Flowerhorn Food?

[tungtruong4]

Well! Those are all good information from you guys. Thank You Have any of you seen a flowerhorn that live longer than 10 years yet? Cuz in my life I have never seen a flowerhorn that live longer than 4 years.

 

[CrazyCichlids]

That is likely due to synthetic color agents, lakes and dyes. It is likely loaded with carophyll pink. I couldn't find an ingredients list( go figure) but in the values it had stated " super pink" like that was part of a list of dietary staples. Yes it will enhance your fishes color likely beyond that of natural sources, but are they good for your fishes health? No. It's your fish, but I wouldn't want to shorten any of my fishes life span just to see some extra unnatural coloration. Here is a link to a discussion pertaining to this:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=563189


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Okiko Platinum Head Huncher doesn't list carophyll pink as an ingredient. Now I understand that the first ingredient is a little vague as to what it contains but this food has the same outward pellet color to it as all my Hikari products. Its Ingredients listed on its packaging state: Special Head Growth Enhancing Ingredient, Fish Protein, Quality White Fish Meal, Krill, Spirulina, Wheat Germ, Dried Yeast, Wheat Flour, Antarctic Shrimps, Protease, Stable Multi-Vitamin and Minerals.

 

[trace]

Okiko Platinum Head Huncher doesn't list carophyll pink as an ingredient. Now I understand that the first ingredient is a little vague as to what it contains but this food has the same outward pellet color to it as all my Hikari products. Its Ingredients listed on its packaging state: Special Head Growth Enhancing Ingredient, Fish Protein, Quality White Fish Meal, Krill, Spirulina, Wheat Germ, Dried Yeast, Wheat Flour, Antarctic Shrimps, Protease, Stable Multi-Vitamin and Minerals.

I would for no reason feed a food that was that vague about the #1 ingredient especially as a staple. And the second ingredient doesn't divulge a lot of info either. Fish protein sound to mean like a nice way of saying the parts of a fish not desirable for even FISH FOOD. Too many red flags for me.


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[RD.]

Okiko Platinum Head Huncher doesn't list carophyll pink as an ingredient.

There is no law stating that they have to, therefore none do, especially foods made in Asia. That does not mean that it isn't in there. Astaxanthin on a label could also equate to Carophyll Pink/Red.

 

[CrazyCichlids]

Ok Trace and RD. I want to make it very clear that I am not trying to argue or say who is right and who is wrong. I just want to gather educated opinions from those in the hobby. With that being said, every food I have ever used for my cichlids is from some part of Asia. Hikari Bio Gold Plus, Hikari Gold, and Hikari Staple are all from Japan and all of those foods have served my fish very well for nearly the last 15 years. I have never thought of Astaxanthin as a "problem ingredient". I understand that high levels of it are not like the natural levels that are found in certain strains of algae, however it is naturally occurring pigment so Im not very concerned about it in my cichlids food, even at higher levels. Now there are a bunch of foods out there that many flower horn keepers use that I am very reluctant to use. One example would be Ionic Red. It makes Red Dragon Flowerhorns practically glow red and Im sure that level of pigment exposure can't be healthy for any living creature. I have always cared for the well being of every cichlid I have ever kept. I really feel like that unless you are home cooking and producing your cichlids food at your house that you really don't have much control over every ingredient your fish is ingesting.

 

[RD.]

While astaxanthin is a naturally occuring pigment, not all forms of astaxanthin that are used in fish food are from natural sources. Carophyll Pink/Red is a synthetic form of astaxanthin, as is Carophyll Yellow that is used by the egg industry.

Just pick a number from the slick little color chart & dial in what kind of unnatural color that you are seeking.

Ionic Red is mostly likely just a trade name being used for Carophyll Red. The OP of the following past discussion from a few years back has removed his photos, but this thread takes a closer look at synthetic forms of astaxanthin, and their use at higher levels.


HTH

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...My-Red-Discus-Before-amp-After-Carophyll-Pink

 

[DDK]

With all the debate, I tend to stay away from all the "enhancing" foods. Fh's now days dont even live that long. A 5 year old flowerhorn is a achievement now days and its sad... These foods WILL shorten the life of your fh as its just an unhealthy amount of protein. Just stick with a good stable like nls or hikari around 35%-40% protein. Its going to be genetics that determine how/what the fish is going to look like rather than the food. Its like saying a black person is going to turn white if they eat white foods basically. Its not going to happen. If you want your fish to live the full extent of its life stick with a stable and treats every so often.

Edit:
And to add on this there are so many knock off foods... I ordered some okiko platinum and it looked as legit as could be. Started feeding and the bright deep vivid red turned dull and gross. After some research you would be surprised about how much knock of foods there are.

 

[deliking2003]

i have two flowerhorns and feed them grand sumo is this the best food for them and if not what shouldi be feeding them

 

[zz red dragon]

i feed my FHs xo humpy head , xo starry and excel red ... is it a good diet to be followed ???

 

[tungtruong4]

After using varities of pellet food. I still don't what are the differences among them like GS, XO, and the Okiko. They're all have the same ingredient, except the Okiko seems to have a rediculous amount of protein in it and it still doesn't make any diferences on the fish color and kok, now consider it I think no matter what you feed your fish it still doesn't make any different when your fish don't have the good gene in it. Now, I just feed my fish Cichlid stick and that's all he got.