what are yall feeding your fish

[neut]

Something like 7 years ago I noticed that some of my fish didn't look as good after I had them several months as they did when I first got them-- I was feeding Hikari at the time, seller I got them from fed NLS. That started me doing a lot of comparative food testing. Result was out of everything I tested I went to NLS and Omega One (Shrimp pellets, Color pellets, occasional Super Veggie pellets). I've continued to compare the two products over the years, down to the point that I know which of my fish look better on which food, which look good either way, and with some fish, even what combination of the two and in what proportions works best. I've always added some freeze dried foods (shrimps, usually mysis, blood worms, etc.) either as a treat or because certain of my fish spawn more often with them-- I got off frozen foods years ago and only rarely feed anything live.

New products come on the market all the time and/or other products improve their formulas, so I'm not closed on the subject, but so far I haven't found anything I like better.

 

[dogofwar]

I'm a firm believer that aquarium fish are generally overfed, leading to fatty deposits on their internal organs and shorter lifespans.

In nature, fish that graze eat massive amounts of very low protein foods (e.g. algae, detritus, etc.). Predators don't get regular meals...but binge and starve based on what they can catch.

Less is more. Other than newborn fry, try NOT feeding a couple days per week. You'll see your fish grazing, you'll use less food and your tank(s) will be cleaner. Your fish may take a bit longer to get to full size...but they'll be healthier and live longer as well. I'm also a fan of lower temps for many of the same reasons (longer lives, cleaner tanks, less energy use/cost, etc.).

Color effects from fish food come primarily from the inclusion of Astaxanthin (reds and oranges from krill, paprika, etc.) and spirulina (blues and greens from algae, veggies, etc.). You can buy both in raw form from Kens (and other places, I'm sure).

Matt

 

[neut]

I'm a firm believer that aquarium fish are generally overfed, leading to fatty deposits on their internal organs and shorter lifespans.

Very much agree, though the science I've read wouldn't necessarily recommend routinely fasting young, growing fish.

Color effects from fish food come primarily from the inclusion of Astaxanthin (reds and oranges from krill, paprika, etc.) and spirulina (blues and greens from algae, veggies, etc.)

Not intending to be argumentative on this, but many hobbyists have simplistic misconceptions on this subject that don't match up to the science:

For one thing, spirulina itself has a lot more yellow/orange pigmented carotenoids than most people realize. I've seen people argue you should avoid astaxanthin for blue fish (like Zaire cyphotilapia), imagining it's bad for their color, while they recommend spirulina, based on not much more than imagining that its bluish-green color is what makes it good for blue fish. Doesn't quite work that way. It's not that diet doesn't influence color, but the color of a nutrient doesn't necessarily translate as the same color in scales, fins, feathers, or flesh. In terms of when carotenoids end up in visible pigmented cells, the end result depends on how it's processed. Red, orange, yellow pigments can be bound to proteins in such a way that the color displayed is completely different than the original color of the pigment.

Take astaxanthin, well known as the red in salmon skins. Various astaxanthin-protein complexes can be be blue, purple, green, etc. In fact it's astaxanthin that makes a blue lobster blue. My Kapampa get plenty of (natural) astaxanthin in their diet and they're plenty blue.

Not difficult to find a good amount of science literature to confirm all of this.

 

[festaedan]

I'm a firm believer that aquarium fish are generally overfed, leading to fatty deposits on their internal organs and shorter lifespans.

In nature, fish that graze eat massive amounts of very low protein foods (e.g. algae, detritus, etc.). Predators don't get regular meals...but binge and starve based on what they can catch.

Less is more. Other than newborn fry, try NOT feeding a couple days per week. You'll see your fish grazing, you'll use less food and your tank(s) will be cleaner. Your fish may take a bit longer to get to full size...but they'll be healthier and live longer as well. I'm also a fan of lower temps for many of the same reasons (longer lives, cleaner tanks, less energy use/cost, etc.).

Color effects from fish food come primarily from the inclusion of Astaxanthin (reds and oranges from krill, paprika, etc.) and spirulina (blues and greens from algae, veggies, etc.). You can buy both in raw form from Kens (and other places, I'm sure).

Matt

I agree, I'd rather have a healthy slow growing fish, than a rapid growing unhealthy fish.

 

[Pat Kelly]

My fish get 80% NLS and then the rest mostly YFS foods. I have been on NLS for about 10 years now.
For Fry I use NLS grow about 60% and YFS 40%
I even buy my NLS from the YFS site because they are a club sponsor.

If a company supports the club, then I support them by spending money.

 

[dogofwar]

Couldn't agree more that the science of fish color enhancement is much more complicated than what I've expressed, but - believe me - use of the two is common and works.

"Fasting" young fish from fish food isn't truly depriving them of food. There's lots and lots to eat in the average fish tank...even if you don't dump more in each day.

Matt

Very much agree, though the science I've read wouldn't necessarily recommend routinely fasting young, growing fish.

Not intending to be argumentative on this, but many hobbyists have simplistic misconceptions on this subject that don't match up to the science:

For one thing, spirulina itself has a lot more yellow/orange pigmented carotenoids than most people realize. I've seen people argue you should avoid astaxanthin for blue fish (like Zaire cyphotilapia), imagining it's bad for their color, while they recommend spirulina, based on not much more than imagining that its bluish-green color is what makes it good for blue fish. Doesn't quite work that way. It's not that diet doesn't influence color, but the color of a nutrient doesn't necessarily translate as the same color in scales, fins, feathers, or flesh. In terms of when carotenoids end up in visible pigmented cells, the end result depends on how it's processed. Red, orange, yellow pigments can be bound to proteins in such a way that the color displayed is completely different than the original color of the pigment.

Take astaxanthin, well known as the red in salmon skins. Various astaxanthin-protein complexes can be be blue, purple, green, etc. In fact it's astaxanthin that makes a blue lobster blue. My Kapampa get plenty of (natural) astaxanthin in their diet and they're plenty blue.

Not difficult to find a good amount of science literature to confirm all of this.

 

[rich_one]

I only feed my fish once every other day, and so far, that has given me very good results. I don't power feed them, but staying up on the water changes, I get good enough growth on my fish where I'm happy, and I feel my filters and water quality are better with this feeding schedule.

-Rich

 

[dogofwar]

There have been times when I've changed the water more frequently than I've fed my fish...

Matt

 

[neut]

There's lots and lots to eat in the average fish tank...even if you don't dump more in each day.

Matt

True, some tanks much more than others, depending how they're set up and maintained-- some setups are kept relatively sterile. In fact, I like driftwood in most of my tanks exactly for the reason that it tends to provide moss/algae/tiny critters in the bio-mat it supports.

In any case, my feeding schedule may differ from yours, but that hardly means I "dump more in each day". In fact, if anything, simply 'dumping' food in the tank is antithetical to what I do and what you won't see in my tanks-- ever-- is a fat, overfed fish.

My whole thing in this hobby is I've done it a long time, others have done it a long time, I've had a lot of success, others have had a lot of success-- I know what works for me and why but I also know there's more than one way to do things successfully.

On another note-- had a quick look at YFS food, hadn't heard of it before. What I don't like to see is "soy flour" in the ingredients. Here's an example why I'm not high on most soy products in fish food. Is this in all their products?

 

[mchambers]

I think soy flour is in most YFS food. It's also in Ken's flakes. You raise an interesting point.

 

[neut]

Few years ago I had a discussion with the Canada distributor of NLS on soy (actually he's gotten out of that business recently). Some of you probably know who I mean as he's knowledgeable on fish nutrition and has posted on forums for years about fish nutrition, why NLS is better than other foods, etc.

My thread at the time was basically that in my reading I'd found a lot of negative aquaculture/science information on soy in fish food. I posted links to some of the information and asked if could he tell me more about the "soy protein isolate" that was an ingredient in NLS at the time. He agreed on the anti-nutritional factors in soy, but basically said that the "soy protein isolate" in NLS was an expensive ingredient, not the same as in most soy in fish food, and that it had the bad stuff processed out of it.

However, a while back I noticed soy protein isolate had been taken off the NLS label. Talked to him about this a few months ago and, while I won't publicly post any privileged information, he basically said he too was happy to see NLS take it out of their food and that recent improvements in some of their other ingredients made the soy ingredient unnecessary (as a binder).

Several fish food brands have soy in them, lot of hobbyists feed them without paying much attention to it or knowing much about it and never know the difference as far as their fish are concerned. So it's not like it's a toxic ingredient that's ostensibly killing off fish left and right. But based on studies I've seen like the one in the link above and considering there are fish foods without soy, at least for me personally it's a disqualifier if I see it on a new food people are talking about, especially in the form of soy flour or soybean meal.

 

[mchambers]

Looking through the YFS choices, it looks fairly hit or miss on the soy content. Some have it, especially the flakes, but some do not.

 

[MarkK]

I feed a large variety of foods, I really like:

Golden Pearls from Kensfish and YFS for fry and juveniles (available in various sizes, I use 500-800 micron for larger fry and juveniles and 100-200 micron for smaller)
Microworms for fry and juveniles
Decapsulated brine shrimp eggs from YFS for fry. Much easier than hatching.
Ken's green 1mm pellets
Ken's green 1.25mm pellets
Ken's color crumble #1 (for fry and juveniles)
Kens growth #2 for Juveniles
Dainichi Color FX (baby size) for all adult fish
Dainichi Veggie FX (baby size) for all adult fish
Hikari Cichlid Excel sinking

Plus I sometimes feed Repashy's Soilent Green or Super Green, and occasionally grindal worms. I feed the grindals various other foods that I may have purchased that turned out to be too large sized or unsuitable in some other way, or that I get free through CCA or PVAS.

 

[festaedan]

I feed a large variety of foods, I really like:

Golden Pearls from Kensfish and YFS for fry and juveniles (available in various sizes, I use 500-800 micron for larger fry and juveniles and 100-200 micron for smaller)
Microworms for fry and juveniles
Decapsulated brine shrimp eggs from YFS for fry. Much easier than hatching.
Ken's green 1mm pellets
Ken's green 1.25mm pellets
Ken's color crumble #1 (for fry and juveniles)
Kens growth #2 for Juveniles
Dainichi Color FX (baby size) for all adult fish
Dainichi Veggie FX (baby size) for all adult fish
Hikari Cichlid Excel sinking

Plus I sometimes feed Repashy's Soilent Green or Super Green, and occasionally grindal worms. I feed the grindals various other foods that I may have purchased that turned out to be too large sized or unsuitable in some other way, or that I get free through CCA or PVAS.

What fish are you feeding this to, sounds like a solid list of foods.

 

[SpacejamsPR]

Wat's up everyone. I've been feeding NewLifeSpectrum the whole time I have been keeping large cichlids and predatory catfish. Recently I've seen many people having good results on this new YourFishStuff brand food. Many people also seem to like hikari . I was just wondering what everyone feeds there fish and I will be happy to hear everyones oppinions.

You know bro you saw how my fishes look on hikari food sticks if i had money i would have like 20 bags lol is expensive but is well worth it bro new fish fall inlove with it ! I can promise you


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[MarkK]

What fish are you feeding this to, sounds like a solid list of foods.

I currently only keep Lake Tangs, various species, mostly cave / substrate spawners.

 

[festaedan]

You know bro you saw how my fishes look on hikari food sticks if i had money i would have like 20 bags lol is expensive but is well worth it bro new fish fall inlove with it ! I can promise you


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

defenitely gonna pick up some massivore and food sticks for my monsters. I'm sure my arowana will love it.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I was cleaning up some yesterday. I noticed that I have 20 empty buckets from the NLS... Holy crap. That does not count the ones I have given away or thrown away.
20 buckets X almost $50.00 per bucket..... Equals a lot of cash spent on this stuff. LOL
I think I probably used 5 or more buckets at the Son's house when we painted last year.
This hobby adds up in the long haul. LOL

 

[festaedan]

I was cleaning up some yesterday. I noticed that I have 20 empty buckets from the NLS... Holy crap. That does not count the ones I have given away or thrown away.
20 buckets X almost $50.00 per bucket..... Equals a lot of cash spent on this stuff. LOL
I think I probably used 5 or more buckets at the Son's house when we painted last year.
This hobby adds up in the long haul. LOL

Wow! thats well over 1000 dollars of food.

 

[verbal]

I was cleaning up some yesterday. I noticed that I have 20 empty buckets from the NLS... Holy crap. That does not count the ones I have given away or thrown away.

How many were sold as lamp extenders?