Who Gives A Fish Forums

Just got a pair of Apistogramma cacatuoides and wanna make sure I'm feeding them right. They're in a 20 gallon with sand substrate, some driftwood, and a few Java ferns. Been giving them flakes and frozen bloodworms twice a day. They seem to eat but not super excited. What's your routine?

I've had my Apistos for about a year now. They're in a 30 gallon with lots of hiding spots. I feed them a mix of frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, and high quality pellets. They go nuts for the brine shrimp. Maybe try varying their diet a bit?

Apistogramma are micropredators in the wild, so they prefer live or frozen foods. Flakes might not cut it. I'd recommend adding more protein like blackworms or even small crickets if you can find them. Also, keep an eye on water quality with heavy feeding.

kalixi wrote: ↑Sun May 04, 2025 10:11 am Apistogramma are micropredators in the wild, so they prefer live or frozen foods. Flakes might not cut it. I'd recommend adding more protein like blackworms or even small crickets if you can find them. Also, keep an eye on water quality with heavy feeding.

Totally agree. I've had success with Hikari Micro Pellets as a staple, then supplementing with frozen foods. My pair spawns regularly on this diet.

Mine are picky little buggers. They'll only eat frozen foods if I wiggle it with tweezers first. Gotta make it look alive or they ignore it. Maybe your guys are just spoiled like mine!

Thanks for the tips, everyone. Gonna grab some frozen brine shrimp and see if they perk up. Appreciate the help!

Let us know how it goes! Mine took a few days to really go for the new foods when I first got them. Patience is key.