Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hi everyone,

I was thinking about Malawi cichlid diets and I know they need less protein and more algae/plant matter, but I'm curious to know what you all feed your Malawi cichlids and synodontis.

I've had good results with NTlabs Pro-f Cichlid Green 33 food - it really brings out their colours. However, it's quite pricey at around £8 for 100ml or £40 for 1kg, and it seems to get eaten quickly.

I've been considering JBL Novo Malawi as a more affordable option - has anyone tried it? I'm hoping it might last a bit longer.

Whatever I choose, I'll be buying in bulk since the fish will go through it eventually.

I've never tried JBL, but I've had good results with New Life Spectrum - it's definitely worth considering. Plus, they offer it in larger sizes, which would likely be more cost-effective in the long run.

Never used the JBL food myself. New Life Spectrum is a solid choice, plus it's available in bigger containers. That stuff does look pretty good, by the way. One thing that's always bugged me about NT labs food is that it all floats, so the lower-dwellers tend to miss out.

I've used NTlabs Pro-f Cichlid Green 33 food before and it did the job, bringing out their colours really well.

I've recently switched over to Cobalt, and I'm really pleased with their products. I've got two types of sinking pellets and some spirulina flakes that the fish seem to love. Their heaters are also top-notch.

Initially, the fish were a bit perplexed by the rod-shaped pellets, but now they devour them without any issues. To make things easier for my juveniles, I break the pellets into smaller pieces as they were a bit too long for them. The flakes, on the other hand, are mainly for the fry and smaller fish. I know it's a bit pricey, but I think the quality justifies the cost. Buying online might be cheaper, but I prefer supporting my local pet store.

As for the size, I've taken a picture with a toothpick to give you an idea – the spirulina pellets are on the left, and the other pellets are on the right.