Kubotai with African Cichlids

[Mclaren880]

I have an all male african cichlid tank, and when I set it up (about 16 months ago) the lady at the store said loaches do well in cichlid tanks. She's been pretty dead on with her advice about 90% of the time. There have been a few things she said that I have found to be completely false (mainly, that it's better to buy cichlids in pairs, as they like to have a "friend" like dogs do, lol). I don't want to totally bash her because usually she knows her stuff, but that advice seems to have been wrong (I don't have a single pair left in the tank, lol). I'm wondering if her loach advice was similarly misguided.

Problem is, after i switched the fish off flakes to NLS pellets, the Kubotai loaches basically don't seem to be getting food. I used to just put the flakes into some water and dump it into the tank. The flakes would go everywhere, and every fish (including the loaches) would get some food as it pretty much was everywhere for a short amount of time. I've stopped adding flakes recently on the fish store lady's advice (she said they like alge wafters), i also don't like the flakes because i have to add a ton of flakes just so they each will run into a few bites. I bet the loaches get 5% of what i dump in so its just adding a ton of waste to the tank. It's been almost 2 weeks since i stopped adding flakes, and the loaches seem to be less active the last few days. I saw one of them nibble a little at an algae wafer then leave it along after a couple seconds which makes me think they're not actually eating them. I also add blanched zuchinni every 2-3 days. I have mbuna in the tank, so adding high protien meats and stuff isn't an option. Aggression toward the loaches has not been an issue in the slightest. They do their own thing and the cichlids do their own thing too, they basically don't even acknowledge the other's presence.

So, does anyone have a trick to get them food? Am I making a big deal out of nothing? Do I need to just rehome them? My fiancee absolutely loves them, that's really the reason i haven't just rehomed them already. But if they aren't going to survive them i'm sure she'll understand.

[Mclaren880]

I guess i should also ask... Are algae wafers and blanched zucchini enough for them? I throw some in for my plecos and i've been tossing in some extra so the loaches could get some. But from what i read, it sounds like they need some meatier food, as well.

[bookpage]

Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place. Some of the below links may be of help to you.

http://www.loaches.com/species-index/cl ... wn%20loach
http://www.loaches.com/articles/why-loa ... i-cichlids
http://www.loaches.com/care/the-loach-a ... 1169437681