Fish diet and tubifex worm nutrition

[Harry Muscle]

I'm starting to get into keeping fish that seem to be a bit more picky eaters (german rams and apisto cichlids) ... or at least it seems mine are. I currently feed primarily New Life Spectrum pellets. The problem is that one of my rams is a very slow eater (she eats one pellet in the time it takes my other fish to eat dozens) so she misses out on most of the food cause either others eat it or it sinks. Also two of my four apisto just don't seem to like it. I've also tried Hikari pellets and the results are similar. So I've purchased some freeze dried gamma radiated tubifex worms and obviously everyone in the tank, including the picky/slow eaters love it. However, I'm not really sure how nutritious they are.

The diet I'm thinking of trying out is to feed the tank (55G) one day with pellets or flakes (from New Life Spectrum or Hikari) and tubifex worms the next day. That way the picky eaters still get their fill of food, but hopefully they will also eat some of the pellets which have the added vitamins, etc. But I'm open to suggestions, ideas, etc. as to how to proceed. The only thing that's a little out of my means is to go for frozen food since it's quite a bit more expensive. I don't mind doing it on an occasional basis, but can't afford to do it regularily. Freeze dried though is usually quite a bit cheaper so that would be fine ... I'm just not sure which freeze dried foods are considered the most nutritious.

Thanks,
Harry

[Orlando]

Live food's and blood worms are there favorite in my tank's. New Life is good to. Freez dried brine are also a favorite. Mine never realy liked tubifex.

[nate_mcnasty]

blood worms are more of a treat for fish there not that healthy for them as a main food source and tubifex have a lot of parasites in them

[Orlando]

The best thing I do for my wet pets is live mosquito's, they are free and I love to watch them be eaten

[nate_mcnasty]

try sokeing your food in garlic juice (ground fresh garlic in water) makes fish go crazy for food and it's good for them and try frozen krill(with the garlic stuff) thats good for them too

[lauraleellbp]

My fish go nuts for frozen food. Bottom line is I always try and feed a good variety, however.

[nate_mcnasty]

some frozen food don't have any nutrition at all like blood worms & brine shrimp, there just like candy to them it will make them fat

[Orlando]

So..no garlic roles

[nate_mcnasty]

ha what do you mean orlando??

[Orlando]

I was joking..garlic roles that you would order with Pizza I love them!
Thanks for the tip Nate, Im working on a new garlic brew.

[Riley]

Originally Posted by nate_mcnasty

some frozen food don't have any nutrition at all like blood worms & brine shrimp, there just like candy to them it will make them fat

Ummm.....true and false.

Bloodworms (AKA Red mosquito larvae) are the primary diet for fish around the world. I feed bloodworms at least a couple times a week and never had any ill effects.

Brine shrimp on the other hand are a different story. They are pretty much useless unless you can get them loaded with extra vitamins or gut loaded with spirulina algae. Your much better off to get mysis shrimp.

Harry....IMO if your worried about nutrition I would feed frozen bloodworms and live blackworms if you have access to them. I havent used freeze dried food in along time and the freeze drying process has to take some of the nutritional value away from the food.

[nate_mcnasty]

garlic helps there immune system a ton it help fight ich too

[nate_mcnasty]

tell me how the garlic goes orlando

[nate_mcnasty]

i'm not trying to say you shouldn't feed your fish blood worms just saying there not the best and not an every day thing for them

[Riley]

Nate,

I know....just offering my side of things.