Re: live food?

As advicsed above, the mix of cichlids in your tank makes it impossible to
simulate natrual surroundings. You have Central American Cichlids and
Africans ( Malawi's or Mbuna ), these fish are from different continents.
Although the Convict can thrive quite nicely in similair water condtions as
the Malawi's, they come from two distinctively different environments. ( I
use a convict in my Malawi tank for a target fish, takes a licking and keeps
on ticking, the needed water conditons for the malawi's and Convict are
similair as well..). AS far as the Dempsy goes, I am suprised you never
mentioned he might be beating the other fish up, as from waht I understand
he likes his solitude ( I have never owned a Dempsy nor have I done much
reading on them ).  My Electric Yellows ( yellow Lab's) seem to enjoy hiding
in the fake plants, where as my lectric Blues rather enjoy retiring into
some plastic piping I have in the tank..  The convict also hides amongst the
plants as well..   Sounds like you have a nice tank and you have enjoyed
looking after it, now buy soem books and enjoy it even more. Happy Fish
Keeping..

Timmer..
"Mephistopheles" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in
message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (wayne p) wrote in
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]:
>
> > I was wondering if there is a live food I could feed to my
> > cichlids as a treat? I have a 55 gallon tank with about 15
> > cichlids at about 3 or 4 inches long.I feed them cichlid
> > flakes,african sinking pellets or staple floating type pellets
> > rotating them every couple of days so each is happy.Every once
> > and awile as a treat I offer them krill crumbleing it for
> > them.They love it.I have tried to make the tank enviroment as
> > natural as possible with many stones arranged as caves and real
> > plants that most seem to play and hide in and around and a
> > couple of others that stop at nothing to pull each plant up.I'm
> > new at this and have had this tank for about a year.I guess
> > becouse I want it as natural as possible I wonder often what
> > most (wild) cichlids eat.Most of mine are african with a couple
> > of jack dempseys,convicts,electric yellow,electric blue and a 5
> > or 6 inch algae eater to help clean up.Thanks for any advice.
>
> I would recommend that you first do a bit more research on your
> fish.  Different cichlid species have different dietary preferences
> and needs.  They also have different natural habitats -- some
> naturally occurring in rocky areas, others in open sandy areas,
> others with lots of plants.  You have a very wide variety of
> cichlids in the same tank.  Frankly, I do not believe there is any
> live food, or any tank environment, that will be natural or
> entirely appropriate for all of them.  But if I had to pick one
> live food, it would probably be live brine shrimp or live fish fry.
>
> Meph