its not really fancy. LoL I get all these foods at the asian market for a good price. It comes out to be the same cost as feeding massivores.Fancy fancy!
Good to hear
Their wild diet is mostly tilapia and insects (for sens) if I recall correctly. More bugs then!
Pimping the diet
- Thread starter Hendre
- Start date
Here is Fishbase's list of stuff sens are known to eat:Fancy fancy!
Good to hear
Their wild diet is mostly tilapia and insects (for sens) if I recall correctly. More bugs then!
https://www.fishbase.de/TrophicEco/...kcode=5259&genus=Polypterus&species=senegalus
No tilapia. It seems they eat mostly inverts, and then after that, characins (probably what is most available). Looking at the places they come from, the list of small fish they live with goes on and on, they probably get a lot of variety. I would worry a touch about fillet though, as in the wild they would eat the guts of the fish they hunt, which contain many things that muscle (fillet) doesn't have, but IDK.
RD.
is our nutrition expert. 
Bang! Exactly when we are feeding tilapia it's just the flesh not all the other stuff in the fish that your fish needs for proper health. In the wild carnivores go for the guts first and eat the gut content so they get the plant matter that the animal they killed ate. Same goes for polys/predatory fish in the wild they eat the whole fish, bug, frog, shrimp, crab, whatever.Here is Fishbase's list of stuff sens are known to eat:
https://www.fishbase.de/TrophicEco/...kcode=5259&genus=Polypterus&species=senegalus
No tilapia. It seems they eat mostly inverts, and then after that, characins (probably what is most available). Looking at the places they come from, the list of small fish they live with goes on and on, they probably get a lot of variety. I would worry a touch about fillet though, as in the wild they would eat the guts of the fish they hunt, which contain many things that muscle (fillet) doesn't have, but IDK.
You need to feed a complete diet tilapia is not a complete diet unless you are feeding the whole fish that has been gut loaded. Or you are some other way compensating for vitamins and roughage. Don't know too many polys that could eat a whole tilapia that we consume though. In the short term it's not a bad thing but feeding only tilapia for its life is a terrible idea and probably going to be a shorter less attractive one at that.
^
this
Farmed fish fillet offers mainly two nutrients, amino acids (protein) and fatty acids. And those profiles are not even that great for part of a fishes diet. After that it's all down hill nutrient wise, and that's not even considering the overall health and safety of that tilapia, before it arrives at your local grocer.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/tilapia-consumption/
https://edrugsearch.com/never-eat-tilapia/
https://www.wimp.com/the-dangers-of-eating-tilapia/
.... there's most likely scores of similar articles.
I personally do not eat farmed tilapia, and I'll eat damn near anything.
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Not arguing with the nutritional aspect of Palin ol' chopped tilapia from the supermarket BUT...... I personally know of members who have fed their Polysainly tilapia and they've grown some 20+ inch monsters.
That said. I prefer a mix of tilapia and pellets.
Hendre
if you can pick up some Boyd's vitachem that'll boost nutritional value
That said. I prefer a mix of tilapia and pellets.
Hendre
if you can pick up some Boyd's vitachem that'll boost nutritional valueBtw be careful when treating info from sites like fishbase or seriouslyfish like gospel those sites are full of inaccuracies
Certainly, but growth alone should never be the true measuring stick when evaluating the overall health (and longevity) of a fish. I can grow cichlids out like a hot damn on a diet of trout chow (which is high in both crude protein & crude fat) but I will also guarantee that same diet of trout chow will eventually lead to health complications such as fatty infiltration of the liver, heavy vacuolation, and necrosis of the liver, pancreas, and spleen. In a nutshell, a shortened lifespan.
And Frank, adding Vitachem isn't going to boost much of anything, if Hendre is already feeding a staple of decent quality pellets. It's not like adding vitamins is going to change the omega 3 to 6 ratio, or undo any of the other potential issues that can come with fish farmed in China. Tilapia is relatively cheap, and widely available, but IMO a far cry from pimping a fishes diet.
Only pimp on this thread is ME !
Neil agree completely about the pellets but for some huge growth is important. I'd rather have an old fish than a big fish.
You don't think bvc is worth using on tilapia ? I like it on fish that are extremely hard to pellet train like juruense. I feel.like it's at least something.. ya know Big Mac large fries, milk shake and a carrot (small one)
LOL, yes you the man Frank.
Vitachem is great to use as a supplement on fresh/frozen, if fresh/frozen is the main staple of the fishes diet. I used it when feeding mussels to a puffer that I once owned. But if someone is already feeding high quality pellets even 3-4 times a week, there's really no reason to add Vitachem to the mix.
I am not against feeding frozen to fish, I'm just not a big fan of feeding farmed tilapia fillet.
Vitachem is great to use as a supplement on fresh/frozen, if fresh/frozen is the main staple of the fishes diet. I used it when feeding mussels to a puffer that I once owned. But if someone is already feeding high quality pellets even 3-4 times a week, there's really no reason to add Vitachem to the mix.
I am not against feeding frozen to fish, I'm just not a big fan of feeding farmed tilapia fillet.
