[IceChamber]

Ok I have been using New Life Spectrum 1mm sinking pellets for my tropical community freshwater tank since I started it. It is what the local fish store recommended to me.

Today I tried something new because I got a free sample in my filters. It is the Marineland color-enhancing tropical flakes. I noticed my candy cane tetras LOVED these... They ate more then I have ever seen them eat before. I always worried about them eating enough.

So now I am pondering the question as to the best food to use in my freshwater tank?

I also use API Algae Eater wafers (1 a day for my pleco).

Anyone have any advice?

 

[jaysee]

The NLS you already have.

Their zeal for eating something is not a reflection of the quality of the food. I'll take a look at the ingredient list and we will see what's what.

Eh, not impressed. I hope all the dyes in the food is not what enhances the color of the fish.....

 

[thekoimaiden]

Some fish will gobble up anything offered to them in much the same manner that dogs will often eat most things offered to them. Doesn't always mean it's good for them. Since you got it as a free sample might as well use it up, but the NLS you have is the better food.

 

[jaysee]

I wouldn't use it up. It was free, and is no where near as good as te NLS. Would suck to get constipation or bloat as a result of feeding an inferior food just because it's free. Free is all the more reason to toss it IMO.

 

[IceChamber]

Well what is the best BRAND of food to use though.

I have done a lot of reading since I posted this and seems there are different opinions.

I think I want to get the best brand, and do pellets and flakes for a variety. But I want to ensure I am give my little guys the best food they can get.

 

[jaysee]

There will always be differing opinions on what is "best" because we all have our own criteria for what makes one thing better than another. All you can do is ask for an explanation of why someone thinks something is better, if they haven't provided that on their own. Then you can more accurately determine if it's what's best for your situation. Sometimes comparisons are fair, sometimes they are not fair. Too often it becomes an apples and oranges discussion.

 

[Tolak]

Most people will feast on steak, broccoli with cheese sauce, and a good baked potato. Eat it every day for a week & you'll be sick of it, every day for a month & you'll probably be physically ill. The same applies to fish, NLS is a really good product, the flakes may be OK, but won't kill the fish, just like you eating a bag of Doritos won't kill you. Add in some good live or frozen foods with the NLS, perhaps some fresh veggies now & then, a good variety is going to be better than any one product.

 

[IceChamber]

Fresh veggies???

I never though of that. What kind of veggies are good for my fish? And how do I go about giving them to them.

Also I do add in frozen blood worms every now and then

 

[jaysee]

Except that a steak, broccoli and cheese sauce and a baked potato is hardly complete nutrition, even with butter, bacon and sour cream

 

[Agent13]

Fresh veggies???



I never though of that. What kind of veggies are good for my fish? And how do I go about giving them to them.



Also I do add in frozen blood worms every now and then

I add fresh zucchini on a veggie clip a couple times a week . Otherwise NLS has it all covered really


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[Tolak]

Except that a steak, broccoli and cheese sauce and a baked potato is hardly complete nutrition, even with butter, bacon and sour cream

You're right, pizza is. :lol: Even if you add soup & a salad to the steak dinner, while being pretty complete it isn't something to live a lifetime off of. Mix it up for the fish, the same as you do for yourself, and you will provide a more balanced diet.

 

[jaysee]

My fish don't seem to mind eating the same food. They eagerly fill their bellies every day. Except for 21 days this month. They're no doubt pretty hungry - I should feed them since I'm home.

 

[Tolak]

Their zeal for eating something is not a reflection of the quality of the food.

My fish don't seem to mind eating the same food. They eagerly fill their bellies every day.

One or the other now. I'm working on the lifetime of pizza, but mixing in some steaks to play it safe.

 

[jaysee]

One or the other now.

They are two completely independent things - It's not one or the other. I eagerly gobble up both broccoli (without cheese sauce) and cookies, though one is clearly better for me than the other. Keep it coming

 

[Tolak]

I'm glad you understand where I'm coming from then. Fish will gladly subsist on one single food, though it may not be the best idea for them. In my mind I'd gladly subsist on pizza, but had to polish off the leftover pizza to make room in the fridge for the thawing steaks. I really wish there was one single fish food that filled all requirements, it would make feeding much easier, just like ordering pizza all the time would make feeding me easier. Sadly life doesn't work that way.

 

[jaysee]

It's really a matter of good, better and best. Good is good and better is better, but good and better are not bad because they're not the best. There are people that take pet food to the extreme (especially in the dog world), and they are welcome to do that. There are people that take their own diets to the extreme, and that's their choice to do. It;s great that they've found something about which to be passionate. We all need passion in our lives.

 

[jaysee]

I've certainly never once claimed that feeding solely staple food was the best diet - even a high quality one like NLS, but I do believe feeding a single high quality staple food is better than feeding a variety of lower quality foods. To feed something like tetramin or hikari instead of NLS for the sake of variety is a mistake IMO. As I've said, the negatives of those foods faaaaar exceed any possible benefit derived from diversity. I always advocate feeding high quality food, no matter what it is.

 

[henningc]

Stop already, we are on fish food not feeding the forum members. Hope IceChamber is still reading. If we want to get right down to it live and natural foods are in fact best hands down. I've been in this discussion before and yes, I know brewers yeast is not exactly food fish get in the wild. Kind of like kelp is not exactly a natural part of the human diet but very good for us nontheless.

I use Ocean Nutrition, Kens Specialty Foods, a few ingredient specific of other brand products and live or natural foods. I produce almost all my live food less mosquito larva and tadpoles which appear in my outdoor containment containers. The containers are used solely for that purpose, drained and cleaned frquently and I have never had a problem.

I rotate two different types of flakes daily, one from ON and one from Ken's. All livebearers, except the Belonasox, get live brine shrimp 2 x daily. When they are available, they also get a good feeding of mosquito larva and daphnia. If you want color, freeze dried cyclops are all you need for the little guys and feed it to your feeders for the big guys. I also keep my cherry shrimp thinned out by feeding some of them off. I just put some water in a cup with cyclops or pure spirulina powder wait for it to dust the bottom and let the shrimp eat it for a few hours then into the tank they go-Yummy. Reptile calcium powder the same way for gut loading feeder snails. Try feeding the shrimp or crayfish this and thank me later.

Just keep in mind, in nature fish pick contantly at any object around them. They obviously are getting some benefit from it.

 

[Agent13]

I think the main point here is .. The OP has a free sample of sub par food. Should they use it because its both free and the fish like it? No. My kids would destroy cake if offered as a meal( thad'd be nice if was free too!) but thats NOT the best food.
Now I do agree mixing superior foods would be great.. Not needed yet would be an even better diet then a good one... If done right. Live foods can be great.. But arent better simply because they are live. When moving to live foods my anal side comes out from my extremely particular reptile husbandry... Ask Jaysee.. He will tell you its faaaarrrr more then hes willing to do ( and most of the forum members Id bet) and a lot of work. The live foods need to be of good ratios of nutritional value ... Brine shrimp for the most part isnt more then roughage.. Baby brine is better however then grown brine.. Also if youre doing live you need to feed it a diet that'll be superior as a way of gut loading them. Theres a lot more to this then making a blanket statement that "live is best" . You better be prepared for a lot of work to get the "best" for your fish.

I dont know about the specific ON you have but the one I have( that hasnt made it to the trash yet) is junk. First ingredient is wheat flour then fish meal then wheat gluten lol.. Its a joke.


Very good idea about using the reptile calcium.. You're using without the d3? D3 can cause issues because of overdose. I have calcium available and interested in trying . I also have one with serrapeptase to assist absorption .

 

[Tolak]

It's really a matter of good, better and best. Good is good and better is better, but good and better are not bad because they're not the best. There are people that take pet food to the extreme (especially in the dog world), and they are welcome to do that. There are people that take their own diets to the extreme, and that's their choice to do. It;s great that they've found something about which to be passionate. We all need passion in our lives.

People do get wacked over dog food! There's a couple dog & cat food analysis sites out there where they rate the foods, one for fish food would be nice. I ran into one some time back, but it was nowhere near as in depth as the dog & cat food review sites.

I've certainly never once claimed that feeding solely staple food was the best diet - even a high quality one like NLS, but I do believe feeding a single high quality staple food is better than feeding a variety of lower quality foods. To feed something like tetramin or hikari instead of NLS for the sake of variety is a mistake IMO. As I've said, the negatives of those foods faaaaar exceed any possible benefit derived from diversity. I always advocate feeding high quality food, no matter what it is.

Oh no doubt, start with a high quality dry food like NLS, Omega One or such, and work off of that. A variety of junk for fish is like us living off a variety of fast food, not a good plan. Funny how the biggest names are lower quality, the less advertised ones are a way better product. Works the same with other pet foods as well.

Stop already, we are on fish food not feeding the forum members. Hope IceChamber is still reading. If we want to get right down to it live and natural foods are in fact best hands down. I've been in this discussion before and yes, I know brewers yeast is not exactly food fish get in the wild. Kind of like kelp is not exactly a natural part of the human diet but very good for us nontheless.

Live foods should be included, as this is what is part of a fish's natural diet. Problem there is often ease of availability and a clean source. For the "kelp" part of a fish's diet, baby brine shrimp is a big staple for fry, a good beefheart mix is often fed to larger fish, neither of which they would run into in nature, but both are excellent food sources. I won't even try to list what I feed, but I do have 7 beefhearts from an organic beef farmer in my freezer waiting to be processed into food.

I think the OP has an excellent start with the NLS, rotate in some of the foods mentioned & enjoy your happy healthy fish.