what should i feed my small 6 bar fronts?

[Dave Schulman]

I recently bought a small cynotilapia frontosa, my friend bought one of the same sex(male)as well. Mine is in a 75 gal mixed with other larger cichlids. His is in a 30 gal with a few fish bigger than it. His is triple the size of mine now ... what should i feed mine instead of spirulina that will be ok for my other fish, i have mbuna and haplochromis in there too.
"ThE AnGrYfIsH" 8)

[Rudy]

Whatever your friend is feeding his :shock:

Seriously though feed them Hikari gold pellets. Your front may not be getting enough protein.

[fOx]

If all your feeding is Spirulina then yes definitley start adding something else! Fronty's need protien, in the wild they are noctural hunters and feed on other smaller fish. What's you're feeding him is like giving lettuce to a tiger and hoping they will stay healthy.

Fronts need a little veggies in their diet, but they really rely on meat protein.
Also, as a side, how big was the Fronty when you got him? Are you sure yours is a male? It can be very difficult to tell the difference between male and female Fronty's before they hit about 2.5-3", that's when they start to develop that bulbous forehead. I'm always amazed (and kind of angered) when people go to the LFS and the guy working there is fishing from a tank of fry and telling buyers which of the fish is male and which is female. Until their colours come in, in full force, it is almost impossible to tell what sex the smaller fish are, no matter what the guy at the LFS claims to know.

fOx

[jnorris]

My Blue Mpimbwe Fronts are doing fine with flake food most of the time and brine shrimp or krill once or twice a week. I wouldn't use feeder fish, they can transmit diseases anyway.

I have heard of people going to the larger wholsale foods places and getting bags of frozen peeled shrimp and feeding larger Fronts that once a week too.

Varied foods are the best. I also bought this stuff that has spirulina spinach krill and brine shrimp in a frozen cube. They love that also

I do feed some pellets but not all the time because the pellet food is harder on their digestive system. I have heard some even say it could contribute to the Malawi Bloat.

They can go either way, and mine are growing and looking good.

You need to consider your other fish as well when you feed your frontosa. Malawi cichlids aren't as tolerant to protein as tanganyikans esp. Frontosas (btw Frontosas are from Lake Tanganyika not Malawi.

Wait...my fish eat better than I do!

[LeBigFishMiester]

Mine like cut up earthworms and mysis shrimp.

[ladysilkworm]

Try silkworms.... they are the highest rated protein feeder insects and are not fattening. The adult larvae are being fed to the herps community. The smaller ones are now being introduced to the aquarium keepers.

I am a breeder of silkworm and I own a few africans. I give the smaller hatchlings to them and my convict goes crazy.

I am currrently incubating a new colony. In one or two weeks they will be ready to be shipped and fed. What sizes are your frontozas? I dont know much about them but have seen them, they are the ones with the big head right?


http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2009/01/13-02.html


this article says silkworm pupae are mostly protein.



http://www.buyfruitflies.com/silkworm_info.html
this article spells out its nutritional value

[Haplime]

Spirulina in any form is an excellent food for all fish. That said you will also need to start feeding the fronts larger bulkier foods as they grow, obviously. Spectrum cichlid pellets in the slightly larger size say either 2mm or 3mm will go a long way in filling their stomachs with the right stuff. Try it I think its excellent, my bigger haps including C. Caeruleus (Trout Cichlid) and B. Nototania and other assorted large fish get this as their main staple feed. Of course its supplemented with FD krill, mysis shrimp, and they still like the handful of large spirulina flakes as well. Good luck and keep us posted with the progress of your frontosas.

[Big Jim]

I feed my fronts Kens soft & moist krill, and Kens 3mm sinking pellets with spirulina. This works great for me. I have 7 breeding colonies of frontosa.

[Glaive]

Ummm folks this thread had been dead for 7 years... ;)