# Juvenile Cichlids, Feeding problems, Please help



## larkdr (Jan 19, 2010)

Hey, So I bought standard Cichlid food seeing as I didn't want the big pellets and such. I have Juvenile cichlids about 1-3 inches long each. The food turned out tobe Long cylindrical pieces of food i've been breaking them up but they seem to just nibble on the food until it breaks down since they can't swallow it whole.. if they can get a piece off of it.

Is there special food I need? or is this fine? I don't want to starve the guys so i've been putting in some flake that my old tropical fish would eat but they don't seem to like it.

What do I need to do? What should I do?

Thank you


----------



## timbruun (Oct 13, 2009)

I'd get the NLS cichlid formula. That's what I feed all my cichlids.


----------



## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

ocean nutrition and new life spectrum both sell sinking pellets in 0.5 mm and 1 mm sizes


----------



## larkdr (Jan 19, 2010)

can cichlids eat oranges/nectarines? what fruits/vegetables can they eat? i read that sinking an orange slice or something for them to snack on is good.. ?


----------



## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

what kind of cichlids?

every once in a while ill give my mbuna a slice of zucchini or some frozen peas


----------



## CrypticLifeStyle (Dec 14, 2009)

Try frozen foods like S.F. Bay frozen Brine shrimp or bloodworms...Each one of those packets is good for at least a month and costs like $6-


----------



## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

If you don't want to waste the food just crush it into smaller pieces.
I have used a pepper grinder for the same purpose.
Next time you purchase food get a 1 mm sinking pellet, or something similar.


----------



## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I've found that fish have a learning curve when it comes to changing food types. If it were possible to know what they ate before, you might find they would take it at once. Not much chance of finding that info so you are left to try some different types to get them by until they learn your stuff is food also. Don't worry about having wasted money on foods you have now. I try to feed a wide variety of foods as they all have their own good/bad properties. Your main worry at the moment may be that you will overfeed and all that winds up as pollution. Feed very little until you see them eating it. Keep the foods you have and as they mature they will eat different things. Mature yellow labs are not picky eaters once they know what your food looks like! :thumb:


----------



## timbruun (Oct 13, 2009)

Depending on the cichlid I wouldn't feed frozen food. Protein causes bloat in herbivores.


----------

