NLS
- Thread starter Donjuanmc
- Start date
$0.02
Interesting. Thank you for this. But subjective. The color perception can and does vary among people, sometimes quite significantly and it is not too uncommon to even find color blind people.
To make a worthwhile case, I'd feed the alleged new formula for a long enough time to see the change of color most clearly and make photos all the way. Then feed what worked before and restore the color. Then get another can and try again. I know, too much pain... but otherwise, this may be brushed off as unreliable and an individual perception.
I'd doubt a "bad batch". NLS is a mighty serious and expensive brand and is ALL we feed as far as pellets go in our ops.
Once the pellets leave the factory, there are other unpredictable factors at play, e.g., it must be stored properly so the goodies don't decompose. Maybe the can got left in a 140 degree UPS or USPS delivery truck for a day or a weekend under Texas or Florida sun (NLS is made in Homestead FL after all)? Maybe the Amazon or Ebay or LFS guy stored it next to his 600 degree pizza oven?
I know, I am blowing it out of my ... but really who's to say it can't happen?
Interesting. Thank you for this. But subjective. The color perception can and does vary among people, sometimes quite significantly and it is not too uncommon to even find color blind people.
To make a worthwhile case, I'd feed the alleged new formula for a long enough time to see the change of color most clearly and make photos all the way. Then feed what worked before and restore the color. Then get another can and try again. I know, too much pain... but otherwise, this may be brushed off as unreliable and an individual perception.
I'd doubt a "bad batch". NLS is a mighty serious and expensive brand and is ALL we feed as far as pellets go in our ops.
Once the pellets leave the factory, there are other unpredictable factors at play, e.g., it must be stored properly so the goodies don't decompose. Maybe the can got left in a 140 degree UPS or USPS delivery truck for a day or a weekend under Texas or Florida sun (NLS is made in Homestead FL after all)? Maybe the Amazon or Ebay or LFS guy stored it next to his 600 degree pizza oven?
I know, I am blowing it out of my ... but really who's to say it can't happen?
An old bump, but a couple of things that I wanted to add to this.....
Most decent quality foods made today contain plenty of color enhancing ingredients, spirulina for blue/greens (not kelp), astaxanthin for red, marigold meal for yellow, etc. But you have to realize that a fish can only assimilate & utilize so much, the rest is simply passed in their waste. As an example, studies performed over the years have shown that as little as 2% spirulina is required to maximize its color enhancing properties in most species studied. (Ako et al) Too much of a good thing can also be bad, such as using excessive amounts of synthetic forms of color enhancers, such as Carophyll Pink, or Carophyll Red, to enhance the color red. Too much will make a fish that is naturally yellow, turn orange. I have personally seen this.
When I was distributing NLS, they used Haematococcus pluvialis algae, as a red color enhancing agent. NOT - Carophyll Pink, or Carophyll Red, as someone posted above. It too requires very little added to the overall formula. It's not cheap, so most manufacturers probably use in the 1-2% range, which still gets the job done. Obviously this single ingredient would never reflect on the final color of any batch of food produced, even IF New Life used 5%, in the Ultra Red formula. Think about it.
As
thebiggerthebetter
stated, opinions & perceptions don't always equate with reality.
Beyond diet, the rest is up to genetics, and of course everything else that one does when keeping fish in a glass box. Water quality, temperature, hardness, aggression levels, sexual maturity, etc, can all have a major effect on the coloration of a fish kept in captivity. Sometimes what we believe is due to diet, in reality is more due to things such as overall environmental stress, or the fish becoming sexually mature. Color shifts in fish are not always due to diet.
With regards to my comments about Omega Catfish Pellets, formerly marketed as Shrimp pellets - I was reminded again this morning how their formula changes came about a few years ago. Omega Sea was purchased by Spectrum Brands Global Pet Care back in 2020.
Spectrum Brands Global Pet Care Acquires Top Aquatics Nutrition and Care Manufacturer Omega Sea LLC (prnewswire.com)
The same company that made my new Black & Decker coffee maker - which of course was made in China. lol
Most decent quality foods made today contain plenty of color enhancing ingredients, spirulina for blue/greens (not kelp), astaxanthin for red, marigold meal for yellow, etc. But you have to realize that a fish can only assimilate & utilize so much, the rest is simply passed in their waste. As an example, studies performed over the years have shown that as little as 2% spirulina is required to maximize its color enhancing properties in most species studied. (Ako et al) Too much of a good thing can also be bad, such as using excessive amounts of synthetic forms of color enhancers, such as Carophyll Pink, or Carophyll Red, to enhance the color red. Too much will make a fish that is naturally yellow, turn orange. I have personally seen this.
When I was distributing NLS, they used Haematococcus pluvialis algae, as a red color enhancing agent. NOT - Carophyll Pink, or Carophyll Red, as someone posted above. It too requires very little added to the overall formula. It's not cheap, so most manufacturers probably use in the 1-2% range, which still gets the job done. Obviously this single ingredient would never reflect on the final color of any batch of food produced, even IF New Life used 5%, in the Ultra Red formula. Think about it.
As
thebiggerthebetter
stated, opinions & perceptions don't always equate with reality.Beyond diet, the rest is up to genetics, and of course everything else that one does when keeping fish in a glass box. Water quality, temperature, hardness, aggression levels, sexual maturity, etc, can all have a major effect on the coloration of a fish kept in captivity. Sometimes what we believe is due to diet, in reality is more due to things such as overall environmental stress, or the fish becoming sexually mature. Color shifts in fish are not always due to diet.
With regards to my comments about Omega Catfish Pellets, formerly marketed as Shrimp pellets - I was reminded again this morning how their formula changes came about a few years ago. Omega Sea was purchased by Spectrum Brands Global Pet Care back in 2020.
Spectrum Brands Global Pet Care Acquires Top Aquatics Nutrition and Care Manufacturer Omega Sea LLC (prnewswire.com)
The same company that made my new Black & Decker coffee maker - which of course was made in China. lol
I wager there are a lot of frustrated hobbyists out there who feed their fish the best diet there is, and still don't see the fantastic colours that other hobbyists are getting with the same species.
Like you said there are too many other variables involved. Stress probably being the main one but something as simple as poor choice in decor, ie gravel for example, could also wash out a fishes natural vibrant colours.
Like you said there are too many other variables involved. Stress probably being the main one but something as simple as poor choice in decor, ie gravel for example, could also wash out a fishes natural vibrant colours.
