Pellets

[RD.]

I have never had a serious issue feeding any fish NLS, other than a Mbu puffer years ago. Some fish are certainly stubborn, but so am I. lol

 

[RD.]

BTW - I will admit, that over the last 20 yrs or so, across the board, most hobbyists find Hikari to be accepted more readily than most other brands. It's impossible to have a nutrient dense pellet, that is also starchy, which allows it to turn soft very quickly. In that regard Hikari is king of fluff.

 

[islandguy11]

BTW - I will admit, that over the last 20 yrs or so, across the board, most hobbyists find Hikari to be accepted more readily than most other brands. It's impossible to have a nutrient dense pellet, that is also starchy, which allows it to turn soft very quickly. In that regard Hikari is king of fluff.

I don't think anyone could argue against Hikari having that accolade lol -- but the question still remains: why have they turned such deaf ears on the calls from so many to improve esp. the fillers in their products? With it being a Japanese company at heart I'd be surprised it being only an economic thing (though no doubts it's certainly a factor), because Japanese people/consumers themselves are generally quite obsessed with quality -- yes most of their products cost more than Chinese or American products (think cars/electronics) but they're generally better quality as well, something your average Japanese has become very accustomed to and demands.

Again, I do use Hikari and have generally seen good results with their foods, but you'd think with 125+ experience in the industry that they'd be able to come up with a better balance of palatability and nutrition.

 

[jaws7777]

NLS nakes a great product no doubt, just not perfect then again what is.

Pellet sizes/formula opinion aside the biggest complaint i have is the no to slow sinking problem which wasnt always the case. Latest tub of algae max and thereA are a huge p.i.t.a to feed.

 

[RD.]

I don't think anyone could argue against Hikari having that accolade lol -- but the question still remains: why have they turned such deaf ears on the calls from so many to improve esp. the fillers in their products? With it being a Japanese company at heart I'd be surprised it being only an economic thing (though no doubts it's certainly a factor), because Japanese people/consumers themselves are generally quite obsessed with quality -- yes most of their products cost more than Chinese or American products (think cars/electronics) but they're generally better quality as well, something your average Japanese has become very accustomed to and demands.

Again, I do use Hikari and have generally seen good results with their foods, but you'd think with 125+ experience in the industry that they'd be able to come up with a better balance of palatability and nutrition.

I think that it's economic driven, fueled by what they believe is a completely superior work around, that being an ability for all fish to consume carbohydrates/starch, with their starch/carbs being a non issue. I disagree, and always will, until science proves me wrong. I don't see any papers presented by Hikari that demonstrates that soybeans and corn are better utilized by a carnivorous fish, vs fish/seafood, and fat from same. Also, 125 yrs in keeping koi, but not 125 yrs in manufacturing fish food.

NLS nakes a great product no doubt, just not perfect then again what is.

Pellet sizes/formula opinion aside the biggest complaint i have is the no to slow sinking problem which wasnt always the case. Latest tub of algae max and thereA are a huge p.i.t.a to feed.

I agree, for those with overflows probably a real pain for sure. Glad that I don't have that problem, but feel for those that do.

 

[Poseidon2.0]

Too small for what?

Too small for my own liking I guess. My O has trouble seeing them sometimes (this is the NLS “extra large fish” formula I’m talking about) as compared with the Omega One large cichlid formula. Though I like the quality of the NLS better. Anyway not a big deal, they do the job. Although am moving towards bug bites for my Trimac.

 

[Mr Pleco]

to OP variety is the spice of life , I feed a large variety of foods .. The new NLS sinking pellets drive me nuts 50% dont sink and get swept into my overflows if I dont shut the sumps down.. Hikari has always been a staple for training fish to accept pellets... NLS is a little too hard unless you presoak......I prefer grocery store food for my larger fish, filet's stuffed with pellets.. everybody has a favorite and nothing brings the brand bigots to the surface than a good old fish food debate. GL

 

[RD.]

Too small for my own liking I guess. My O has trouble seeing them sometimes (this is the NLS “extra large fish” formula I’m talking about) as compared with the Omega One large cichlid formula. Though I like the quality of the NLS better. Anyway not a big deal, they do the job. Although am moving towards bug bites for my Trimac.

Hmmm, I personally think that it's good to make a fish work a bit for their food. But to each their own. I'm not a fan of bug bites for a number of reasons, I trialed them when they first hit the market, and posted what I felt were pros & cons in the following past discussion. Not that you asked for my opinion, just thought that you might be interested. If not, disregard. lol

This food isn't exactly new, it's been on the market for over a year. I started feed trials with it last year. Probably just took a while to reach parts of the USA. Someone PM's me about this food yesterday, so I'll add on here for anyone else interested.

Pros

1. all species of fish readily eat it, except one, my adult midas. He prefers anything but, the bugs. I would expect most polys to eat it without too much issue. I suspect the high fat level adds to the taste/smell.

2. A sustainable & novel form of protein is used.

Cons

1. Protein is not just from fly larvae, they also include some form of salmon, fish protein concentrate, and peas. I would have preferred to not see terrestrial plant matter (peas) being utilized as protein (might as well be soybeans), or fish protein concentrate, and would have preferred to see a LOT more fly larvae meal.

2. It's a high energy food with a minimum of 12.5% crude fat, which means the average fat level, or typical analysis, would be closer to 15%. IMO that's far too high for most tropical fish to consume as a daily staple. Especially species of fish that don't expend a lot of energy in an aquarium.

2. No aquatic plant matter. None. No spirulina, no kelp, no form of algae or seaweed. Even fish classified as strict carnivores in nature typically consume some aquatic plant matter via the guts of their prey. I personally like to see aquatic plant matter in all formulas of fish food. The lack of this is a big negative in my book.

3. Potato - why? If the company was more specific one would know, but without further details it could be used as another terrestrial based protein (potato protein concentrate) or as a binding agent (potato starch). Who knows? Either way, no thanks to feeding potatoes to carnivores - the wheat in this formula should suffice as a binding agent.

If combined (peas/potato/wheat) the inclusion rate of terrestrial based plant matter in this formula might be alarming.


BTW - I would not count on EQ levels being low just because insect larvae meal is used as one of the main protein sources. The company might share that info with you, or not? Probably not, as most manufacturers probably don't test their final formulations as there is no requirement to do so.

Due to the higher protein, and high fat levels, this formula would probably work well as a conditioning food for fish getting ready to spawn, but due to the reasons listed above I would not feed as a daily staple, to polys, or anything else.

Just my Canadian 2 cents worth .....

 

[RD.]

……. and just to clarify, with the new NLS sinking pellets, they do in fact all sink - some just take longer than others.

 

[Mr Pleco]

……. and just to clarify, with the new NLS sinking pellets, they do in fact all sink - some just take longer than others.