# Diet for Frontosa



## humsuplou (Nov 26, 2007)

Hi,
I have 2 frontosa with other Malawis....I have been feeding them the Omega One pellets for the past 4 months since frontosa don't go up the surface to eat. But recently I realized that they are not really eating, but other tnan that, they do not look sick to me. 
Is it the foods? or??? is what i am feeding good for frontosa?


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## humsuplou (Nov 26, 2007)

Correction: Im feeding them Omega One flakes, Not pellets.


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## Tybo (Mar 18, 2007)

humsuplou said:


> Correction: Im feeding them Omega One flakes, Not pellets.


IMO theres no way you should be feeding them any kind of flake food. I feed all my fish NLS and they love it.

Try this link.... http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/frontosa_food.php


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## Razzo (Oct 17, 2007)

Feed my kapampa NLS sinking pellets and freeze dried mysis shrimp & fd krill as treats. Here's a NLS link...

http://nlsfishfood.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=60

Top row, 3rd over is 1 mm sinking for fry & juvies

Bottom row, 5 over is Thera Large 3 mm sinking

Get my freeze dried mysis & krill from JEHMCO.

http://www.jehmco.com/html/products_.html

Good Luck, Russ


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## humsuplou (Nov 26, 2007)

I'm glad that they are still surviving..... :lol: 
thanks for the info.


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

i'm not trying to pick a fight...but here i go:
frontosa will eat off the surface. but as they mature, they will prefer to stalk their intended prey before striking. because it takes time for them to override their predatory instinct, to avoid what they perceive as a danger area (aka, in this example, the surface), frontosa will strike and run if impressed to take food off the surface. not only will malawi (or any other mid water feeder) interrupt this process, and stall the frontosa from feeding, but they will likely hog anything that you may try to sink to them.
bottom line is...your fish are incompatible, and as they mature, their differences will become more and more obvious. you can either switch feed, and risk bloating your malawi, or you can hollow belly your fronts. IMHO.


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## Charles (Feb 25, 2003)

One thing I notice is that my frontosa does not like one type of food. I have to switch from pellet (omega1, cichlid pellets) to dried shrimp to fresh food from time to time.


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## schrader (Nov 6, 2007)

i had the same problem with my wc frontosa they would not come to the top to eat until i tried freezed dried blood worms they love it and fly to the top of the tank now


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## humsuplou (Nov 26, 2007)

lloyd said:


> i'm not trying to pick a fight...but here i go:
> frontosa will eat off the surface. but as they mature, they will prefer to stalk their intended prey before striking. because it takes time for them to override their predatory instinct, to avoid what they perceive as a danger area (aka, in this example, the surface), frontosa will strike and run if impressed to take food off the surface. not only will malawi (or any other mid water feeder) interrupt this process, and stall the frontosa from feeding, but they will likely hog anything that you may try to sink to them.
> bottom line is...your fish are incompatible, and as they mature, their differences will become more and more obvious. you can either switch feed, and risk bloating your malawi, or you can hollow belly your fronts. IMHO.


Yes, I know what you mean. But I didnt know that when I bought the fish from my LFS. They are supposed to be one of the best in my area. And I actually posted at some forums and was told of some success stories with Malawi and frontosa. plus i love them both and will be sad to see either one has to be sacrifised.


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

humsuplou said:


> I actually posted at some forums and was told of some success stories with Malawi and frontosa. plus i love them both and will be sad to see either one has to be sacrifised.


 fair enough. i've been there...and done that.  just exactly what types of malawi are you keeping with the fronts? what other tank mates are in there? how do they all compare in size? and maturity?


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## humsuplou (Nov 26, 2007)

fair enough. i've been there...and done that.  just exactly what types of malawi are you keeping with the fronts? what other tank mates are in there? how do they all compare in size? and maturity? [/quote]

I have saolosi, yellow labs, and afra as theiur tank mates. They are all 'youngster'. so they are about the same size, some are smaller than the 2 fronts.
they have been living together ok so far. Offcourse the malawis are much faster at grabbing foods...


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

with small malawi species, like the one's you listed, eventually the tables should turn in favor of the frontosa. there are some malawi that could out pace the frontosa in growth. if that were the case, your frontosa would never do well. 
so long as your frontosa are eating daily, and growing larger month to month, the mix should continue to be fine. what i would focus on now is assuring yourself they get a fair shake at meal time. switching to a small slow sinking pellet might help. feeding some whole fresh/frozen krill at night would be the way i go. uneaten krill needs to be removed daily though. they can cause the same water problems as a MIA fish if left in warm water for too long. 
all bets are off though, if any of your malawi start to show breeding interests. no fish will be safe from harassment during that type of tank activity. 8)


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## humsuplou (Nov 26, 2007)

lloyd said:


> with small malawi species, like the one's you listed, eventually the tables should turn in favor of the frontosa. there are some malawi that could out pace the frontosa in growth. if that were the case, your frontosa would never do well.
> so long as your frontosa are eating daily, and growing larger month to month, the mix should continue to be fine. what i would focus on now is assuring yourself they get a fair shake at meal time. switching to a small slow sinking pellet might help. feeding some whole fresh/frozen krill at night would be the way i go. uneaten krill needs to be removed daily though. they can cause the same water problems as a MIA fish if left in warm water for too long.
> all bets are off though, if any of your malawi start to show breeding interests. no fish will be safe from harassment during that type of tank activity. 8)


Cool! Thanks for all the inputs and advices.
Wish me luck.


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## GJx (Mar 13, 2003)

Charles said:


> One thing I notice is that my frontosa does not like one type of food. I have to switch from pellet (omega1, cichlid pellets) to dried shrimp to fresh food from time to time.


I kinna have always fed my Fronmts over the years in the above fashion that Charles has liad out.

I just notice that Fronts (heck fish in general) seem to do better when they have as wide a variety of food as I can provide for them.

I feed them MAINLY sinking pellets, soaked freeze dried krill mysis shrimp, & frozen & frozen Brine,...AND EVERY NOW AND AGAIN,...they get Flakes.

I have come to understand that Flake Food is not going to be enough to give the the full nutritional requirements that they should have, so they don't get flakes as a staple daily food anymore ( & QUITE HONESTLY FAR LESS) than they get the other things.

I just believe in a variety. :fish:

GJx


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

there is nothing wrong with 'consistent' variety. risks for trouble come with the introduction of too much new stuff. a single gold fish, offered for the first time ever, could cause trouble for some fish. rotating food, on a somewhat regular cycle, might also help to initiate spawning. IME. (sorry if drifting off topic)


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## GJx (Mar 13, 2003)

lloyd said:


> there is nothing wrong with 'consistent' variety. risks for trouble come with the introduction of too much new stuff. a single gold fish, offered for the first time ever, could cause trouble for some fish. rotating food, on a somewhat regular cycle, might also help to initiate spawning. IME. (sorry if drifting off topic)


Agreed that that single goldfish could cause a problem offered as you've said.

But for me even in THAT, before I'd offer my fish a single goldfish, he'd have worked his way up the ladder of feeder fish from guppy fry to guppies, to maybe larger Rosey Reds, to smaller goldfish & then to the larger feeder goldfish.

(_ I hate feeder goldfish by the way_...lol)

I try to use a pre-thought out plan to even my variety b/c to me my fish are worth that pre-planning.


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## humsuplou (Nov 26, 2007)

I just realized how picky Fronts are when come to foods. I just found out that they are not interested in the Omega 1 flakes anymore....the bigger one will not touch the flakes at all. But with live blood worm or frozen shrimp, he eats....but not a lot. Are they small eater? I realized that thye do not eat a lot compares to the Malawis...
And I can feed the fronts gold fish or any tiny fishes when they grow bigger??? will the malawi eat the fish before the fronts got to them?


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

humsuplou said:


> And I can feed the fronts gold fish or any tiny fishes when they grow bigger??? --most keepers would play it safe with a standard pellet. live foods add complications to aquarium maintenance and increase risk of contagions.
> will the malawi eat the fish before the fronts got to them? --this is a main concern with mixing malawi types with frontosa. aggressive mid water feeders tend to intimidate frontosa.


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