and then freeze it. Sun drying sounds like a good idea also.

am i the only one who uses Omega 1??
cause my fish all love the omega 1 cichlid pellets and veggie rounds... ohh and tubiflex.
i also throw in frozen brine shrimp 2-3 times a week..

I've been using KOI food for a few months in the Mbuna tank, the ingredients and nutrient ratios closely match, other african cichlid formulas. The fish are growing, spawning, and are colorful. I feed frozen brine, blood worms and regular cheapo tropical flake to my shellies and blue dolphins.

Billiethekid wrote:am i the only one who uses Omega 1??

I've used their flake with whole salmon and the fish loved it, even triggered some spawns, price is the only thing keeping me from buying it often. Keep in mind I have allot of fish to feed.

Garlic
spirulina powder
whole peas
carrots
some warm water fish meat (cold water fish is too fatty)
Whole shrimp with head if you can find it
zucchini
squash

and just about any other fruit or veggi you think they will like
toss it all in a blender and portion out into sandwich baggies so it will be thin and easily breakable and lay them all flat in the freezer.
I make a years worth at a time and with the shell and head on the shrimp you wont need gelatin to keep it together!

We bought Ken's Cichlid Pellets and Ken's Vegetable Flake. They LOVE it!! Such a great price for so much food. Almost three times as much as what he was paying for a months worth or so. There are 31 fish so they go through it, little pigs lol.

How's the fulu looking ShortyKilogyrl ?

They all ended up dying. We got 4 more from Icer this weekend. 2 males 2 females so hopefully they will breed. They are going into their own 72 gallon this weekend. As well as he's thinking about getting some more for possibly breeding. What other victorian's do you breed. He was considering making the 72 a victorian tank. But he isn't completely sure. Just want to let him know what other options he might have available.

Here's a complete list of the Victorians I am breeding

Xystichromis phytophagus (Christmas Fulu)

Lithochromis Xanthopteryx

Lipochromis sp. Matumbi Hunter

Neochromis Rufocaudalis saa nane island

Pundamilia pundamilia Senga point

Mbipia Lutea Makobe Island

As I just explained in a PM to another member the X-mas fulu are the only ones I will have fry to sell of for awhile still as we are working on creating stable populations with other vic experts since many of these are very very rare in the states and even the world.

What he absolutely needs to know is the only way to do a Victorian tank with multiple species is all Male. Any mixing of both sexes will result in Hybrids, and with Victorians that is very bad as we are dealing with many extinct species, and to muddy up their genetics is not a good thing. There are very few exceptions to this rule which would involve very different looking fish both body and color so that there is little to no chance of them confusing their mates, but even then I wouldn't recommend more than 2 breeding groups in a tank that size. If he wants to do all Males I have seen some amazing all male tanks with half a dozen different species. Tell him to check out CichlidsofVictoria.com, there are allot of very good breeders there that know much more than me, and we can help him work out an ideal situation. Often some great prices too.

Todd

Kensfish.com has the best food. He will take care of you.

If you dont like that a good food to try is NLS. Cichlids N Herps has great prices on there NLS and if you tell them I sent ya...they will also take care of you. ;0)

KMX, we did order Ken's fish food. The fish LOVE it lol. And it's such a good price!

ME, we have noticed that the fulu's just don't seem happy in with the other cichlids. They seem stressed. I think the rest of the tank is just slightly more agressive than they are. We set up the 72 last night and the water parameters are ok today but he is going to give it a couple of more days to cycle then put the fulu's in there. He also has two Ruti Islands. Would those be ok in with the fulu's or should we leave them in with the other cichlids? They seem to be doing fine it's just the fulu's that seem stressed.

I would leave the Ruti's in the community tank. They are way too close to X-mas fulu. Icer has some great fulu, it would be a shame to see them hybridize. My colony has been all but wiped out unfortunately. My only adult male is the original male and I am not sure if he has it in him to breed anymore. I did send a bunch of small fry to fern in florida though in hopes she can continue the strain I was working with, and I will be sending Icer a few females to work with as well, but it may be a little while yet. I highly suspect these are descendants of Dave Hansens stock, which makes them very special.

I really want to see these get a foothold in the northwest. Sorta the champaign bottle setting the Victorian ship assail. There are more great Victorians to come, and I think these are going to really turn out to be the next great thing in the cichlid world. They take a bit more planning than many cichlids, but as a species only breeding group Victorians are very hardy and like bunnies.

me wrote:They take a bit more planning than many cichlids, but as a species only breeding group Victorians are very hardy and like bunnies.

ha ha true that i have one set almost ready to grow more/sell/trade and two brand new sets one spit last weekend and other is around day 10 its gettin crazy here... my super males is not doing much though might have to introduce another male to get him going...... 5 females all to him self... and he must think its eye candy or something lol

a man in a candygirl store

That they are! My sp44 colony is a horrible ratio for breeding but I still cant keep up with them!! And the little 1" fry are coloring up already
Me, those fulu fry are doing very well! They already swarm to the front when I walk by

I can't wait for my P.P. Senga points to take off !! it's funny cause there are more fish in that group than any of my other fish colonies period and looks like a great ratio, yet no fry. Although Marco (or was it Axel), said they are still a bit young, and that these are one of the few vics that are a hard to get spawns from. I just can't imagine not having some success with them though with the numbers I have though. The dominant male has had a territory staked out for 2 months now, so I'm hoping any day.

me wrote:I can't wait for my P.P. Senga points to take off !! it's funny cause there are more fish in that group than any of my other fish colonies period and looks like a great ratio, yet no fry. Although Marco (or was it Axel), said they are still a bit young, and that these are one of the few vics that are a hard to get spawns from. I just can't imagine not having some success with them though with the numbers I have though. The dominant male has had a territory staked out for 2 months now, so I'm hoping any day.

lol me i have a colony of ruti malawzii that nows have 2-3 males and like 20 females... but was about 1:15 for the last several months only have gotten one spawn and lost it cause i puller her to early ... my fish just like the fish candy...lol
good luck hope he comes though for you

Me, just remember me when they do have fry!!
I have some fish porn you could show them, It may help

Lol, I just watched your fish porn on COV

Show it to them, it cant hurt I'm sure I can get some more hard core stuff for them if that doesn't work

lol i better dl and stream for mine

Need some discus [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]?

See, at this point if it was with people that knew me better I would take this to a whole other level, but I have to hold back so I don't offend anyone. I think last time I went too far I lost some sales

lol to funny

Icer, the tank is all set up and the fulu's were put in it tonight. They are hanging out together. Send me a text tomorrow and remind me to send you pictures of the tank and of the fulu's.

ShortyKiloGyrl wrote:Icer, the tank is all set up and the fulu's were put in it tonight. They are hanging out together. Send me a text tomorrow and remind me to send you pictures of the tank and of the fulu's.

will do

True, some people take stuff too seriously

My problem is very little offends me, my wife, or my inner circle of friends, yet I am still the one that can eventually go too far and offend them all, but they are quick to forgive me (usually). I really wish it were different, cause I have a very vivid imagination and personally I think I am hilarious !!

KMX wrote:Kensfish.com has the best food. He will take care of you.

If you dont like that a good food to try is NLS. Cichlids N Herps has great prices on there NLS and if you tell them I sent ya...they will also take care of you. ;0)

I put where I was from.....It got erased....... So you wont get anyting.

Really werid how I post something and then people (moderators) go delete it and give no reason ...real unprofesinal.... I am only trying to help people out....

I think they are trying to protect people from spamers KMX, I am pretty worry free about that sorta thing too, but some are easier to target.

spamers?

I am not a spamer. I was letting someone know if you dropped my name they would take care of you.

No I mean that they don't want people using your information to spam you... or stalk you.