Ron's Cichlid food?

[Trouser Cough]

Hmmm... surely our friend Ron has seen ingredient labels from competitors, no? I just looked at the sack of Ron's Big Boy I have and its ingredient list is depicted in the same highly unusual manner. Interesting.

I wonder what an analysis might set a hobbyist back?

View attachment 1507922

 

[RD.]

Not too sure what more I can say here? lol

The following is a link to the State regulations regarding the selling of fish food, in WA.

Pet Food Registration | Washington State Department of Agriculture

That's just one example, of one state.

 

[Something Fishy Here]

I'm sure it's not detrimental to your fish, but seems like getting something at the farmers market rather than a commercially available product, just hard to compare or know whats really in there.

 

[RD.]

I'm sure it's not detrimental to your fish, but seems like getting something at the farmers market rather than a commercially available product, just hard to compare or know whats really in there.

I wouldn't be too sure of anything, without seeing a guaranteed analysis of each formula. Protein and the various amino acids that make up that crude protein, are just one portion of the big picture. BTW - these labels would not meet State regulations at most farmers markets, either.

Not too sure what part of this some folks aren't grasping? These are commercial products, and as such have to meet certain legal requirements, which were designed to protect consumers, and their pets. Like any other commercial food product. If Ron's food was examined at our border, it would be refused and turned back, or confiscated & trashed on the spot.

Ron might be a swell guy, but I'm guessing (not really) that Ron doesn't have an extruder in his backyard, and he's not making anything.
He's buying food in bulk from a feed mill, repackaging it, and adding his own private label. All good and well, but that doesn't mean that he can use generic labels with random info printed on them. Even low grade farm food such as trout chow, chicken feed, and rabbit pellets, purchased at the local hardware store have a guaranteed analysis on the bag.

 

[Something Fishy Here]

Wasn't disagreeing with you, I hold your information on fish food in very high esteem. I meant one bag probably wouldn't hurt, not long term. Much like 1 big mac isn't going to kill you but a lifetime of them will. And I guess I'm not up to date on farmers market requirements. I'm skeptical of any product that isn't fully transparent on what's in it. I stick to NLS for my fish.

 

[RD.]

From post # 27. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) > Internet and Farmer's Market

 

[aussieman57]

I think I will just stick with NLS & NorthFin.

 

[RD.]

I meant one bag probably wouldn't hurt, not long term. Much like 1 big mac isn't going to kill you but a lifetime of them will.

I guess that depends on how long one bag lasts a person. One bag might equate to eating big macs 2-3 times a day, for 6-12 months straight, for some consumers, and their pet fish. Not everyone buys only enough food for a month or two at a time. In finfish, a diet high in lipids (we don't know the crude fat level in this food?) can result in liver damage. Reversable, perhaps, perhaps not? As a consumer who cares about his fish, I would never buy food blindly, which is pretty much what this vendor is asking folks to do. Not for my dogs, and not for my fish.

 

[duanes]

If you look at the teeth of your fish, its fairly easy to determine the kind of food they eat, and what should be provided.
Canine jaws and teeth suggest a diet high in fish protein, the streamlined body is predator.

The lack of canine teeth, a row sharp cutters and flat grinders suggest plant leaf eaters

The flat, round body shape is also not efficient for chasing prey, and like the Etroplus above, or for example severums,are inept predators.
The flat less streamlined body of most Malagasy Paretroplines are not built for fast prey, but perfect for slow moving target like snails.
Their teeth are also perfect for extruding snail flesh, from within shells.

Paretroplus maculates left, P menerambo right
Of course then there are algae eater, and generalists

 

[RD.]

From a past post of mine. I have mentioned all of this time & time again over the years .......

All excess calories have the potential to be converted to fat, but typically in fish food a fatty liver condition is caused by excess crude fat. As an example, someone feeding trout chow to a cichlid, as most trout chow has a higher protein level, and much higher lipid levels. Years ago there was a paper written on this exact thing by Ruth Francis-Floyd et al, at the University of Florida where trout chow was fed to African cichlids, including a carnivorous species, and even the short term results from this 12 week study were alarming. See below....

From this paper;

"Fatty infiltration of the liver has also been designated "the most common metabolic disturbance and most frequent cause of death in aquarium fish"

"With prolonged feeding of a high-energy, lipid rich diet, degenerative changes of the liver and death can occur unless the diet is corrected."


This study came about after some cichlid farms in south FL suffered from some large mortalities in both 1998 & 1999. When the dead fish were examined they showed fatty infiltration of the liver, heavy vacuolation, and severe necrosis of the liver, pancreas, and spleen.

It was suggested to the farms that they replace their feeds with one that had a lower lipid content (less than 10%) and supplement the feed with a vitamin premix. Clinical signs in the affected farms were resolved after implementation of these recommendations.