# is hikari gold a good pellet for MBUNA?



## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

i used to have hella central american cichlids so i had a ton of hikari gold but now am try some mixed africans and wondering if hikari was too high in pROTIEN or might it cause bloat?


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## CichlidAddict (Jul 1, 2005)

I wouldn't use it as their main diet for the reason you stated, but it's probably okay once in awhile. I use primarily spirulina sticks, african cichlid attack pellets, and algae wafers for my mbuna.


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

Yeah I would really shy away from using those foods with mbuna, and I would stick with something like spirulina flakes.


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## 90blackcrx (Mar 30, 2005)

What about other pellets, I have been feeding my fish pellets for about 2 weeks now.


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## rayman (Aug 9, 2006)

CichlidAddict said:


> I wouldn't use it as their main diet for the reason you stated, but it's probably okay once in awhile. I use primarily spirulina sticks, african cichlid attack pellets, and algae wafers for my mbuna.


african attack is actually meant for peacocks and haps it contains too much protein for mbuna
a good veggie based pellet is hikari cichlid excel


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

rayman said:


> I wouldn't use it as their main diet for the reason you stated, but it's probably okay once in awhile. I use primarily spirulina sticks, african cichlid attack pellets, and algae wafers for my mbuna.


african attack is actually meant for peacocks and haps it contains too much protein for mbuna
a good veggie based pellet is hikari cichlid excel
[/quote]

Not nessarily, even though they may be vegitarians by nature, they will appreatiate some meat in their diet. Also, Mbuna are not as suseptible to bloat as one may think. You could have quite a bit of meat in their diet. Now when you start thinking about _Tropheus_, then you have reason to worry.


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## sicklid-holic (Mar 25, 2005)

mbuna are not easily succeptible to bloat. I feed mine with hikari golds pellets all the time.


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

sicklid-holic said:


> mbuna are not easily succeptible to bloat. I feed mine with hikari golds pellets all the time.


Yep, especially when you start talking about the captive bred ones we have today.


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## acestro (Jul 7, 2003)

Agreed.







These fish are opportunists. A lot of the specialist foods are total BULLSHIT, just like the 'lake salts'. Dont fall for it.


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## Fargo (Jun 8, 2004)

Omega veggie/kelp pellets, Hikari algae wafers, omega or Hikari color enhancers every few days, and weekly live convict fry are the best for Mbuna. Overfeeding is the biggest danger more than anything else.


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## lament configuration (Jun 22, 2003)

damn! i would love to see my mbuna chase down some convict fry and eat them!!


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## Kudos (Dec 22, 2005)

lament configuration said:


> damn! i would love to see my mbuna chase down some convict fry and eat them!!


they'll do it! I put some of my fry in their tank because i didn't have enough space in the 10 for them to grow out a bit. I figured they were small enough for the mbuna not to bother w/ them but they sucked down that fry faster than they eat up their pellets


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## Cichlidae (Aug 14, 2004)

I wouldnt say mbuna arnt susceptible to bloat, piranha_guy_dan lost over half his tank due to bloat from feeding NLS pellets.


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## Fargo (Jun 8, 2004)

Cichlidae said:


> I wouldnt say mbuna arnt susceptible to bloat, piranha_guy_dan lost over half his tank due to bloat from feeding NLS pellets.


They are susceptible to bloat, and some more than others. I've done well with Chipokae and electric Yellows - since they are more omnivorous - but a lot of Psuedotropheus, like Lombardi, are very sensitive and really do better on veggie feeding. Overfeeding is terrible, and they do act more active in harder water, although it is true that that if they are born into lower ph's they must be adjusted gradually. And they love convict fry, which is the best and cheapest live food out there.


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## piranha_guy_dan (Oct 4, 2004)

id rather feed flakes to be on the safe side, i lost a colony of red top zebra from bloat they were gorgeous WC fish. all because of NLS pellets. fkaes dont swll much so they are MUCH MUCH safer


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