# Chocolate Cichlid (Hypselecara temporalis) Diet



## buckeye1 (Dec 23, 2014)

Next week I will be taking delivery of 6- 2" wild caught Chocolate Cichlids (Hypselecara temporalis). Never having kept this species before I wanted to inquire if there is anything special I should be aware of regarding diet so that I can maximize their full adult color potential?

Thanks!

Mike
oHIo


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## notho2000 (Dec 8, 2012)

Hi Mike. I have WC temporalis as well. I feed them good quality pellet foods, which I alternate. They also love blanched peas. They have voracious appetites and there is little that they won't feed on. I think there are some color enhancing components in the foods I use (NLS, Aquadine, Ken's) but have not really paid much attention to that. Here are a few of photos of some of them.


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## buckeye1 (Dec 23, 2014)

Thank you so much notho2000 for sharing. Your Chocolates are surely beautiful. I started in hobby around 1974 and i cannot believe it's taken me this long to raise this beautiful species. I'm really looking forward to this!


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

I have a Chocolate as well. Very cool fish. I have no idea if mine is wild caught or not, I would assume not.

I can't seem to get him or her to accept pellets so, I alternate between a variety of frozen foods and the odd earthworm.

I'll try the blanched peas...


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## jamntoast3 (May 15, 2015)

I feed mine a mixture of pellets and frozen blood worms occasionally. The pellets they like the best are the floating carnisticks from hikari. They love those.


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## buckeye1 (Dec 23, 2014)

Thanks everyone for the feedback!


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## illy-d (Nov 6, 2005)

Interesting development... My Chocolate, who is about 5" TL, and was previously the largest fish in my tank, would only eat frozen foods. I'd drop in NLS pellets and he/she would sulk and refuse to eat.

I just added a trio of large (>7") Geo. Tapajos to the tank, and low and behold my Chocolate has started eating pellets!

It's only a guess, but I suspect the threat of competition has had a positive effect on his dietary sensibilities...

Anyhow, I really like my Chocolate. I've got him eating out of my hand now!


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