| For the beginner to raising fish the simple answer | | | | You want to be careful about foods that have |
| is, “whatever comes in the can I bought at | | | | lots of fish meal and are high in fat. Avoid |
| the pet store”. Your fish will probably | | | | anything that may have beef heart or any |
| survive if you approach from this simplistic view, | | | | products from warm-blooded animals. |
| but will they thrive? | | | | You may want to feed frozen fish products or |
| African Cichlids do not all have the same dietary | | | | live fish to your cichlids, but I would not |
| requirements. I always thought basic worms | | | | recommend this for their main diet. Look for a |
| were good for all fish. I thought all fish were | | | | good quality flake food that is high in vegetation |
| meat eaters. This is not true. | | | | and fish meal for your herbivorous cichlids. For |
| African Cichlids fall into one of four groups. | | | | your carnivorous cichlids pick a flake food with |
| 1. Carnivorous prey on other fish, especially the | | | | vegetation and supplemented with brine shrimp |
| fry of other species. | | | | and krill. |
| 2. Herbivorous are grazers and will eat the algae | | | | For your fish with yellow, orange, and reddish |
| off of rocks. | | | | coloration you will want to look for food with lots |
| 3. Omnivorous eat plants , invertebrates, and | | | | of pigment. You will know if you current food is |
| small fish. | | | | lacking because the fishes coloring will appear |
| 4. Micro-predators eat small invertebrates such as | | | | faded without enough pigment in their diet. |
| plankton. | | | | Overfeeding fish is common for beginners and |
| Even though each species may primarily be meat | | | | children. Your fish do not need that much to live |
| eaters or plant eaters it is still important that each | | | | and thrive. It is very easy to overfeed and your |
| receive from the other food group. The concern | | | | cichlids will become sick and possibly die. Feed |
| is when you feed too much meat to the | | | | them 2 or 3 times per day and only as much as |
| herbivore group you will cause the fish to become | | | | they can consume in about 30 seconds. |
| sick or die usually from bloat. This works | | | | Anymore and you are probably overfeeding. If |
| vice-versa for carnivores. You will want to know | | | | your fish do not appear to be hungry, they could |
| which group your cichlid fits into and feed | | | | possibly be overfed or sick. Healthy cichlids will |
| accordingly. | | | | always appear to be starving and waiting for you |
| Cichlid flake food is usually safe for both, but you | | | | to feed them. |
| will need to read the ingredients before feeding. | | | | |