# Juvenile JD Cichlids and Firemouths... feeding advice?



## Brendan Maas (Feb 12, 2011)

So I have two JD's and 2 Firemouths, all 4 around 2 inches except for the 1 JD is about 1 inch. The problem I'm having is this... my cichlids love the frozen brine shimp and bloodworms I feed them. However they won't eat the pellets, crisps, or flakes I feed them. I have read that these should be the staple diets, and then once a week the frozen or live food. However, I have been feeding them once a day the frozen brine or blood worms since they won't touch the other stuff. Here is the exact details of the dry food:

Tetra Chichlid Crisps
Aqueon Tropical Flakes
Aqueon Mini Color Enhancing Cichlid Pellets

Lastly, my one JD is taking over the tank, becoming aggressive as all heck, and really all of a sudden, had all 4 of the fish since i started tank 4 weeks ago, no problem, until about yesterday suggestions?

40 Gallon Tank


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## Blabomb (Jan 30, 2011)

Well I am not sure what to tell you about the food, but the aggression is something that you should have expected. The fish that is doing all of the bullying is the dominant male taking over the tank.


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## PRichs87 (Dec 30, 2009)

I'm not sure what is in your tank, but make sure there are plenty of territories to set up between the fish. You could use rocks to set up separate caves that the fish can claim. You can change around your landscape over night so the fish have to re-establish territories as well. 

I hate to tell you but that tank is small for those fish as well, I'd suggest upgrading at some point. The smaller tank confines the fish even more causing them to "bump" into one another and feel threatened by the close proximity to one another. Cichlids are very territorial and you are seeing that first hand.


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## PRichs87 (Dec 30, 2009)

You will probably have to wean your fish into the crisps and other things. All of my tetras and cichlids took a while to accept flake foods. You can try dropping some flakes into the water at the same time as the frozen foods, they might start to take the other foods that way.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

I would stop feeding the frozen food and just feed the pellets/flake. Eventually they will get hungry enough and take to the dry food. Then, you could go back to the frozen food but just once a week.


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## Brendan Maas (Feb 12, 2011)

I am going to upgrade, but I thought 40 gallon would be ok for a year or so. They are only between 1-2 inches each, the cichlids that is. I appreciate the advice I will try to set up more boundries.


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## Brendan Maas (Feb 12, 2011)

Jeaninel thanks for the advice. So is it bad to feed them frozen food everyday? I will try and make them want the dry food, but I'm just curious. Plus it gets kind of expensive.


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## PRichs87 (Dec 30, 2009)

Brendan Maas said:


> Jeaninel thanks for the advice. So is it bad to feed them frozen food everyday? I will try and make them want the dry food, but I'm just curious. Plus it gets kind of expensive.


It is not bad to feed frozen, I feed my fish frozen 3 - 4 days a week. The main thing you need to look for in your fish food is proteins.


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