Good pellet food

[Coryloach]

All my pond fish below have eaten pretty much almost only NLS with the rare occasional frozen treat. They're really healthy fish. I haven't even had a case of a split fin that I can remember.

Some food for thought below...

Hikari carnivore:

Fish meal, krill meal, brewers dried yeast, cassava starch, soybean meal, wheat starch, fish oil, wheat flour, dried seaweed meal, spirulina, DL-methionine, potato starch, astaxanthin, L-lysine, canthaxanthin, garlic, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilized vitamin C), inositol, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, niacin, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, ferrous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, red 3 (artificial color).* 09-51K

Omega one cichlid pellets:

Salmon, Whole Herring, Wheat Germ, Wheat Flour, Whole Shrimp, Pea Protein, Rice Bran, Kelp, Wheat Gluten, Astaxanthin, Canthaxanthin, Marigold Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Ethoxyquin (Preservative), BHT (Preservative), BHA (Preservative), Natural and Artificial Colors, Ascorbyl Monophosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Niacin, Inositol, Folic Acid, Biotin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Northfin cichlid formula

Whole Antarctic Krill Meal, High Omega-3 (DHA) Herring Meal, Whole Sardine Meal, Wheat Flour, Kelp, Spirulina, Garlic, Astaxanthin (Haematococcus Algae), Calcium Montmorillonite Clay, Vitamin A Acetate, L-Ascorby-2-Polyphospate (Source of Vitamin C), D-Activated Animal-Sterol (D3), DL Alphatocopherol (E), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium, Zinc.

New Life Spectrum Cichlids formula

Whole Antarctic Krill, Whole Herring, Whole Wheat Flour, Algae, Beta Carotene, Spirulina, Garlic, Vegetable and Fruit Extract, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Niacin, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Stable C), Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Choline Chloride

 

[RD.]

FYI ...… the most recent NLS Cichlid formula is as follows;

Ingredients: Whole Antarctic Krill**, Giant Squid*, Whole Wheat Flour, Whole Menhaden Fish*, Ulva Seaweed, Chlorella Seaweed, Wakame Seaweed, Kelp, Garlic, Ginger, Astaxanthin, Spirulina, Omega-3 Fish Oil*, Marigold, Zeaxanthin, Capsanthin, Eucheuma cottonii Seaweed, Chondrus crispus Seaweed, Spinosum Seaweed, Bentonite Clay, Sea Salt

*Naturox (a preservative) used, **Krill vacuum preserved

Vitamins and Minerals: Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C), Choline Chloride, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate

Nutrition Info: Protein (Min.) 37%; Fat (Min.) 8%; Fiber (Max.) 7%; Moisture (Max.) 10%; Ash (Max.) 10%; Vitamin A (Min.) 10,000 IU/Kg; Vitamin D (Min.) 3,500 IU/Kg; Vitamin E (Min.) 400 IU/Kg.

 

[Coryloach]

My blackworms eating NLS pellets, lol

A creative hillstream loach that never liked joining the fuss on the sand. He's been eating NLS pellets upside down from the glass, a bit like a ray, since I got him about 3 years ago.

I want to note that hillstream loaches are very fussy eaters. They just don't ever eat everything. I have several different species that all eat NLS pellets...besides algae.

 

[DRC]

Raised on NLS ……..


View attachment 1372481



Sounds to me like your fish have simply become accustomed to certain textures and taste. Training tip of the day - don't feed for a few days, let the fish get hungry. Pre-soak the pellets in frozen blood worm juice, which will allow the pellets to soften up, which will increase overall palatability. The added smell from the BW should trigger a feed response in a healthy fish. Feed once in the AM, while fish are most hungry. Rinse, and repeat, until the fish are eating what you decide to feed them, then slowly wean them off of the pre-soak until the food is 100% dry.

My fish eat anything & everything that I offer them. A hungry fish is a healthy fish.

Good luck

That’s something I may try. But my fish are weird and don’t always act like they’re supposed to. I guess they can’t read the care sheets lol. The tank sits right in front of a large window, so although it doesn’t get direct sunlight it does get a decent amount of light from sunrise to sunset. But my fish have very little appetite in the morning but usually have a much better feeding response in the evening. So much for those fishermen that think they have to be out there at the crack of dawn to catch anything. Apparently my fish prefer sleeping in.

 

[DRC]

I would try the NLS, but get a floating formula. If found natives can be picky with new food, but if it floats it will give them time to test it out. Once they realize it is food, they will hit it as soon as it hits the water.

My fish can be a little weird, they won’t eat floating food. They did when they were smaller especially freeze dried bloodworms, but not anymore. I think I failed to mention I also have a Green Texas in the tank and I think that they might feel exposed going up to eat floating food, but I’m just guessing. There’s no real aggression in the tank but everyone has their territory and places to hide and plenty of barriers to break up the line of site and to help break off chases.

 

[RD.]

That’s something I may try. But my fish are weird and don’t always act like they’re supposed to. I guess they can’t read the care sheets lol.

It all boils down to training, it's that simple. IME the vast majority of fish (including wild caught) can be trained to eat whatever pellet that one chooses to feed. I've done this so many times over the years that I've lost count. Different brands, different formulas, numerous species of fish.

As an example .......

But my fish have very little appetite in the morning but usually have a much better feeding response in the evening.

Stop feeding in the evening, and see how quickly that changes. These aren't circus poodles, they're fish, with basic instincts that can easily be tweaked to respond if one knows how to go about it. As I said previously, stop feeding for a few days, get them good and hungry, then only feed in the AM, and only sparingly, using my technique with the juice of frozen BW. If I can train fish such as juvenile Apteronotus albifrons (Black Ghost Knifefish) to eat NLS pellets, in under 2 weeks you can certainly train the fish that you own. It's simply a matter of patience, and perseverance.

Right now your fish have you trained, because they know that if they refuse a new food, you will be back later in the day to feed them with something that for whatever reason they find more palatable.

 

[TheReefer]

Well seeing as sunfish are primarily insect eaters, I think Fluval Bug Bites would be a good bet, with perch being a mostly carnivore, I think New Life Spectrum Float Extra Large would be a good thing to feed them, and for the bullhead catfish a good pellet would be New Life Spectrum Mega Fish Formula
Something that would be good for giving them some plant matter for all the fish would be New Life Spectrum Algaemax

 

[RD.]

Bug Bites are nothing at all like feeding insects. From a past post on this food, not long after they hit the market in the US. Initially posted in the poly section, but it has been spread around in several sections since. IMO this food is a farce, at least as far as some kind of "insect" based supplement. One would be far better off to feed gut loaded insects, if insect supplementation was the goal.

This food isn't exactly new, it's been on the market for over a year. I started feed trials with it last year. Probably just took a while to reach parts of the USA. Someone PM's me about this food yesterday, so I'll add on here for anyone else interested.

Pros

1. all species of fish readily eat it, except one, my adult midas. He prefers anything but, the bugs. I would expect most polys to eat it without too much issue. I suspect the high fat level adds to the taste/smell.

2. A sustainable & novel form of protein is used.

Cons

1. Protein is not just from fly larvae, they also include some form of salmon, fish protein concentrate, and peas. I would have preferred to not see terrestrial plant matter (peas) being utilized as protein (might as well be soybeans), or fish protein concentrate, and would have preferred to see a LOT more fly larvae meal.

2. It's a high energy food with a minimum of 12.5% crude fat, which means the average fat level, or typical analysis, would be closer to 15%. IMO that's far too high for most tropical fish to consume as a daily staple. Especially species of fish that don't expend a lot of energy in an aquarium.

2. No aquatic plant matter. None. No spirulina, no kelp, no form of algae or seaweed. Even fish classified as strict carnivores in nature typically consume some aquatic plant matter via the guts of their prey. I personally like to see aquatic plant matter in all formulas of fish food. The lack of this is a big negative in my book.

3. Potato - why? If the company was more specific one would know, but without further details it could be used as another terrestrial based protein (potato protein concentrate) or as a binding agent (potato starch). Who knows? Either way, no thanks to feeding potatoes to carnivores - the wheat in this formula should suffice as a binding agent.

If combined (peas/potato/wheat) the inclusion rate of terrestrial based plant matter in this formula might be alarming.


BTW - I would not count on EQ levels being low just because insect larvae meal is used as one of the main protein sources. The company might share that info with you, or not? Probably not, as most manufacturers probably don't test their final formulations as there is no requirement to do so.

Due to the higher protein, and high fat levels, this formula would probably work well as a conditioning food for fish getting ready to spawn, but due to the reasons listed above I would not feed as a daily staple, to polys, or anything else.

Just my Canadian 2 cents worth .....

and another past discussion on this same food.

Yes, fly larvae can be eco friendly. So what? I'm personally not trying to save the planet by keeping fish in a glass box. lol

My only interest in a fish food is it's nutritional profile, to which, IMO this food fails.

When presented using names such as "bug bites" consumers believe they are feeding insects (Black Soldier Fly) to their fish, when in reality they are feeding BSF larvae, along with a mix of potatoes. peas, wheat, etc. The nutritional composition of BSF larvae depend at least partially on the composition of their feeding medium, so what those larvae are fed on the BSF farm will partially reflect what their nutritional profile is. Obviously this will vary, as will the maximum inclusion rate in feed among various fish species.

These novel sources of protein are specifically designed to lower feed costs, by reducing and/or replacing fish protein. But at the end of the day, nothing truly replaces the protein, fat, and natural growth enhancing substances found in wild fish. Even in this product the second ingredient listed by weight is Fish Protein Concentrate. With regards to feeding fish, seafood such as fish, krill, shrimp, etc, along with aquatic based plant matter will always be nutritionally superior to fly larvae and potatoes, but at some point in the future the cost of those ingredients may outweigh their nutrient profile with some portions of this hobby. If the day ever comes that I can't afford to feed quality foods to my fish, I'll shut my tanks down and find a different hobby.

and another …….

Other novel sources of protein have most come and gone, such as pea protein. For the same reason as other terrestrial based plants, it's inclusion rate is limited when feeding fish. These novel sources of protein are specifically designed to lower feed costs, by reducing and/or replacing fish protein. But at the end of the day, nothing truly replaces the protein, fat, and growth enhancing substances found in fish. As always, what will drive the pet trade market will be what consumers demand, and what they are willing to pay. With regards to feeding fish, seafood such as fish, krill, etc will always be nutritionally superior, but at some point in the future the cost of those ingredients may outweigh their nutrient profile with some portions of this hobby.

When presented using names such as "bug bites" the purists believe they are feeding insects (Black Soldier Fly) to their fish, when in reality they are feeding BSF larvae, along with a mix of potatoes. peas, wheat, etc. The nutritional composition of BSF larvae depend at least partially on the composition of their feeding medium, so what those larvae are fed on the BSF farm will partially reflect what their nutritional profile is. Obviously this will vary, as will the maximum inclusion rate in feed among various fish species. See below:

www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/6/10/91/pdf
"BSFL meal and oil are already considered to be an animal-grade alternative to fish meal and fish oil used to feed carnivorous fish and in other animal diets, due to their high protein and lipid contents
even when fed plant-based waste streams [65]. The importance of fish meal and oil in aquaculture is well known, but competition with demands for fish for human consumption and depleted fisheries,
among other factors, have brought the supplies of fish meal and oil down and costs up, leading fisheries to search for alternatives such as vegetable oils [66]. BSFL can accumulate lipids in their bodies if fed an appropriately lipid-rich diet, and are generally more palatable to the fish than vegetable oils. Omega-3 fatty-acid-enhanced pre-pupae are produced when the larval diet is supplemented with fish offal [67]. Such “enriched” pre-pupae are suitable fish foods, producing no significant differences
in fish growth and vision development when compared to normal fish meal for feeding the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss [68]. Sensory analysis of trout fillets found no differences among fish fed
fish meal, BSFL, or enriched BSFL diets [68]. Another case in rainbow trout recommended defatted BSFL supplementation in the diet of up to 40% without any negative effects on fish physiology or
fillet physical quality, but noted a decrease in desirable polyunsaturated fats [69]. Another study on rainbow trout placed the limit at 15% BSFL in the diet for unaffected fish growth [70]. A study on juvenile Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian) found no difference between BSFL oil and soybean oil on growth performance, but decreased carp lipid deposition as the proportion of BSFL oil in the diet increased [66]. In the case of the turbot, Psetta maxima, although BSFL meals had relatively
low palatability and nutritive value, the use of BSFL was still recommended as a feasible, partial replacement for fish meal because it was reared on local greenhouse wastes [65]. Experiments with
African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, found total BSFL substitution of fish meal in diets (where it made up only 25%) had no effect in terms of growth rate and nutrient utilization indices, so BSFL were recommended as an alternative due to their lower cost [71]. Ultimately BSFL’s ability to efficiently produce protein-rich edible biomass from potentially protein-poor organic wastes has led many authors to conclude that BSFL can contribute meaningfully to sustainable aquaculture as partial or total meal
replacement [72–74], including for aquatic invertebrates such as shrimp [75]. BSFL has also been used in poultry feed as a partial replacement for maize or soy"

For commercial fisheries this makes sense, where feed costs can make up as much as 40% of a farms operating costs, but for the average hobbyist with only a few glass boxes, and who plans on keeping their fish for several years, or longer, looking to spare costs isn't typically on the same level as a large scale commercial operation. That, and there is almost no data to support the optimum inclusion rate with ornamental species of fish. I think at this point at best BSFL can be a partial replacement to fish meal. The key will be to pay attention to what follows the "main" ingredient in these foods, so as they are not just a low cost filler feed, with a dash of BFSL.

 

[DRC]

Y

It all boils down to training, it's that simple. IME the vast majority of fish (including wild caught) can be trained to eat whatever pellet that one chooses to feed. I've done this so many times over the years that I've lost count. Different brands, different formulas, numerous species of fish.

As an example .......




Stop feeding in the evening, and see how quickly that changes. These aren't circus poodles, they're fish, with basic instincts that can easily be tweaked to respond if one knows how to go about it. As I said previously, stop feeding for a few days, get them good and hungry, then only feed in the AM, and only sparingly, using my technique with the juice of frozen BW. If I can train fish such as juvenile Apteronotus albifrons (Black Ghost Knifefish) to eat NLS pellets, in under 2 weeks you can certainly train the fish that you own. It's simply a matter of patience, and perseverance.

Right now your fish have you trained, because they know that if they refuse a new food, you will be back later in the day to feed them with something that for whatever reason they find more palatable.

Yes I am trained by my fish, and I’m totally OK with that. It’s not like my dogs or pig where I need to be recognized as the alpha. I try observing my fish and modifying my behavior to what is (enjoyable?) or at least least stressful for them. I have no compelling reason to change when they eat, and I’m also not trying to make a necessary change like from live to pellet. I’m just trying to upgrade their nutrition with a food that they (like?), or at least stimulates a good feeding response. I’m not sure what Hikari puts in those Carnivore pellets, but my fish go nuts when I feed that. One difficulty I do have is recognizing what ingredients my fish need and what is just cheap filler. Going through the samples that I got from Supercichlid.com, I finally found one that they like. It is NLS Probiotix, which seems like a gimmick, because how could you even maintain a probiotic culture in a pellet food? But the rest of the ingredients look good, and all of my fish eat it.

 

[DRC]

Well seeing as sunfish are primarily insect eaters, I think Fluval Bug Bites would be a good bet, with perch being a mostly carnivore, I think New Life Spectrum Float Extra Large would be a good thing to feed them, and for the bullhead catfish a good pellet would be New Life Spectrum Mega Fish Formula
Something that would be good for giving them some plant matter for all the fish would be New Life Spectrum Algaemax

We keep reptiles as well so my wife will throw in a few crickets and meal worms occasionally, whenever she picks up bugs for her lizards. That definitely gets a good feeding response.