As it happens, Viktor had some problems with some of his fish, which seemed to be at least partially resolved when he switched over to Hikari pellets from the cheapies.
Viktor switched to NLS, not to corn sticks.
So, which is it? Are cheap, filler-laden foods to be trusted to provide adequate nutrition but at the cost of increased waste production...as the vet suggested was the case with dog food? Or...are they actually inadequate in terms of nutrition provided...as suggested by Viktor's experience? I'm sure that the studies done on canine nutrition are far more numerous and in-depth than similar studies on fish, leading one to think that all dog foods are indeed "adequate"...whereas fish foods are perhaps more likely to be less so...or are they?
First off, most animal vets spend at best a day or two, studying animal nutrition, in school. So unless they went on in their training to specialize in this field (not typical) my experience is that they are not very well versed on the subject. Just sayin ....
Secondly, my definition of perfectly adequate, may be different than others. Adequate will keep fish alive, just as hot dogs and potato chips will keep you & I alive. The questions is for how long, and in what kind of state, health wise? What if at some point the fish comes under stress, from tank mates, or breeding, or water quality, or being bagged and moved, etc? Is the lower quality, less costly food, still adequate? Just like in human food, higher quality pet food, equates to higher prices. Living and thriving can be worlds apart, when it comes to the overall health & longevity of a fish.
I was in a local big box store yesterday and saw the following, and had a chuckle. The food is in the shape of a "fly", much like the early dog biscuits were in the shape of a bone. A biscuit is a biscuit! lol
Corn, wheat soybean, and more corn, before fly larvae meal even enters into the mix!
DESCRIPTION
Laguna Fly Mix is an insect-based koi and pond fish food that is packed with protein, naturally palatable and full of essential vitamins, minerals and calcium. Flies and insects form a natural part of pond fish's diet in the wild, and this food includes sustainably-sourced black soldier fly larvae, combined with salmon, shrimp, corn and other high-quality ingredients to create a premium daily food your fish will go wild for.
Ingredients:
Corn, Wheat, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Dried Fish Protein Digest, Salmon Meal, Shrimp Meal, Salmon Oil, Dried Kelp, Monosodium Phosphate, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lecithin, L-Lysine, Vitamin E Supplement, Biotin, Niacin, Calcium L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Manganous Oxide, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Beta-Carotene
(Color), Rosemary Extract, Riboflavin, Copper Sulfate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Inositol, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin D3 Supplement
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 32%
Crude Fat (min) 6%,
Crude Fiber (max) 8%
Moisture (max) 11%
Ash (max) 7%
Vitamin A (min) 2,500 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 (min) 2,400 IU/kg
Vitamin E (min) 75 IU/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 1%
Omega-6 Fatty Acids (min) 1%
Now compare that formula, to other, more premium insect based fish foods.
New Life Spectrum Insectum Large 600g – West Lake Aquatics
Featuring 5 Insect Proteins - Mealworms, Silkworms, Black Soldier Larvae, Crickets, Grasshoppers
SOY FREE
Ingredients:
Insects (Mealworms, Silkworm Pupa, Black Soldier Larvae, Crickets, Grasshoppers); Krill (Euphasia superba), Whole Wheat Flour, Fish Oil, Seaweed (Ulva lactuca, Undaria pinnatafida, Eucheuma cottonii, Eucheuma spinosum, Chondrus crispus), Kelp, Green Algae (Chlorella pyrendoidosa), Moringa Tree Leaves, Garlic, Ginger, Astaxanthin, Spirulina, Marigold, Bentonite Clay, Sea Salt, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine, Hydro-chloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C), Choline Chloride, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Tocopherols (a preservative)
Quality food costs more $$$, simply no getting around that fact. Do all fish require a premium diet, with superior sources of amino acids, lipids, color enhancing agents, and vitamins/minerals? Maybe, maybe not? I tend to think that just as in most animals, all other things being equal the better the diet, the better the overall health. Humans, dogs, fish, whatever.
Color alone can be major difference, between a low cost feed, and a more premium food. I have seen this many times over the years, with night & day differences in color in less than 30 days, just by changing a fishes diet.
After genetics, diet is key to getting the full natural coloration out of a fish. Feed a low cost generic farm feed for 30+ days and you'll see what I mean. I once bought an adult yellow midas (because it was yellow), that as I suspected was an orange and white "creamsicle", that I later found out was being fed a low cost commercial farm feed. I posted pics of that fish on MFK years ago, the transformation after a few weeks on NLS was shocking. I'll check and see if I can find that thread, or pics on my hard drive.
Found it, not the original thread, but another posted several years later where I posted pics of the fish, in the same tank, under the same lights, a few weeks after a change in diet.
Anybody have pics of yellow Midas and info | MonsterFishKeepers.com
I drove 2 hrs to buy that yellow midas, and boy was I disappointed when he turned orange & white a few weeks later. lol
thebiggerthebetter
that would spend most of his day just preparing and handing out the food to the numerous hungry mouths that he has to feed. My tanks and fish would be very doable, but past experience has taught me that it still gets messy.
