can yellow cichlids eat feeder fish?

Question

I have a 20 gallon tank with a pleco, 3 tiger barbs, 3 giant danios, and a pleco, as well as 2 yellow lab cichlids

yellow lab cichlids

Answer 1

Max,

None of your fish occupants are predators or carnivores in nature. Feeders would not be a good choice here. Feeders in general, bought from stores are not a good options as a food choice in general. The care levels they are given is extremely minimal as they are bought in bulk. They are often culled fish that have genetic defects and many times carry unwanted pathogens. You have plenty of other choices out there for a diet.

A spiralina coated flake food would be a good staple diet. Give a night time feeding for protein as well. Bloodworms, mealworms, brine shrimp, krill, mosquito larva, and floating or sinking pellets are all much better options here then feeder fish. Also, consider ditching that pleco for a 20 gallon tank. Unless you specifically bought something like a bristlenose, you don't need that pleco anyways. They are not true algae eaters. They are actually armored catfish that are just big bottom feeders and make excessive waste. Algae is only a secondary food source for it.

Answer 2

No, no feeders for the yellow labs. They should also be kept with their own kind (other African cichlids) in a larger tank than a 20 gallon. The pleco also should be kept in nothing less than a 55 gallon just because of the size that they can eventually grow (24 inches). As far as the yellow labs, you should feed them a steady diet of cichlid flakes or pellets, and occasionally throw in some brine shrimp or blood worms to keep the diet varied.

Answer 3

once the tiger barbs get bigger, they will start to nip on your yellows or the other way around
You shouldn't put aggressive fish with not aggressive fish at any given time
I would take out the pleco and the barbs, and 3 more giant danios
And no, i wouldn't feed your yellows feeder fish, they eat flakes and pellets which are especially made just for cichlids

I have myself 3 yellows and other cichlids, but i would never consider feeding them with feeders




Hope that helps
Good luck



EB

Answer 4

I don't think that you cichlids would be able to fit a whole feeder fish into their mouth. I would prefer that you give them frozen fish foos [bloodworms, blackworms brine shrimps] so you tiger barbs and gian danios can eat too. Also, your tank might be a little too small considering that you have pleco in your tank [depeding on the species] which grows to about 15-24 inches in lenght. So, you should cinsider that.

Answer 5

I would avoid feeder fish as they can introduce disease into your tank,yellow labs should be fed a cichlid pellet with some spirulina mixed in.You really should have a 30 gallon tank for a group yellow labs and not have them mixed with all those other fish in a twenty gallon tank also.

Answer 6

Cichlids are agrressive fish and should only be kept with other cichlids in a 50 GAL or higher tank... they grow to be about 6-8 inches and will kill other fish as they get bigger. I have Cichlids, they are awesome fish but very territorial and aggressive and get quite large.