Cichlid Pellet Size Chart Guide: Mouth Size to Pellet Diameter
Feed a peacock cichlid pellets meant for oscars and you will watch half the food sink past him uneaten. Feed the same fish micro pellets and he burns more energy chasing than he gains from eating. This cichlid pellet size chart guide from Gensou Aquascaping at 5 Everton Park, Singapore, distils 20 years of observing how mouth size, feeding style, and pellet diameter interact, so you can pick the right SKU the first time rather than stacking four half-empty tubs on your shelf.
Why Pellet Size Matters More Than Brand
Fish swallow whole. A pellet wider than the gape is either rejected or chewed — which leaches nutrients into the water — and a pellet too small is eaten inefficiently, with many grains missed entirely. In a standard mbuna tank, correct pellet sizing cuts daily feed cost by 20-30 per cent because more of each gram ends up inside the fish. This matters over 12 months of feeding a stocked 240-litre tank.
Measuring Mouth Gape Correctly
Net the fish briefly and gently open the mouth with a wet finger. Measure the resting gape across the widest point, not the maximum stretched opening. As a rule of thumb, pellet diameter should sit at around 30-40 per cent of resting gape. For a 12cm peacock cichlid with a 10mm gape, the ideal pellet sits at 3-4mm. Going slightly smaller is always safer than going larger.
Size Categories Across Brands
Most brands label pellets by descriptive tier, not by millimetre, which makes cross-brand comparison confusing. Typical real diameters are: Micro 0.8-1.2mm, Mini 1.5-2mm, Small 2.5-3mm, Medium 4-5mm, Large 6-7mm, XL or Jumbo 8-10mm. Hikari Cichlid Gold Baby sits at 1.5mm, Cichlid Gold Mini at 3mm, and Cichlid Gold Medium at 5mm. NLS Thera-A runs similar sizing. Omega One Cichlid Pellets are slightly larger at each tier.
Juvenile Cichlids Under 5cm
Fish under 5cm total length — including almost all mbuna fry, young peacocks, and juvenile convicts — should eat micro or mini pellets at 0.8-1.5mm. Crushing larger pellets with a mortar works in a pinch but produces uneven dust that wastes protein. Three or four small feedings a day beat one large feed at this size; digestion is fast and stomachs are small.
Mid-Size Mbuna and Peacocks 5-12cm
This is where most hobbyists mis-feed. A 10cm yellow lab has a gape of 7-8mm, which calls for a 2.5-3mm pellet — not the 5mm “cichlid pellet” most shops sell as default. Use Small or Mini SKUs here. In a mixed Malawi community, feeding the smallest appropriate size lets the subordinates get their share because dominants cannot inhale two pellets at once.
Large Peacocks and Haps 12-20cm
Adult peacocks, aulonocara breeders, and display haps take 4-5mm medium pellets comfortably. Watch for pellet sinking behaviour — a good medium pellet sinks slowly enough that it drifts past mid-water feeders before hitting substrate. This matters because Aulonocara species naturally feed by sifting the sand; slow-sinking pellets give them time to track and strike.
Oscars, Jaguars, and Predators 20cm+
Large American predators above 20cm need 6-10mm large or XL pellets. Feeding smaller sizes causes overfeeding — a hungry oscar will eat 30 small pellets and still beg, then bloat within a day. Two or three large pellets twice daily satisfies both the fish and your filter. Soak XL pellets for 10 seconds before dropping if your oscar has a habit of swallowing and spitting — pre-softened pellets stay put.
Shell Dwellers and Dwarf Cichlids
Neolamprologus multifasciatus, Apistogramma, and similar dwarf cichlids with gapes under 5mm need micro pellets exclusively — 0.8-1.0mm works. Crushed flake is acceptable but sinks in an uncontrolled cloud. Hikari Micro Pellets and NLS Small Fish Formula both hit this size well. Target two or three small feedings with whatever sinks slowly enough to reach the shell entrance.
Frontosa and Cyphotilapia
Frontosa have large mouths relative to body size and deliberate feeding behaviour. An adult 25cm frontosa takes 8-10mm sinking pellets cleanly. Floating pellets force the fish to break its natural vertical feeding posture, which stresses spinal alignment over years. Always use sinking SKUs for frontosa and similar deep-bodied Tanganyikans.
Sinking vs Floating for Each Size
Surface feeders like male peacocks and colony mbuna accept floating pellets readily, but bottom species — julidochromis, most tropheus, and shell dwellers — need sinking. Mixed communities benefit from a half-and-half feed: floating for the dominants, sinking a few seconds later for subordinates and bottom species. This single change reduces aggression because the tank feeds at two levels simultaneously.
Transitioning Pellet Sizes
When fish grow, move up one size tier every 2-3 cm of growth. Do not jump two tiers; mix old and new pellets 50/50 for a week to give fish time to adjust to the new bite. A pellet that suddenly seems too big usually just needs a few days of acceptance.
Storage for Singapore Climate
Humidity ruins pellets fast here. Decant from the tub into a sealed glass jar with a silica sachet and keep only a week’s worth at the feeding station. Once pellets soften or smell rancid, throw them out — oxidised fish oil causes HLLE and gut irritation even if the pellet still looks fine.
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