improving fish food for enhanced colour

[bikerod]

@graye, thanks for sharing your knowledge, it's really helpful. I've been looking for some ready-made food options that include astaxanthin, specifically for African cichlids. Do you know of any good ones? I'm also curious, can you buy a concentrated formula of astaxanthin or the other ingredient you mentioned?

I'm also wondering, do you think many people make their own fish food? You seem to have a good understanding of the ingredients, so I'm guessing you might have some experience with it. Do you make your own food or do you stick with commercial options?

@kokomo, thanks for your input too. I'm interested in trying out some of the veggies you mentioned, but I'm a bit concerned about how they might affect the water conditions. Do you find that they cause any issues with chemical balances or cloudiness? I'm currently feeding my cichlids NLS grow and cichlid pellets, Vital is cichlid herbivore pellets, and Fish Science algae wafers. I also have some Hikari cichlid gold, but I'm hesitant to use it because it's so high in protein.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether I should swap out any of my current foods for the ones you mentioned. Have you had any experience with those foods?

@bettaMagenta, I'm really interested in your experience with Bacter AE and Repashi Soilient green. You mentioned that your tetras and electric blue rams have shown some amazing coloration since you started feeding those foods. I'm wondering, have you made any changes to your water parameters or is it just the food that's causing the difference? I'm trying to get a sense of whether it's the food or other factors that are contributing to the coloration.

Thanks in advance for all your input, it's really helpful to hear from people who have experience with these foods.

[graye]

I've had my fair share of colour-enhancing foods, but one bulk, no-name product from the US stood out - it was the best I've ever used, hands down. However, importing it became a hassle due to border restrictions.

I also used to buy astaxanthin powder from brineshrimpdirect in the US, but the price skyrocketed when the health food market got involved.

It's worth noting that well-fed and well-cared-for East African Cichlids tend to maintain their vibrant colours regardless of their diet. Although I haven't kept them in a while, I used to make my own fish food using a blender, combining carrots, peas, blanched romaine, or spinach with astaxanthin and spirulina. I'd add gelatin to bind the mixture, then freeze it in sheets and break off portions for feeding. I've experimented with different ingredients to create custom foods for my current fish. While I'm not a fan of the smell of any fish food, I've found that making your own allows for a lot of creativity.

[bettaMagenta]

My water parameters have been pretty consistent since introducing the Rummy's and Rams, I'd say that's a fair statement anyway.

[bikerod]

@bikerod … thanks for the interest, I'm glad I could help.

Going back to your original question, it's great that we're having this discussion - I think it's really helpful for all of us. Having a simple thread or guide on colour enhancing foods would be super useful, even if it's just a summary of our experiences.

I completely agree that promoting varied foods can only be a good thing, and I'm sure we can all learn from each other's approaches.

[bikerod]

If you're after colour enhancing food, try ones with astaxanthin - it's an algae that brings out the red in fish. I've used it from various companies and it works a treat. Used to add it to my own homemade rainbow foods, got great results.

I checked out the websites you mentioned and they've got a great cichlid formula that fits my requirements, but the shipping cost to the UK is a staggering £200, so I'm back to square one. I've taken a chance on some unbranded cichlid food from eBay that lists astaxanthin as a key ingredient, along with some good whole foods. I'll give it a go and see what happens.

To be honest, I'm not too fussed about the colouration of my fish, but I have noticed that some of them aren't as vibrant as they used to be, which is why I started asking questions in the first place. The food suggestions from Malok are really interesting, but I couldn't find a reliable source for them in the UK - typical.

I tried feeding my fish some veggies today, but they completely ignored them. I'm starting to think that maybe I just got unlucky with the food or the veggies. Do you think water temperature has a significant impact on colouration? I'm curious to know your thoughts.