# What veggies are good for Cichlids.



## elitesrock

I want to vary my Lake Malawi Cichlids' diet from other than Algae Wafers, flakes, floating pellets, and sinking pellets. What fruits as well and do they have to be steamed?


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## cossie

i have seen sushi being fed t malawi cihclids in my LFS.

Also i know that they will eat cucumber because the cucumber is suppose to help with perking up the colour.

hope this helps ;-)


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## elitesrock

Okay but are the cucumber seeds okay? I know the seeds are not for birds.


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## girth vader

Whatever you decide to experiment with, just make sure to blanch it first.. Fish will eat anything when hungry... I feed my clowns bananas and they go, guess what.......... bananas. It's all about experimenting. You will know within an hour if they like it or not. I prefer zucchini over cukes. It doesn't cloud the water or fowl it near as bad, and no seeds to have to clean.


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## emc7

My mbuna do attack zucchini slices, but you have to fish out the rind. I've also hear of feeding nori, lettuce and spinach. But I usually make do with Xtreme pellet and spirulina flake. Swiss chard is supposed to be very nutritious.


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## mpfsr

mine eat cucumbers, zucchini, and watermelon..In fact most of my fish will eat these items I put in my tank for my BN plecos. In my 75g the rainbows will hover over the stuff til some breaks free from the plecos and snatch it up quickly. My rusty cichlids will pick at one side of them as it hangs in the tank with the pleco on the other side of it. He gets so annoyed with them as he keeps moving in there way trying to save his meal  I always try to get seedless cucumbers thou I never blanch any of my veggies as this always make the water whitish color. But the best thing I found for my cichlids to get there veggies is.. http://www.almostnaturalfishfood.us/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=51.. they are super green balls that sink. just like the super green flake he sells but they sink as most of my cichlids like to stay down near the bottom of the tank. So I mix the green pellets with the normal cichlid pellets and to be totally honest they LOVE these as i never find any of them making it to the bottom. And they don't mess up the water at all.


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## girth vader

*Always blanch the veggies*. It would be like not boiling a rock or piece of wood before putting in your tank. ALL farmers use pesticides, so why run the risk of introducing toxins into the tank....


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## mpfsr

I'm not gonna say your wrong, But I really don't think you can boil out pesticides. but I do shop at the all organic section of my super market for my veggies for myself and for my fish


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## mpfsr

I'm not gonna say your wrong, But I really don't think you can boil out pesticides. I do what I do for my children wash off with warm water. but I do shop at the all organic section of my super market for my veggies for myself and for my fish


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## mpfsr

sorry for the double post....lost internet as I was posting it


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## elitesrock

Thank you guys for replying and what exactly is blaching? I know such a noob question.


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## girth vader

mpfsr said:


> I'm not gonna say your wrong, But I really don't think you can boil out pesticides. I do what I do for my children wash off with warm water. but I do shop at the all organic section of my super market for my veggies for myself and for my fish


I understand your point. And I had the same train of thought as you do. However I met a farmer who was a hobbiest and they use active chemicals in the persticides and spray to keep the produce fresh longer. I wish I could pronounce or even say the word, but one of the Tryp words that have as many numbers as letters.  He did say that high temp ie boiling water nuetralizes anything that might be on them. He also mentioned There are numerous micro organisms on the produce (hitchhikers) that we cannot see that can seriously harm fish.

Just passing along info given to me. No biggie. And at the end of the day for the 5 minutes it takes to be sure, why not..


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## mpfsr

Great points you raise..I no one thing..thats I don't know everything. I might have to start boiling my veggies


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