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cichlidmaniac
Admin
Joined : 18 Apr 2008
Posts : 47
 |  Subject: Natural food  Fri May 02, 2008 11:08 am | |
| I hate the fact that most big companies are selling products which are not suitable for all cichlids.All tropical fish food are not for all kinds of cichlids and moreover the use of chemical and other hazardous products to unnaturally enhance the colour of the fish is not what nature has meant for the fish.The use of such products may help for a certain amount of time,but it should not be used for a long duration of time.As it is not safe and beneficial for the fish as well it is cruel.
The safest and most nutritious foods for Mbuna are those which are predominantly vegetable-based, such as peas, zucchini, carrots, spinach, and romaine lettuce.Other than that duckweed is also very beneficial for the fish,for growth as well as a natural colour enhancer.
I have totally discarded the use of products which are sold in the market and have transformed my fish into feeding healthy natural food,which is very carefully chosen with my own hands.
Pic of duckweeds[url= ][/url]
Mbuna are herbivores. Treat them as such, providing them with frequent feedings of vegetable matter, and you'll see excellent results. Frozen, live, or pellet foods are not necessary to achieve good growth and color and in fact may cause more harm than good. |
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sforys
Age : 16
Joined : 21 Apr 2008
Posts : 36
Location : Toronto, ON
| | Subject: Re: Natural food Fri May 02, 2008 8:15 pm | |
| I'm using a flake which is part spirulina and then many of those vegetables mentioned above, is that okay for cichlids?
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Steven |
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cichlidmaniac
Admin
Joined : 18 Apr 2008
Posts : 47
| | Subject: Re: Natural food Sat May 03, 2008 11:50 am | |
| | Spirulina is a very beneficial substance for growth and colour of your fish.Yes it is okay,but also add some of the natural food present in your home from time to time such as peas,carrots etc.Remember to prepare this food before giving it to your fish.Buy products which is low in protein and high in fiber.Its is best in my concern to feed the fish the most natural food present.As i have earlier said,Mbuna are herbivores. Treat them as such, providing them with frequent feedings of vegetable matter, and you'll see excellent results. Frozen, live, or pellet foods are not necessary to achieve good growth and color and in fact may cause more harm than good.Will post some home made easily avaliable products soon.Feed your fish not more than two times.Remember fish can survive without food for at least a week or more.And at times it is best to leave your fish on a fast for a day. |
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khaki
Age : 17
Joined : 19 Apr 2008
Posts : 84
Location : Westminster CA
| | Subject: Re: Natural food Sat May 03, 2008 4:09 pm | |
| | can i feed my fish salad? the only thing i feed my mbunas are flakes, NLS cichlid pellets, and NLS thera A (antiparasite pellets) |
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cichlidmaniac
Admin
Joined : 18 Apr 2008
Posts : 47
| | Subject: Re: Natural food Sun May 04, 2008 7:57 am | |
| | No,i dont think i will advise you to feed salad to your fish.But you can surely feed your fish peas, zucchini, carrots, spinach, and romaine lettuce.Which are also some parts of salad.Other than that duckweed is also very beneficial for the fish,for growth as well as a natural colour enhancer.Most of these elements are high in fiber and low in protein,which is a very good thing.As i have earlier said in the DIY section,that growth of algae in the stones of your tank is very beneficial.As in the wild the chief source of food is algae.By feeding natural food the fish becomes more healthy and they are resistant to diseases.It also helps in keeping the aggresion low,cause most of the factors are closely related to food,which is always a competition in the wild.If you have sufficient algae growth in your tank the fish will be more busy grazing rather than bullying one another. |
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ddyerfamily
Age : 33
Joined : 20 Apr 2008
Posts : 69
Location : Ohio,U.S.A.
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khaki
Age : 17
Joined : 19 Apr 2008
Posts : 84
Location : Westminster CA
| | Subject: Re: Natural food Tue May 06, 2008 10:28 pm | |
| | cichlidmaniac, i didnt leave my lace rocks outside before i put it in the tank...and now i want algae...i am using a 4ft fluorescent ligh blub. any ideas how? today i decided to leave the light on all day (starting at 8am and planning to shut it off around 10pm). |
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cichlidmaniac
Admin
Joined : 18 Apr 2008
Posts : 47
| | Subject: Re: Natural food Wed May 07, 2008 12:59 pm | |
| | khaki wrote: | | cichlidmaniac, i didnt leave my lace rocks outside before i put it in the tank...and now i want algae...i am using a 4ft fluorescent ligh blub. any ideas how? today i decided to leave the light on all day (starting at 8am and planning to shut it off around 10pm). |
It is important that you switch on your lights a minimum of 7 to 8 hours everyday,not only
because you want algae,but it will also benefit the fish.I will not recommend you to switch
on your lights from 8am to 10pm,its 14 hours,which will be very stressful to your fish.Growing algae on your existing tank will take quiet an effort because the weekly
change of water of at least 30% is the main reason why the growth of algae in the tank is
very slow or rather minimum.I would suggest you to take out the rocks for a week or so,leave it in the sun inside a waterfilled bucket and let nature do its work or either way you can use halogen bulb and keep it running for at least 20 hours a day,it is a very fast process
and results may be seen very quickly,less than a week.But the down point is that you have to get those rocks out of your tank.If the previous methods does not suit you than you can let the lights on for 8 hours,which is normally done and the change of water per week should be 10%.In that way the nutritions needed for the growth of algae will have more chance of
survival.Continue the process until the growth of algae is seen,when you notice the slightest change in the rock that algae has formed.Do a water change of 30% and again a 30% after 6 hours these helps to level up with the previously changed 10% water.After the algae growth has started you can switch on the lights for normal hours,which is 8. |
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ortamenxs
Age : 26
Joined : 22 Apr 2008
Posts : 27
Location : Illinois
| | Subject: Re: Natural food Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:09 pm | |
| I like daphnia. It can be a pain to collect, and you risk gettng other things like mosquito larva, but I've found you can buy it live or more likley frozen at pet stores. It is a great food for fish.
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Don't put that fish in water you'll drown it! |
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