am i underfeeding my fish?

[fishkid64]

Hi everyone, I was wondering how much you should feed your Mbuna Cichlids, because i feed them 2-3 pinches twice a day of, Tetra Cichlid Cichlid Flakes, i a lot my cichlids have a belly that almost goes in. it makes a little upside down "U"?

somebody please help me!

 

[kay-bee19]

You may want to feed them greater portions if they have sunken-in bellies (to an amount they can totally consume within 30-60 seconds).

Alternatively, the ones with the sunken-in bellies may be getting outcompeted at feeding time by the one's that are 'filled out', or perhaps they may be suffering from an internal ailment.

 

[fishkid64]

hmm, i don't know what to say to that except i guess i'll try feeding them more, and i'll watch them closely.

Thanks for your help!

 

[SinisterKisses]

Slightly sunken bellies is fine, as long as it's not drastic. Most fish are actually overfed...they shouldn't have nice round little bellies like you're used to seeing. My guys only take about 15 seconds to eat, lol (least, the mbuna, haps, and peacocks do).

 

[kay-bee19]

Can you post a pic of the fish that has the most sunken-in belly? (just so we can get an idea whether it is slight or severe).

 

[fishkid64]

yea of course, give me like 20 min

 

[fishkid64]

Updated!!!! Pics!

Here is my Mpanga red, he is really skinny, and unhealthy looking;

this is a blurry one of my yellow lab, but you can see what i mean!

Thank you very much for all of your help!

-Matt

 

[SinisterKisses]

The lab is fine, but pushing slightly underfed...that Mpanga is definitely ill and malnurished. Start feeding them a bit more

 

[fishkid64]

thanks a lot everyone i think i'am going to feed them 3 times a day, once at like 7:00 when i get up for school, once after school, 3:30, and once at around 10:00P.M., Does this sound okay?

 

[Orion]

For what it's worth, it's not always just the quantity, but the quality of food as well. I'm not sure, but sinister might be able to clue us into the better food for mubuna and haps.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Agreed feed more but remember to clean the tank better too as there is more leftover food now. The other fish behind it look decent though. Is that one getting any food at feeding time? Is it bullied in the tank?

Mbuna are always hungry, so don't let their begging faces bait you into feeding more then you need to.

 

[fishkid64]

sorry guys haven't been paying much attention, i've started feeding my prized possestions more, i try to feed them in the morning if i remember, but the light is still off, so sometimes i forget, i feed them at 3:30 when i get home from school, and at about 10:00 P.M. The mpanga red doesn't seem to be bullied, and i watch him eat, so i know he does eat just like the rest of them, so i don't know whats up with him.

thanks for all the help

 

[kay-bee19]

If he doesn't fatten up it may be some sort of intestinal ailment. May want to feed medicated food containing metronidazole if no improvements are noted after a month of increased feeding.

 

[Fishandfrogs]

feed him some "treat food" Im not familiar with cichlids but when i want my fish to eat i drop some Bloodworms or other food tht they dont normally get in there. it helps them get some thing in them.

 

[marvin]

try garlic guard on floaters.... @ seachem.... helps for finicy(sp) eaters and internal pest problems

 

[Hamburgler]

I would say a big part of your problem is that you are feeding flakes. I would switch to pellets...the only mbuna i feed flakes to are the fry. Pick up some hikari or new life spectrum.

Don't feed bloodworms, that may lead to other problems, if you want to feed more variety than feed some brine shrimp occasionally.

 

[kay-bee19]

I don't think flakes, as a food source, are the issue.

My mbuna's are fed predominently high quality flakes and don't have sunken-in bellies (and they're fasted 5 days out of the month). My mbuna fry, however, are fed NLS pellets exclusively.

 

[Hamburgler]

I just mentioned that because whenever i have fed flakes they just make a mess and end up being sucked up by the filter. Most of the fish in my tank are 5"+ and will gobble up multiple NLS "jumbo" pellets in one swing so i couldn't imagine flakes being substantial.

 

[kay-bee19]

Agreed.

Pellets, rather than flakes, are definately the way to go for larger fish. (that's what my frontosas and malawi haps are on).