What to feed my Cichlids???

[rvm]

I have a 50g tank with a Severum, Eartheater, 2 rainbow cichlids, a bristlenose, and a candy stripe plec. I know I shouldn't have those 2 big fish in this tank, but the severum was given to me as an either it gets euthanised or you take it thing as a friend had it and it was killing other fish (or so he thought, it's not bothered any of mine) and I'm getting a new 55g for it this weekend.
Anyway, on to my problem. The only food the fish in this tank seem to eat is bloodworm or other frozen/live food. They won't touch flake or cichlid pellets, or anything else that floats for that matter, as they simply won't come up to the surface. Now I have no problem feeding them bloodworm every day, but I just wondered if this was a staple diet for them? Should they be eating other stuff? If so, what, and how do I get them to eat it?
I have tried catfish pellets which they don't seem interested by, and sinking tablets which again they are not bothered about!!
Any suggestions??

 

[juanveldez]

bloodworms don't make a good staple diet, you may have to do what I have had to do in the past with my F0 Gold Suam, as she wouldn't eat anything but blood worms either, and let them go for 4 or 5 days without food and then give them some pellets or waht ever you want to make their staple diet, and only what you are going to feed them nothing else. took me 4 months to get her to take pellets but now she does it with some gusto in fact I have to leave the water a bit lower or she hits the top.

 

[snowyangel]

I very much have the same problem rvm with my cichlids and severum. They'll eat the tubifex worms, brine shrimp pellets and frozen bloodworms, but not the cichlid pellets, algae tabs, zuchinni, you name it. Hopefully we both find a cure.

 

[rvm]

Thanks for that Juanvaldez. I'll give that a go. Get ready for a fast Fishies!!!!
And snowyangel, I hope you have some joy with yours as well.

 

[Riley]

yes i have to agree with Juanvaldez on that one cuase live foods...i guess you can say there too good of a food.there so good that that too much can kill your fish partly cause the foods mostly fat.