Feeding Gt's

[Cichlid_Crazy]

My GT's are proper fussy!

They will eat flake and blood worm...but wont touch anything that floats on the surface....i have tried three different types of Hikari brand cichlid pellets and they wont touch any.

I tried Cichlid staple....no interest (despite a picture of GT's on the packet)
I tied the red Cichlid pellets...with a picture of a GT with a Oscar on the front ( i think these are more carnvour based)
And i tried my left over Mbuna vegtable pellets and they didnt touch them either.

I try every day at least once and always end up hoovering up what my Convicts and Texas dont eat.

On teh flip side i noticed that my Texas doesnt seem that bothered about Blood Worm and never comes out for any when my GT's and Cons go crazy for it.

What have you kept your GT's on? i am trying to power feed them....they are definitley growing..very fast infact but i hate feeding my tank flake...its so messy!

 

[drobbyb]

When introducing a new food item it is advised to skip feeding for a day or 2 and then feed the new food. If that dosen't work, you could also try a garlic additive like garlic guard by seachem. Sometimes this will entice the fish to eat the new food.

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

Its liek they can't see the pellets floating above them thanks for the info....i been trying to feed them on it for a month now...im determined because its such a better quality food and cleaner than flake.

 

[MOW4T]

my GT tend to prefer sinking food, he rarely takes anything that floats

 

[minxfishy]

Mine preferred bloodworm/shrimp/mussel/worm pellets as opposed to floating food. Hikari do a sinking pellet Mine would occassionally take doromin from the surface too.

 

[River Dog]

Mine used to love mussel and prawns. He also ate Tetra Doromin, but he didn't eat floating pellets either.

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

Do thye do a sinking pellet that is suitable for main feeding of GT's and convicts? (staple food)

Been trying again today..the only thing they are really interested in is frozen foods which i hand feed them everyday...infactt hey are so used to my hands my breeding cons don't attack me lol!


They do eat some flake but loads get waisted....is the Cichlid pellets gonna have to be thrown away then? I assumed they were gonna be greedy like Oscars.

Also whats a good food for power feeding/ getting them bulky etc? I heard prawns were good...may start had feeding them some of those.

 

[minxfishy]

Yep Hikari do a cichlid sinking pellet, I use it for my daemons, comes in three sizes too, its in a blue packet Had to get mine from ebay as no stores around here seem to sell it though

Prawns are good, worms are another idea, but you need to get them on a good staple, try tetra prima too, mine used to love it, its better than flakes.

 

[Cichlid_Crazy]

Yeh i saw them on Ebay...very over priced tho..i usually pay £2 a bag for them and they wasnt £6 plus £3 p + p ....will have a look when i got to the lfs next...will stick to flake for now.

If i dig up some garden worms for them...do i need to chop em up and stuff? i would wash them first obviously.

 

[minxfishy]

Yep dig some up (assuming you use no chemicals in the area), give them rinse in hot water and chop them to size, as the GT's grow you wont have to chop, just drop them in :godo:

You could also try some tuna (from a can) go easy with it or it will dirty the water, mine used to love it.

 

[CTPS]

I always like using New life spectrum food, its not cheap but its slow sinking and comes in several sizes and variables. the fish are not dumb, like mentioned before if you fast them they will accept most anything eventually. I do however know the feeling when your fish are not eating, you will feed them anything just to watch them eat. try to stay vigilant and they will come around.

 

[Davo86]

If they are used to food coming down to them it can take them time to get used to eating from the surface, My Nicaragua cichlid still won't feed from the surface, even with him initially being starved for 3-4 days at a time he wouldn't come up for food, now I feed him the hikari sinking pellets as a staple,