FishProfiles.com Message Forums

"This fish should be kept in a tank of at least 55 gallons or more, with plenty of caves. Feeding it prepared flakes and other foods are good, but fresh and frozen vegetables are a must for this fish to thrive."
What types of frozen vegetables will be best to feed my cobalt blue? And are these just grocery store vegetables? Thanks!

Hi there smack. These guys are piglets and will eat most any vegetable you throw into the tank:%)

Head to your local grocery store and into the vegetable section, and choose something that you also enjoy, or something you don't mind buying and keeping around just for them...

Some things that mine enjoyed were: Cucumbers, squash, zuchinni, carrots, peas, lettuce, brocolli, cauliflower, mixed frozen vegetables.

All you have to do is steam/cook them till they are a bit soft (not necessarily mushy, but soft) cut into slices, chunks, whatever needs to be done so that your cichlid can get to the soft insides and eat it...Also don't forget to let it cool to at least room temperature, just pop it into the freezer for a bit

For frozen veggies, I just run them under hot water till they are soft...

Then you can either weight them down by tying them or rubber banding them to a rock or something, use a veffie feeder and stick them to the glass, or just let them float, but really my favorite way was to hold them while everyone came and ate always fun

That's what I did with mine, and they did quite well...heidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Also remember since these guys are omnivores and to supplement their diet with meaty foods such as frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp along with krill and plankton. Even the occansional live worm can be beneficial.

oops did I forget to mention the meaty stuffes?I've been out of it lately...

If you want to see some real action go to your lfs/lps and get some small cricketsyes, I said small crickets

The first time get 1 cricket for every 2 fish, and add an additional 1 or 2...so if you have 10 fishies get 6-7 crickets...go home and make sure the lids to the tank are closed tight, open one, dump in the crickets and shut lid fastAt first they are going to ignore them, but as soon as the crickets start moving watch out

The next time and from then on get 1 for each cichlid in the tank, and let the guys have some fun with the live, swimming crickets...I really never laughed so hard as when I was watching my guys and gals got at eating their meaty treats:%)

I'd do this once a week or so, and veggies 2 times a week or so Along with the Cichlid food, I liked the Hikari and the Tetra crunchies the best...

Enjoy heidi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other's hearts, Remember when
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

On rare occassions I give my cichlids earthworms,feeder fish,ghost shrimp and live brine shrimp. But I've never thought about crickets. I will now be bring some home tommorrow for them thou.
Thanks for the idea Heidi!