Dietary diversity, what's your take the subject?

[Primitive Jaws]

I'm just tryna get some other views on this subject. For any fish really, but mostly for medium to large carnivores, what would you say you give your fish and what would you say is the benefit of having a wide diet ( depending on the species of course )? Also live , frozen, or freezedried it doesn't matter.

 

[HumanBean]

I only have carnivorous fish. Main diet is massivore delight pellets and three times per week thawed tilapia or market prawns. For me diet should be varied for good health. I add some green as well at times. I have experimented with live food but not too keen on it unless fish is in no way taking other foods.

 

[ehh]

There is some things they get from pellets and some things they don't.
There is some things they get from frozen shrimp cubes and some things they don't.

 

[souzie]

My fish are carnivorous...and sometimes cannibalistic

I however, don't feed them live. They're fed on alternating days with a variety of frozen fish and homemade gel food consisting of more fish, crushed pellets, vitachem and veggies such as carrots, spinach, squash etc...

I try to vary their diet as much as I can.

 

[Frank Castle]

My fish are carnivorous...and sometimes cannibalistic

I however, don't feed them live. They're fed on alternating days with a variety of frozen fish and homemade gel food consisting of more fish, crushed pellets, vitachem and veggies such as carrots, spinach, squash etc...

I try to vary their diet as much as I can.

I think you got the right idea. I don't go to that extent, but I alternate as well, day 1 it's pellets and brineshrimp-flakes, then day 2 it's minced romaine/Greenleaf lettuce and smushed peas/lima beans, day 3 I do Krill, period. I even crush them into pieces or powder for my live-bearers and juveniles. When they get bigger, I have always added earthworms and gut-loaded, vita-dusted crickets to their diet along with any household bugs I catch. If I want to go with real fillets......my 2nd freezer is ALWAYS full of trout.

If you have trouble getting them to take veggies, use veggie/algae wafers or simply substitute an African cichlid formulated pellet with high vegetable composure twice a week or every other day. I like a formula with 40-45% crude protein for carnivores though, on the days you don't give them the African pellets and Krill is great at about 60-63%.

 

[Primitive Jaws]

I like that diversity that you mentioned #humanbean, and yet #ehh brings up a good point that makes me ponder on what is commonly available as frozen or pellet foods go. When it comes to pellet food i think of the ingredients of course not the brand. I am curious what you guys have to say about species specific diets to. Compared to common diets, what do you think about the benefits for it or the unnecessary need to mess with it?

Sorry if I worded that a little awkward.

 

[Primitive Jaws]

i like the home made deal #souzie is doin and i think with the 60- 63 % formula from #frank castle that you could come up with some pretty awesome frozen foods * nods head *

 

[souzie]

I think you got the right idea. I don't go to that extent, but I alternate as well, day 1 it's pellets and brineshrimp-flakes, then day 2 it's minced romaine/Greenleaf lettuce and smushed peas/lima beans, day 3 I do Krill, period. I even crush them into pieces or powder for my live-bearers and juveniles. When they get bigger, I have always added earthworms and gut-loaded, vita-dusted crickets to their diet along with any household bugs I catch. If I want to go with real fillets......my 2nd freezer is ALWAYS full of trout.

If you have trouble getting them to take veggies, use veggie/algae wafers or simply substitute an African cichlid formulated pellet with high vegetable composure twice a week or every other day. I like a formula with 40-45% crude protein for carnivores though, on the days you don't give them the African pellets and Krill is great at about 60-63%.

Doubt my guys would eat veggie pellets/algae wafers. They don't eat pellets period...which is why I crush it up and put it in their gel food. I normally use NLS, Hikari gold or sinking carnivore pellets.

I figured they could use some veggie content in their diet, which is why I add spinach and what not. I believe they get a little of that in their diet in the wild...I keep RBP's BTW.

So my typical feeding schedule would look something like this: day 1 - tilapia, day 2 - gel food, day 3 - cod, day 4 - gel food, day 5 - salmon, day 6 - gel food, day 7 - halibut and so on...

I make 2 kinds of gel food monthly and alternate them when feeding as well so that they're not constantly eating the same one.

 

[Primitive Jaws]

That's a pretty awesome pattern, and just to chime in with what do one of my fish is a South American lungfish . She gets frozen krill day 1, then silver sides on day 2, then hikari algae wafers on day 3 , then dubia roaches on day 3 , then earth worm on day 4 then hikari again then back to krill.

 

[Primitive Jaws]

oh and the odd spirinella cube instead of wafers at times