Northfin food
- Thread starter rjkz28
- Start date
I've used cichlid formula and krill formula with Malawi cichlids with lots of success. I no longer keep africans after I sold my stock in my 125. With my CA/SAs I have only fed NF Tropical Sticks with great success. My fish loved it and I was really happy with the results. I have an order of tropical sticks coming in this week and would really like to try the 6mm krill, 3mm veggie, and jumbo formulas soon. If you take a look at the ingredients and do a comparison to other brands, I'd put it right up there with the best. I've used NLS for about 15 years and will continue to do so, but North Fin seems to be a great product that is worth a shot if you can get your hands on some.
i think I'm feeding my midevil north fin. i have these pellets in an unmarked bag and sure they're north fin.
he likes them. doesn't s*** all day long. I'm happy with it.
he likes them. doesn't s*** all day long. I'm happy with it.
It's good quality fish food, albeit a little pricey. I get mine from Lisa at Supercichlids (www.supercichlids.com), who is a great supporter of Capital Cichlid Association.
That said, I also use NLS, Extreme and YourFishStuff foods....as well as live red wiggler worms that I culture myself.
Matt
That said, I also use NLS, Extreme and YourFishStuff foods....as well as live red wiggler worms that I culture myself.
Matt
I recently posted the following in another discussion, probably better suited to go here, a discussion that is specifically about this product. Unfortunately it appears that I now have to eat my own words, and stand corrected in my previous quality reviews. I can't stand behind a product where an accredited lab demonstrates one thing, while the manufacturer says another.
Just for the record I have no issue with ethoxyquin being used in fish food, but I don't expect to see elevated levels such as shown in that lab report (over 300 ppm!), and I most certainly don't expect to have any ethoxyquin in a food that is advertised as being *ethoxyquin free*. Keep in mind that this is a food that I have also fed to my own fish, and a food that I have said positive things about on this forum and others, so not really happy about this outcome. In my personal opinion, the lab results that I have seen appear to be genuine.
I have been feeding Northfin for a couple years now, experimented with it exclusively in some tanks. My results were positive. My issue with NF, and for me it's a pretty big issue, is that the company has made some pretty bold statements regarding their use of ethoxyquin, or any form of preservative.
From their website:
"NorthFin Premium Fish Foods does not use any preservatives or harmful chemicals to preserve its product line.
The combination of certain ingredients/vitamins, along with the drying process itself allows the foods to be naturally preserved."
http://www.canadian-aquatic-feed.com/?page_id=34
For myself, that just isn't logical. Sans preservatives, fish food will soon go rancid, and most certainly won't have a shelf life of 2-3 yrs, so WTF?
Now I had only my common sense, many years of experience in this field, and scientific logic to go by, until a few months back when I stumbled upon some lab results posted online by an interested party.
Not only does NF apparently use preservatives, they are apparently using ethoxyquin, and apparently at rather elevated levels. Levels that I believe in the product shown in the lab report above was more than double the AAFCO recommended maximum of 150 ppm.
Whoa! I have seen other reports as well, since removed from some website owners that were concerned about legal backlash. Kmuda from Oscar forum promised to send in his own samples, yet thus far I haven't seen those results.
Perhaps Darius from Northfin will pop in to explain how such high levels of ethoxyquin are showing up in a food that is marketed by his company as being preservative free, and ethoxyquin free.
Just for the record I have no issue with ethoxyquin being used in fish food, but I don't expect to see elevated levels such as shown in that lab report (over 300 ppm!), and I most certainly don't expect to have any ethoxyquin in a food that is advertised as being *ethoxyquin free*. Keep in mind that this is a food that I have also fed to my own fish, and a food that I have said positive things about on this forum and others, so not really happy about this outcome. In my personal opinion, the lab results that I have seen appear to be genuine.
I have been feeding Northfin for a couple years now, experimented with it exclusively in some tanks. My results were positive. My issue with NF, and for me it's a pretty big issue, is that the company has made some pretty bold statements regarding their use of ethoxyquin, or any form of preservative.
From their website:
"NorthFin Premium Fish Foods does not use any preservatives or harmful chemicals to preserve its product line.
The combination of certain ingredients/vitamins, along with the drying process itself allows the foods to be naturally preserved."
http://www.canadian-aquatic-feed.com/?page_id=34
For myself, that just isn't logical. Sans preservatives, fish food will soon go rancid, and most certainly won't have a shelf life of 2-3 yrs, so WTF?
Now I had only my common sense, many years of experience in this field, and scientific logic to go by, until a few months back when I stumbled upon some lab results posted online by an interested party.
Not only does NF apparently use preservatives, they are apparently using ethoxyquin, and apparently at rather elevated levels. Levels that I believe in the product shown in the lab report above was more than double the AAFCO recommended maximum of 150 ppm.
Whoa! I have seen other reports as well, since removed from some website owners that were concerned about legal backlash. Kmuda from Oscar forum promised to send in his own samples, yet thus far I haven't seen those results.
Perhaps Darius from Northfin will pop in to explain how such high levels of ethoxyquin are showing up in a food that is marketed by his company as being preservative free, and ethoxyquin free.
Not cool....very not cool.
I cant say im a big fan of NF as my cichlids didnt care much for it. They do accpet the veggie formula which i do sprinkle in hear and their but NLS algaemax and thereA are still the staple of their diets.
That being said i was experimenting with their jumbo fish formula and carnivore formulas on my polypterus. The jumbo formula was accepted but these guys will eat anything so
the problem is i found it wa too messy. They love the carnivore formula but again lil too messy. This does bother me to a degree
"Not only does NF apparently use preservatives, they are apparently using ethoxyquin, and apparently at rather elevated levels. Levels that I believe in the product shown in the lab report above was more than double the AAFCO recommended maximum of 150 ppm "
Not that i am aware how harmful ethoxyquin can be long term (neil gimme the run down so i dont have to google the crap out od it lol )
Why lie about it, could be that maybe some of the other ingredient claims are being misrepresented as well...at least that what i would assume
Not an easy question to answer in a few short sentences, but here's the condensed version.
Ethoxyquin is a preservative that IMHO has gotten a bad rap over the years, which started with dog owners back in the 90's. It's has it pros, and a few cons, but the most important part is has been deemed safe be regulating bodies (FDA) when used at approved levels. The key words being ...... at approved levels.
Most of the literature and studies involve rats/dogs, not fish, so little info is available regarding tropical fish. But because of the bad rap it has gotten, along with BHA, BHT, etc, many pet food companies have dropped it's use, and moved on to more consumer friendly, more natural ingredients, such as Vitamin E, Citric Acid, Naturox, etc. According to Kmuda on the Oscar site, in a private email the owner of NF told him that when they use a preservative, they use Naturox.
https://www.oscarfish.com/forum/fish-food-ingredients/828-northfin-fish-food.html?start=140
The problem with more natural preservatives, is they are typically not as effective, which equates to food spoiling faster. Also, not an easy task to find suppliers of all of the various raw ingredients used in fish food that only use natural preservatives. (such as Antarctic krill) If it was that easy, every fish food manufacturer would have already switched, if for no other reason but to silence any potential anti-ethoxyquin fanatics. Just business smart in this day and age of social media.
So while I am personally ok with "some" ethoxyquin in fish food, I am not comfortable with foods that contain elevated levels, nor am I comfortable with a company that says they are doing one thing, if they are in fact doing something that is quite opposite of their marketing statements.
Ethoxyquin is a preservative that IMHO has gotten a bad rap over the years, which started with dog owners back in the 90's. It's has it pros, and a few cons, but the most important part is has been deemed safe be regulating bodies (FDA) when used at approved levels. The key words being ...... at approved levels.
Most of the literature and studies involve rats/dogs, not fish, so little info is available regarding tropical fish. But because of the bad rap it has gotten, along with BHA, BHT, etc, many pet food companies have dropped it's use, and moved on to more consumer friendly, more natural ingredients, such as Vitamin E, Citric Acid, Naturox, etc. According to Kmuda on the Oscar site, in a private email the owner of NF told him that when they use a preservative, they use Naturox.
https://www.oscarfish.com/forum/fish-food-ingredients/828-northfin-fish-food.html?start=140
The problem with more natural preservatives, is they are typically not as effective, which equates to food spoiling faster. Also, not an easy task to find suppliers of all of the various raw ingredients used in fish food that only use natural preservatives. (such as Antarctic krill) If it was that easy, every fish food manufacturer would have already switched, if for no other reason but to silence any potential anti-ethoxyquin fanatics. Just business smart in this day and age of social media.
So while I am personally ok with "some" ethoxyquin in fish food, I am not comfortable with foods that contain elevated levels, nor am I comfortable with a company that says they are doing one thing, if they are in fact doing something that is quite opposite of their marketing statements.
Yes thars what jumped out at me. The misrepresentation of the ingredient. Makes me question if its just the one or more.
Any way thx as always for the explanation and the write. Also appreciate the honesty. Allot of times you'll see someone promote a product then back it to no end regardless of any facts given.
U da man lol
