Feeding Fish

[LisaAdams]

Ok, this may be a stupid question, but I want to be sure. I have some baby cichlids that are about an inch long. I can't be sure how old they are, but I know they are new. Anyway, the LPS said to only feed them a small amount every other day. Is that correct? The books I have read say several small meals so I have been feeding in the morning and the evening. How do I know how much to give them? Also, I have heard that feeding them live things will make them MORE aggressive. Is that true? I don't want them aggressive, but a nice community of all Malawis. Is it possible? They have them together at the LPS.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

So, you want a peaceful Malawi tank?

If this is so, then you must be very careful in your fish selection. What kind have you purchased so far? There are many species that would be suitable to what you are looking for, but there are even more that are very aggressive.

As for feeding, I agree with your LFS's idea for feeding adult fish, but for young juvenile feeding more often is a better idea, and your twice per day schedule should work well. As a general starting guide feed them as much as they will eat in under a minute - before long you will get a good idea of how much they eat. Just remember that cichlids are pigs and will eat well beyond what they actualy need.

 

[LisaAdams]

Thanks for the reply.

I have 5 Electric Yellows ( I think that's what they are. Bright yellow with a strip of black on the dorsal fin) 4 Blue Zebras, and then 3 of these that have a black srtipe from the eye back to the tail and another up on the dorsal fin. They don't have a color, just silver fish. I just got them Tuesday, and had thought I would lose a few, but so far nothing. I know they will over eat so I want to be sure I'm not stuffing or starving them. DO you think they can live happily ever after? They show no signs of aggression so far.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Yup, those sound like Labidochromis Caeuleus to me - avery good species for a less aggressive tank. Zebras can be pretty aggressive, but I've seen pretty docile ones in the past too. I can't tell you about the last type becuase we don't know what it is, but in the future I suggest knowing what kind of fish you are buying, and doing some research on it first to see how compatable it is in your tank. How well they get along also depends on the size of the tank they are in - how big is yours?

If it is working, then leave it be for now. But keep an eye on things all the time and keep in mind a couple of factors

-Juvinile cichlids tend to get along very well, but once they grow a bit and become sexually mature you will find the aggression will increase drastically. At this point you may need to make some changes to the tank.

-What works in the fish store has nothing to do with what works in a hobbiests tank. At the fish store they usually carry juvenile fish, and almost always stock them in very overpopulated tanks with little or no decoration (which means they will not define territories).