Cichlid Breeding Diet

Cichlid breeding also requires quite the diverse diet, many primarily feed on algae and plants while others are primarily carnivorous and prey on smaller fish. With the latter it is important to choose their aquarium mates carefully, more so for Cichlid breeding as that could create quite the debacle. Only healthy fish will readily mate. Furthermore, many female Cichlids such as mouthbrooders do not eat during the incubation, which may in some cases last up to four weeks. Only a fish that is in good health will be able to endure such abstinence from food.

Many foods formulated specifically for Cichlids are available. I personally use Wardley's Cichlid Advanced Nutrition, it's higher quality than most common flake foods and seems to hold its own against some of the more expensive foods. Furthermore, it comes in pellet form, which is critical for me. I dislike flake foods for the most part, as they eventually deteriorate into dust and it also creates quite a bit of mess. I find the pellets to be much cleaner and cost effective, the fish also seem to respond to them more as it is easier to see and eat.

Fish should be conditioned before Cichlid breeding, which is to provide a variety of live, dry and frozen foods to get them in top condition for spawning. There is a wide variety of great live foods like tubifex worms, bloodworms, brine shrimp and beef heart. Fish love live foods and they are quite beneficial for them; however, try to feed these carefully to avoid an unbalanced diet. If you would rather not deal with live food, freeze-dried foods are entirely safe, cheap and easy. Feeding your Cichlids a rich varied diet is not only healthier but it will thrive and bring out much more vibrant colors.

For more information visit my Cichlid breeding guide.

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