My Top 3 Fish Foods and Feeding Tips [Maximum Health & Color!]
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- Опубликовано: 4 июл 2024
- Here are my top 3 fish foods along with some feeding tips that help me to get both maximum health and color from my African Cichlids. I'm sharing this with you because I'm often asked, "What do you feed your fish?" In this video I answer that question.
Many, including me, believe that food is key when it comes to color and it certainly plays a role in fish health, longevity, breeding and even tempernment can be impacted.
Over the years I've tried a good number of fish foods. Over time several have emerged as my "go to's." Why have those become my favorites? Let's talk about fish food, things to look for and things to avoid.
Do you have a favorite fish food? I'd like to know which ones and why that those brands became your favorite? What positive change did you observe in your fish? We all learn from each other on this channel!
Where do I get my food? I've been using Super Cichlids in Dover, MD for quite some time now. Selection and prices are great and they offer free shipping. Plus I get to help out a family owned small business, which is important to me. Visit them on the web at www.supercichlids.com and tell them Ben sent you!
Some of you have asked for ways to support the channel. Well I now have an Amazon store front. If you would like to see some of the fish keeping products that I use and recommend, visit my Amazon store. If you buy something during that trip to Amazon, even if it's not from my store, the channel gets a (very small) percentage. It doesn't increase your cost by one cent and helps the channel. Pretty cool, right?! Here is the link to my Amazon Store Front:
www.amazon.com/shop/benochart
For more fish keeping videos with tricks, tips and hacks, check out these playlists:
For "My Best Fish Keeping Tips" click here:
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• SunSun Canister Filter...
For videos on water changes and controlling nitrates, click here:
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For videos on general canister filter maintenance, click here:
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My Top 10 most popular videos of all time:
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Help support the future of the hobby by visiting your local fish store and joining groups that defend the hobby, like the American Cichlid Association. I'm a member of the ACA. You can visit them here: cichlid.org
Shout-outs to Christopher Martin for the Cichlids & Coffee logo, to Sam Penny for the RUclips channel banner art and to Phil Griffiths for the dropping fish video, for putting Sam's artwork in the surf and for the channel icon!
**Never forget - you reading this right now - YOU ROCK!** 
Животные
For more fish keeping videos with tricks, tips and hacks, check out these playlists:
For "My Best Fish Keeping Tips" click here:
ruclips.net/p/PLr8ew8o8WXoDLeItfzOiRG8DV-1W9qNX4
For tips and tricks with Fluval FX canister filters go here:
ruclips.net/p/PLr8ew8o8WXoC8gSuqdG1c4nOzlAMFTmiD
For tips and tricks with SunSun canister filters go here:
ruclips.net/p/PLr8ew8o8WXoCiMWEpBFJFJGxTqJH_MdMg
For videos on water changes and controlling nitrates, click here:
ruclips.net/p/PLr8ew8o8WXoCdEYkD0rQa0OWejFk5-bHD
For videos on general canister filter maintenance, click here:
ruclips.net/p/PLr8ew8o8WXoA-6pu7lFTc_D6idLKGCE2j
My Top 10 most popular videos of all time:
ruclips.net/p/PLr8ew8o8WXoBdSWOkNg1Roe2M47dP9Mva
I'm
Thank you Ben for the acknowledging us about how to feed very informative. cheers for a coffee with you on mug! God bless you & makes you happy with fishes & your fans. :)
Thank you for the video!
The fish look amazing! BTW
Thanks for covering one of those topics that sometimes people overlook! I always triy to buy the best food I can find, but also realizing how important a variety of different foods is for my fish is something to keep in mind great topic and I really enjoyed it👍🐟🌱🌿🙏
Ben, in all the time I’ve been watching your channel I cannot recall ever seeing you do a fish feeding video? I’d love to see one. I get a lot of enjoyment feeding mine. I’m sure it would go over well.
Great video Ben.
Great video my friend thanks for the info
Thank you for covering this important topic. I am pretty new to fish keeping and I only want what's best for them and food types is a huge part of that. Also I like to feed frozen foods. Do you recommend them? I love the idea of a log, I'm gonna use that.
That eye biter is my favorite by far. Such an amazing fish you do a very good job at taking care of your animals.
Great vid. How long do you keep your open fish food? Do you put them in the fridge to preserve it longer?
Another great video Ben .. since there so many to choose from glad to break it down ... One Team One Fight... #usarmy #hooah 😊
Hey Ben. Fantastic video! Just to let you know though, Brewer's yeast, and other yeasts like 'nutritional yeast' is a healthy common fungi rich in B vitamins! It's even one of the few vegan sources of B12 for humans. Dried yeasts are a nutrient rich supplement and not usually binding agents. Great work, love the channel! I've been using Fluval bug bites in my tropical community tank, but I found some NorthFin stuff for my bottom feeders at a good deal. I was hesitant to switch brands and I'm glad I made a good choice :) thanks for your excellent review.
I'm a new subscriber I love the channel. Thank you for all of your help.
Thank you Lance😀👍🏻
Nice tank!🐠🐟🐠🐟
Great video Ben! I feed Tetra and Sera. As i have pleco's, clowns, synodontis, mbuna, peacocks and haps in different sizes i need a wide variety of foods. I feed 2 times a day. Each feeding i will use both food that floates like sticks or pellets, a food that slowly sinks like flakes, crisps or granules, and fast sinking pellets, tablets, chips or wafers to cover all prefered feeding layers in the water. I will also make sure there is both high protein foods as well as veggies, algae, spirulina etc. in each feeding. I heard you were very positive about Sera. Let me know if i can help you out by sending you some products.
I rarely leave comments on this platform but I really LOVED this video! I use a combo of foods too. NorthFin & NLS pellets and my fish also love the Spirulina20 by Zoo Med. I’ve heard mention of pre and probiotics but wasn’t aware of any particular brands, I will definitely try out the cobalt sinking otherwise mine don’t go after it. I would love to see one of your videos focused on actually feeding your tank. Will keep hoping and watching!
Thank you Ali. I’m going to going several upcoming videos all about feeding. Stay tuned 😀👍🏻
My oscars love the Hikari freeze dried krill as part of my food rotation. It floats and they like hitting it at the top. That gives me a chance to sink some food for the pleco and clown loaches.
Love your work mate. Have any more fish store tours lined up ?
Hello Edan, Funny you should ask. I finally got the owner to allow me to film his shop. A landmark that’s been operating for over 30 years in Los Angeles. I’m editing the video today and it will be available next week. Stay tuned😀👍🏻
Great tips! Thanks. Think I'll give North Fin a try.
It’s good stuff!
I agree and use all those foods but my no. One fish food is EXTREME my fish go absolutely nuts when i feed them any products from extreme. Can't be beat!
I've been using it after getting some from the The Cichlid Shack. It's true, the fish love it and it actually smells nutritious. If you get it from the Shack, use "shackattack10" and you'll get a 10% discount on Xtreme fish food.
Hi Ben: I feed my community fish a combination of cichlid pellets from Omega One, North Fin, New Life Spectrum and Hikari Blood Parrot (I have three). Because of the community's small size, I put the mix in a pepper grinder and feed from there once daily. Twice a week they are fed either frozen blood worms or frozen brine shrimp. Monthly, for three days, I feed New Life Spectrum's Hex Shield twice daily to control any internal parisites, particularly for clown loaches. So far, so good! 🤞 Thanks for preparing this informative video.
That’s a well thought out feeding regimen 😀👍🏻
Love the Mr. Rogers type start to the video 😂
Was it a wonderful day in your neighborhood neighbor?
This video prompted me to read the ingredients on the Dainichi pellets I have been using for years. I was shocked to see wheat flour as the second ingredient! And this food is so expensive to boot. I am going to try some other foods. Good information. Thanks for posting this video.
Amazing what we discover when we start looking. Most people don't check the ingredients of what they are eating or feeding their children. I would shift over on a gradient. What I mean is mix a little Dainichi in with whatever you're going to be switching to and gradually reduce the Dainichi until it's all gone and you're only feeding the new food. Just a suggestion that will be easier for you fish to transition over.
Hi Ben, between your channel and prime time aquatics with Jason are probably the best knowledgeable fish keepers on you tube! I keep 4 ca cichlids in 75 g, I feed the blood worms and brine shrimp, I’m trying to keep it natural.
Thank you Mark. I don't know if it's the same for CA Cichlids but with African Cichlids they can have difficulty with a constant diet of high protein. They need other stuff mixed in there.
Otherwise they get the dreaded Malawi Bloat (blocked intesitines) which is often fatal.
Hello Ben , you can improve the feeding , you use great products but that only isnt enough my experience is pick a cup throw some pellets in it and soak it with seachem vitality , seachem zoöplankton , garlic guard , and vitachem let it soak for 30 minutes and you got a great power food
Thanks Ben, just ordered from Super Cichlid. Try the cobalt product 21 oz was actually less than Amazon.
I really like the people at SC. Fast and friendly.
How do you feel about live food. Brine shrimp, blackworms, Daphnia and the like. Daily, with flakes in the evening?
Hi Ben, Great video thank you very much, unfortntley North Fin , Omega One, Xtreme and NLS are either not available or very expensive here in Europe. For Haps predators, I'm planning to feed Sera together with Hikari. Any experience with Hikari? thanks
My fish loved the big Hikari Gold pellets. You can’t go wrong with SERA.
Hikari had some fillers I didn’t care for but overall it’s a good food.
would love to have seen exactly how much you actually feed your fish each feeding to go along with this video. that is a huge guessing game with so many people.
Yes for me too
Mt flowerhorn only eats frozen blood worms. Any tips on getting him to take pellets? He is not full grow at about 3.5 inches.
Profe si buena comida👍
Good video, not a Malawi fan though.
I’m mainly into rare/WC West African cichlids like Chromidotilapia Guntheri Loenberghi’, Pelvicachromis Humilis ‘Liberia Red’, Hemichromis ‘Guinea 2’, Steatocranus species etc. I agree that variety is key. I may use 4-5 flake foods, a few pellets, couple algae wafers, few frozen. Live black and white worms to condition spawners. I’ve had great luck with Sera. May not be the top nutritious food but half the battle is getting fish to eat. I’ll put flakes in a cup with water and pour in tank slowly.
Not familiar with those fish. I’ll have to look them up. My fish loved Sera.
Need advice on feeding schedules or opinions
I feed many and even have a container with a mix of
Sera (color and veggie formula)
Northfin
Extreme
NLS
Omega One
Then I also feed Ken's premium flakes
If you are medicating by soaking your pellets then Sera pellets are great to use and it is one of the foods "all" my fish go crazy over.
Yes! Sera is very good quality.
Beautiful fish!!!!!
What about feeding small pieces of fresh spinach or little chunks of cucumber ?
Fish would probably like it. I tried fresh peas once. They liked it but it was very messy.
Hi ben when feeding frozen foods do I defrost it first or just throw the block in the tank?.
Always defrost in a cup of tank water for at least 10 minutes.
I was watching your beneficial bacteria disaster video and figured I’d hunt you down on a more recent post to see if you can give me some advice. I agree I probably need patience however!! I’ve had a 40gallon tall with one Axolotl in the tank and nothing else for a little over a year, everything was fine and dandy, cycled and happy Axolotl! One day my boyfriend was in charge of the tank and washed my HOB filter in tap water. I also have a sponges filter in the corner as axolotls tend to be messy. So I figured it would probably be fine. I have had cloudy milky water for a month or so now. It gets so bad I can’t see in the tank. I’m forced to do more water changes just so I can see inside and find poop etc. as if I don’t find the poop we have bigger problems. I’m at about roughly 3 water changes in the 50% range a week just so I can see in there. I think it’s over kill but I don’t know what else to do. I tried waiting a few days to see if the milky water would clear up on its own as I think I’m doing more harm than good. But it won’t let off! Just gets cloudier and cloudier to the point you can’t see anything. I stopped messing with the filters started doing a process of elimination and am at a loss. I’ve debated buying fluval bioclear even though I’m against using anything like that in the tank but I need help! If I can’t see we have a problem as I’ve read about worms that can develop from left over Axolotl poops and I’m just desperate over here. Haha
Parameters are fine I have detected a small like .5 amount of ammonia but also my Nitrates are around .25 no nitrite. Ph of 7.8
Note: my Axolotl is healthy and eating and doesn’t seem bothered in the least. Not gasping for air or anything he’s totally fine. I’m sure it’s a bacterial bloom from the devil himself but it’s the worst case I’ve ever seen or dealt with and I. My opinion far to long for a previously cycled tank. Using the same bio balls in the HOB filter. I figured it was have stabilized by now. I’ve read of new tank syndrome and have chalked it up to that. But jeez it’s a total mess
Sounds like a bacterial bloom, like the tank started to cycle all over again. What are your test results? If it’s what I think it should clear up on its own in a month or so. If you want fast results you can put some Seachem Purigen or Boyd ChemiPure in the filter or add Seachem Pristine which is a natural gentle product that binds with what is making the water cloudy so your filter can trap it. All the products mentioned are available here: www.amazon.com/shop/benochart
Hi ben, im just wondering i got 3 different types of fish food for my mbuna. They are vitals rift lake green, new life spectrum cichlid formula and hikari gold cichlid formula. I tend to feed one brand of food per feeding. Is that okay compared to mixing it all up like you do?
I think you’re going to get the same result. The key question is “How do the look?” If they look great, active, good color, then you’re good.
Thank you for taking your time to reply to me. Yes they are all the above. Except some juveniles that are still colouring up. So i will carry on what i’m doing
I’ve started to use Xtreme over NorthFin. I find less waste in the tank and amazing colour. It’s a little more expensive than NorthFin but the results speak for themselves. Thanks for the video.
Weird, Xtreme has the worst results for waste on all the fish food tests I’m seeing on RUclips
grey goose 01 don’t know what to tell you? That hasn’t been my experience in any of my 28 tanks.
I also use xtreme and i dont have as much waste as i used to have with the aqueon chichlid pellets i used to use and others
Jorge Trujillo well I don’t know of anyone who uses aqueon fish food so I’d say that comparison is like apples to oranges. That’d be like comparing kibbles n bits to blue buffalo dog food. Night & day difference
@@greygoose117 i know..... lol
I think I’m gonna stick with NLS Thera A. I always quarantine all the fish I order and then started feeding them northfin after QT time was over. Now I’m having to deal with internal parasites and some fish not wanting to eat and a good bit of them look skinny, resembling sunken belly. So I’m just curious in what kind of environment northfin is made in, maybe I got a contaminated batch or something. Or maybe it’s all in my head, BUT my fish were fine after QT meds for a month, then when fed northfin they got internal issues. I haven’t had any issues whatsoever in my tank upstairs while feeding NLS Thera A. Their colors have definitely popped after 30 days and no cloudy water. I’ve been feeding NLS since the 2000s and I’ve always had great results with it, so I think I’m gonna go back to it exclusively after all the expensive northfin food is used up
I always say if it’s working stick with it👍🏻
Hi Ben, I would like to know your opinion, is it safe to keep Eye biter in peacock/hap tank 75 gallon, I know it is little bit small but I will do a lot of water changes.
Sure, you can keep an eyebiter in a peacock/hap tank. You should try to get the fish at around the same size though. A 8 inch eyebiter would not be good to add to a tank full of 3-4 inch peacocks and haps.
Gurvinder Parmar Well I will get some bigger peacocks atleast 6 inch and I can buy juvenile eye biter, I think it would be cool to have him as bigger fish because I would love to have him basically as policeman like Ben’s venustus.
I got lucky with that Venustus. I think if the Eyebiter was the boss there would be a lot of casualties. But maybe you’ll get a mellow Eyebiter? I would follow GP’s advice and get him a bit smaller than the peas & Haps. He would outgrow them and be bigger than them in a year.
Ben Ochart Well I watched your video about not docile fish and that scared me but on other hand a lot of people say they never had problem with them, in the end it is always about that one specific fish right, I am gonna ask the breeder and I will see what he will tell me and yeah I will buy bigger peacocks than haps so they dont get outgrown I heard they can’t eat adult peacocks.
Thank you Ben. I have been mixing foods as I was not sure if one brand was really that much better. My question is can I feed the same mix to Peacocks and Mbunas? I have heard yes and no.
For my experience yes, but you have to concern with two type mixing food. Because mbuna mostly like herbal food.
Mbunas are herbivores, with an opportunistic snack here and there. They should have a mostly vegetable diet and there are cichlid foods made specifically for them. They are susceptible to bloat if they get to much protein. Peacocks need more protein, but with a little veggie mixed in too (opportunity knocks again).
Mixing mbunas and peacocks, and feeding them together, is do-able, but the different diet is one of the big reasons a lot of people don't mix the species in one tank.
So, yeah. Yes. And no.
...I'll just go away now
Hi Poeseewi, you absolutely can mix foods as long as they are similar types of food. Some people mix veggie pellets with with their protein based foods as well which is also fine. I used to use Hikari back in the day but have since moved on to foods like Northfin and Dainichi. I had mixed my remaining Hikari into the jar that I put the Northfin into just because I didn't want to let it go to waste.
Lastly, I would also look into getting foods that have probiotics. That will go a long way in keeping your tank cleaner and fish healthier.
@@bigbearddahuzi1036 My Multiple Tank Addiction started because I had to separate Mbunas & Peacocks - lol!
@@bangle8090 That is what I have heard... I'll look for a Mbuna specific food
Any experience with Repashy foods? And which Repashy would be best for Mbuna?
Hello, I'm not expert in their line. Do they have a cichlid specific pellet or flake? I would see if they do and if so check the ingredients and make sure those first 4 or 5 are a good source of nutrition and not filler and/or binding agents.
Thanks :)
What's some good pellets for mbuna?
Xtreme Cichlid PeeWee, NLS Algaemax, and NLS Cichlid formula is what I feed and they are very healthy and colorful. NLS Algaemax is mixed in for the mbuna that are herbivores for more variety.
Northfin 100% krill on saturday veggie on wednesday & sunday cichlid formula the other days & then alternate cichlid flakes every other week for color
It’s 85% krill.
100% meaning all the way not thats its 100% krill ingredients
Love the acting at the start mate..lol... Besides the clouding of the water what are other things that you consider as a bad food???
Look at the ingredients. The protein ratio is important depending on the fish you keep. Stay away from foods that have a lot of ash/fillers. Foods like Northfin, Xtreme and Dainichi are very good while other foods like Hikari, NLS aren't as good.
Gurvinder Parmar since when is NLS not good? It’s better than Dainichi and on par with Northfin and Xtreme.
@@obsessivecichliddisorder7258 in my honest opinion, NLS is horrible. Dainichi Color FX, in my opinion, is the best food I've used to date. They have the same in veggie and that is also the best, in my opinion. Dainichi formulates their food so that there is zero release from the pellets and zero bloat from the pellets expanding in the water column.
That said, this food is very expensive per lbs. so I don't push it too much to people in the hobby. Foods like Xtreme and Northfin are excellent alternatives and I even think Hikari veggie pellets are good.
Best of luck!
Gurvinder Parmar yeah I love the coating they put on the pellet. Dainichi provides the fish with great colour but I find the water and filters to be a lot dirtier with it and I put it down to too many fillers in the food.
@@obsessivecichliddisorder7258 I've been using a sump with hard plumbing, etc. and use filter bags to keep the tank clean...back in the day when I used to use NLS, my cleanup routine was always a mess. From the time I started using Dainichi, my bags have been noticeably cleaner but I could be wrong because of food mixing. I generally don't try to stick to one food anymore because fish can get attached to one kind very quickly. In my opinion, it's best to find 2-3 foods you really like and mix them together....and if course always do the same for veggie pellets.
i was told that ciclids only digest like 1/3 of their food and the rest is waist. do you have any more info on this?
I haven’t heard that before but based on the tons of waste I vacuuum every week I would believe it. I also hear that they produce a lot of ammonia. This is why a heavily stocked AC tank needs frequent water changes.
@@BenOchart thanks for your response
I had some Cobalt flake, and it made my fish very sick. Killed a few. Might be a one-off, but I don't trust the brand anymore. What do ou think of Bug Bites? Do be careful with corn. It's difficult to digest, even for humans.
I haven’t tried bug bites. I heard of clouding issues but it clears up quickly. Did you contact COBALT about that flake food?
@@BenOchart I believe so, but I'm not 100% sure. Unfortunately, the bucket with the batch number got thrown out.
Good stuff, Ben. Why do you feed your fish once rather than twice. Why not show fish feeding?
The feedings are big and I like to give them time to clean out their guts. Malawi bloat is deadly so I tend to avoid stuffing too much food in them and some weeks will actually fast them a day.
@@BenOchart Thanks. Taking your advice I'm in the process of switching from cheapo to quality food for my 25 voracious rusty cichlids. Big bucks price differential. Hoping they color up some ;-{)
HI BEN; GREAT VIDEO....I USE ONLY OMEGA ONE PRODUCTS. I THINK YOU WOULD LIKE THE OMEGA ONE SUPER VEGGIE KELP FLAKES.. MUCH BETTER THAN THAT SPIRULINA20 THAT YOUR USING..CHECK THE INGREDIENTS. YOUR BUDDY DANNY FROM LAS VEGAS
I’ll check it out, thanks Danny
@@BenOchart YOUR WELCOME
I'm a big fan of Your Fish Stuff brand . I used pallets and flacks. My Oscars and my African cichlids go crazy for it. The website is called www.yourfishstuff.com
Have you treid new life spectrum
Yes, a long time ago. It clouded my water so I stopped using it. However, I hear that NLS have improved the formula and it doesn't cloud anymore.
Dylan did you watch the video? Ben mentions it in the video.
Ever tried extreme?
I love xtreme
Yes. Fish loved it.
Basic summary #Hikari
Really 🤔 Their first 7 ingredients from Cichlid Gold read “Fish meal, wheat flour, flaked corn, brewers dried yeast, corn gluten meal, wheat starch, rice bran”
Wait! Is that a heron on your shirt? Traitor!!!
🤣🤣🤣