Hikari Cichlid Gold Pellets

[Michael723]

How does everyone feel about Hikari Cichlid Gold large pellets coincided with occasional Krill for a large Dovii? Should this be substantial? Thanks =)

[chc]

You might find it more cost effective to feed the dovii market shrimp instead of krill. Just go to the seafood section of your grocery store and look for the frozen bags of raw (not cooked) shrimp. Shells on or off doesn't matter -- a large dovii can handle the shells and tails. Generally, I shell them most of the time (or buy them that way) and let him have one with the tail & shell every now and then.

Make sure, though, he keeps a taste for pellets. A good brand is more nutritionally complete than a diet solely of shrimp.

As for brands, Hikari is fine. I feed NLS, and Xtreme is good too.

[Michael723]

That sounds like a great idea, the krill is extremely expensive as I'm sure
you know.. I could probably get a pound of shrimp for the same price as a
medium sized can of krill! Now I'm guessing that you thaw them first (as needed)?
Thanks again Chris

[pitdogg2]

well i feed mine Hikari Massivore,a mixture of Cichlid Bio-Gold and Cichlid Excel in a big old carbon container also large Earthworms, small pinkie mice and smelt and Shrimp from the deli

I find the reg Hikari Cichlid Gold line not very good for large fish but that is my .02
When Doviis get big they will eat EVERYTHING

I only feed 3x a week

[chc]

That sounds like a great idea, the krill is extremely expensive as I'm sure
you know.. I could probably get a pound of shrimp for the same price as a
medium sized can of krill! Now I'm guessing that you thaw them first (as needed)?
Thanks again Chris

Yes, thaw them in some cool running water. I just put a dish in the sink and let the water run slowly for 10 minutes or so.

[Michael723]

well i feed mine Hikari Massivore,a mixture of Cichlid Bio-Gold and Cichlid Excel in a big old carbon container also large Earthworms, small pinkie mice and smelt and Shrimp from the deli

I find the reg Hikari Cichlid Gold line not very good for large fish but that is my .02
When Doviis get big they will eat EVERYTHING

I only feed 3x a week

Thanks bro, I stay away from the pinkies because they're loaded with fat and make a mess of the water.. As a yearly treat maybe.. lol.. You gut-load him with all of those 3x a week or rotate (i'm assuming rotate)?
Chris, thanks bro, just bought a bag today, I'm sure he'll enjoy.. lol

[pitdogg2]

I rotate the food just trying to give you an idea of what can be fed.
Pinkies are not fed very often,but something that is a newborn and froze can't see much fat on that. As far as water problems feeding pinkies not anymore junk than pellets some of those will really put a film on the surface also.

[Michael723]

Yea I never experienced a film with the Hikari's. . Feeding the live and/or frozen foods (especially the more meaty stuff, beef heart, etc..) I've experienced a film on the surface (most-likely either proteins or oils, which could also be oils from our hands being in the water). . Since then I try to stay away from the real meaty mammalian based foods.. But anyways, thanks for the advice and nice Dovii!! How big is he now? Do you have him solitary or in a community setting?

[pitdogg2]

19" and all by himself. He not only claims the tank but the entire fishroom.
If we have any guest come over he tries to run them off also. Loves me he has never tried to attack me while cleaning the tank, but when it comes to the kids and the wife all bets are off. He really hates the dog.:lol:

[Michael723]

Haha isn't that funny! Mine is about 16" and is the same exact way! He's touch and go with anyone that comes into the room, including the dog! The dog (a boxer) is actually afraid of him and doesn't go in the room anymore lol . . He gets in moods where he'll whack the lid on the tank and then splash water half-way across the room. But when it comes to me he's completely docile (as much as a Dovii could be docile I guess). Once in all of the approx 5 years that I've owned him has he ever been a little weird with me.. A couple of weeks ago actually I was cleaning the tank, and I was scratching some stubborn algae off of the glass with my finger nail and he came up and gave me a little nudge with his mouth.. I think he was just playing or letting me know that he didn't like the noise of the scatching perhaps? Because I know if he wanted to bite me he very easily could have..

[Dean Hougen]

Actually, I think newborn pinkies probably have a lot of fat on them. Generally, any newborn mammal will have a lot of fat stored up on it that it will start metabolizing for a growth spurt as soon as it is born. I'm also not real wild about giving any mammal protein to cichlids as it just isn't much of their natural diet in the wild and I doubt that they can process it well. Still, discus breeders often use lots of beef heart and seem to get away with it to a large extent and I didn't object when my wife wanted to feed a pinky to one of our jags once. I wouldn't make a habit of it but not every treat needs to be completely nutritionally balanced.


Dean

[pitdogg2]

Actually, I think newborn pinkies probably have a lot of fat on them. Generally, any newborn mammal will have a lot of fat stored up on it that it will start metabolizing for a growth spurt as soon as it is born. I'm also not real wild about giving any mammal protein to cichlids as it just isn't much of their natural diet in the wild and I doubt that they can process it well. Still, discus breeders often use lots of beef heart and seem to get away with it to a large extent and I didn't object when my wife wanted to feed a pinky to one of our jags once. I wouldn't make a habit of it but not every treat needs to be completely nutritionally balanced.


Dean

while i completely agree it is more of a treat to feed pinkies, it is not out of the possibilities that in the wild large fish like the Dovii will eat anything that will fit into their mouth and then some. I've seen Large mouth Bass take snakes and small ducklings so if a large Dovii sees a rodent swimming along he will smash it and eat it after all it is food and an easy target from below

[Michael723]

while i completely agree it is more of a treat to feed pinkies, it is not out of the possibilities that in the wild large fish like the Dovii will eat anything that will fit into their mouth and then some. I've seen Large mouth Bass take snakes and small ducklings so if a large Dovii sees a rodent swimming along he will smash it and eat it after all it is food and an easy target from below

I completely agree with you both (Dean as well), bass enjoy mice as well that's for sure..A rubber mouse ran through lilly pads makes a great fishing lure! But in the aquarium setting I just try to avoid it at all costs due to water quality etc.. So yea they would definitely remain in the treat category =)

[glaive]

I would personally lean on something like convict fry for a dovvii treat. I believe it was the Parachromis managuense eating baby cons in the Planet Earth series, water I think. That is not a far stretch for a Dovii and producing your own quality convict feeders should be pretty easy. In this case I would just do the run of the mill ones for that purpose alone.

[Michael723]

I would personally lean on something like convict fry for a dovvii treat. I believe it was the Parachromis managuense eating baby cons in the Planet Earth series, water I think. That is not a far stretch for a Dovii and producing your own quality convict feeders should be pretty easy. In this case I would just do the run of the mill ones for that purpose alone.

That's funny, I had the exact same idea.. I set up a convict tank about a week or two ago. . .Just waiting for the fry.. Great minds think alike right? lol

[fishmaven]

Feeding fish with strong dorsal rays to your predatory cichlids is risky. Many use gourami or paradise fry instead. OR you could clip the dorsal prior to feeding.

BTW, how does feeding pinkies fit in with responsible fishkeeping?
Dan

[chc]

Feeding fish with strong dorsal rays to your predatory cichlids is risky. Many use gourami or paradise fry instead. OR you could clip the dorsal prior to feeding.

BTW, how does feeding pinkies fit in with responsible fishkeeping?
Dan


That's true for most fish (as many of us have found out the hard way!). Managuense actually specialize on soft rayed fish (livebearers, Astyanax, etc.). If you want to use cons for most predators, make surer to feed them when young (before their rays harden).

Dovii, however, are an exception and specialize on hard rayed fish like neets and cons (or in my tank: neets, cons, zalios, cits, Gambusia, other dovii.......pretty much anything that swims away from its parents!).

I didn't want to address the pinkie issue, but since others have........ the use of pinkies is entirely for the "benefit" of the fishkeeper, not the fish. So I agree with what I think you're saying Dan.

[Fevz]

Never heard of using pinkies as food for cichlids. But anyway i can place my cup of tea here. I think it's not natural for fish. Like the isue with beef heart. Most fishes will get the wrong fat in them.

[bobrfish]

In Minnesota and Canada waters the Esox masquinongy live. Natural diet for these fish is fish, crayfish, ducks, loons, snakes, mice, muskrat and any other mammal that it can acquire. While these fish will likely ingest more fish than mammals, they are not picky.

Pikes are not cichlids but I doubt a mouse from time to time is going to harm a large predatory cichlid.

[fishmaven]

That's true for most fish (as many of us have found out the hard way!). Managuense actually specialize on soft rayed fish (livebearers, Astyanax, etc.). If you want to use cons for most predators, make surer to feed them when young (before their rays harden).

Dovii, however, are an exception and specialize on hard rayed fish like neets and cons (or in my tank: neets, cons, zalios, cits, Gambusia, other dovii.......pretty much anything that swims away from its parents!).

They eat that way in the wild to appease hunger. If I've grown a dovii to any size over a period of time, I'm not going to chance it by feeding convicts with their dorsal intact.

Now, if you're of the opinion that wild types should only get the food they'd get in the wild… ?
Dan

[chc]

They eat that way in the wild to appease hunger.

Yep! That's why most animals eat! ;)

[Fevz]

In Minnesota and Canada waters the Esox masquinongy live. Natural diet for these fish is fish, crayfish, ducks, loons, snakes, mice, muskrat and any other mammal that it can acquire. While these fish will likely ingest more fish than mammals, they are not picky.

Pikes are not cichlids but I doubt a mouse from time to time is going to harm a large predatory cichlid.

I love the esox genuss for fishing :)
In most of European waters Esox lucius. Cought myself an 16" when i was a kid ^_^

[Michael723]

Dan I have to agree with you, I see no point in feeding pinkies.. To me, as you had also stated, it gives more gratification to the owner than the fish, and nutritionally it's not the most beneficial option.. But I also agree with Chris that a hard rayed cichlid is one of the Dovii's specialties.. =)

[Jaws]

Why don't you start a nice sized worm bin for supplentmental feeding? Have you tried the super worms as in large meal worms? I think meal worms are easy to culture as well. I'd also stay away from pinkies too. Not to sure of the beef heart, some swear by it but I lost a nice jumbo male convict to a DIY beef heart recipe. Ever try silversides, chunks of salmon or other fish? I'd get a cast net and collect my own minnows down the ocean if I had that big of a mouth to feed! LOL I guess I'm considered lucky that my Midas is only 11" and female I believe. Do you have any pics of this monster to share? Maybe in another life I'll have my dream tank!

[UNCLERUCKUS]

interesting ..this thread went from hikari gold to pinkies to super worms lol ..amazing!
excellent points from all sides i must admit.

[smitty]

Check out the HBH brand I switched to this a few years ago and love the growth rate and color of my fish.