Update for all of you New Life Spectrum Fans

[koltsixx]

I'm not sure that I understand the question?

Perhaps I expressed myself poorly, sorry. I mean you said you know personally about a third party nutritional analysis of NLS and it's results and I was asking if you have or had access to nutritional analysis of other fish food producst ie: Hikari, Extreme, etc. and based on what you know, which food is the best bang for the buck? Meaning if you are privy to other nutritional analysis of other fish foods based on that, what would be your personal opinion on the food that gives you the most nutrition at the most reasonable price?

 

[RD.]

My only reason for posting in this discussion was to expand on what Bobby had mentioned in his initial comment, and to try to explain why some of these new size/price changes have come about. As far as what food gives the best bang for the buck, that is something that each hobbyist can only answer for himself/herself. It should be pretty obvious which company I support, but in today's economy I certainly understand why others might choose to feed less costly food to their fish.

 

[Pharaoh]

That's all good and well, except it doesn't wotk that way in the fish feed world. The feed mills that buy the raw ingredients & produce the food dictate the prices, you don't like, you go take a flying leap. Nothing gets locked in for the life of anything, even for the big boys like Hikari. Most USA based tropical fish food producers generally don't produce enough feed to make a large feed mill look twice. Commercial trout/salmon/catfish/tilapia farms are their bread & butter, not tropical food guys ordering a few tons at a time.

The only way to have any control at all over the price of raw ingredients is to be buying your own ingredients, in volume, and making your own food. Not many food companies can do that due to the enormous cost of setting up a manufacturing facility- New Life only began doing so a couple of years ago - which is why one is now seeing an even higher quality formula than before. They have cut out the middle man, but overall their costs have still increased.

I'm afraid that in this hobby one can't have everything - you either pony up for the better products, or you spend less and settle for lower quality products. Poultry protein anyone?

Understood. I was just lightening the mood. If that carried true throughout life, I would be paying $0.89/gallon for gas and things on the Dollar menu would actually be worth a dollar. Haha



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[houie925]

Best bang for the buck depends on how much you value your bang and how much you value your bucks.

 

[dogofwar]

How about this? Use the price increase as an incentive for all of us to feed our fish less...

Skip an extra day per week of feeding your fish (other than fry) and your fish will be healthier (in the long and short term) and more active, your tank(s) will be cleaner and you'll be spending the same (or less).

Or how about replacing 10-20% (one feeding day per week) with home grown red wigglers? A rubbermaid and a one pound worm culture that will feed your fish, theoretically, forever will cost you less than a bucket of food...

Matt

 

[oneyedfish]

How about this? Use the price increase as an incentive for all of us to feed our fish less...

Skip an extra day per week of feeding your fish (other than fry) and your fish will be healthier (in the long and short term) and more active, your tank(s) will be cleaner and you'll be spending the same (or less).

Or how about replacing 10-20% (one feeding day per week) with home grown red wigglers? A rubbermaid and a one pound worm culture that will feed your fish, theoretically, forever will cost you less than a bucket of food...

Matt

Great idea Matt!


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[fwprawn]

That's what I do, Matt. It's also better for the fish - and more natural, to boot.

In addition to that; another great cost saver is to buy "whatever" "whenever it's on sale." (Or when people get out of the hobby, or whatever) This way I get a wide variety of a wide assortment of different foods, different sizes and shapes - and a varied diet. That, plus anything I find outside - worms, slugs, snails, other "bugs" and even leftover human foods. This gives fish a good well-rounded, mixed, more "natural" diet.

Mods - thanks for reeling things in - no need for putting down people who may or may not know a little less about something or other.

 

[dogofwar]

I get enough free food through various fish club events, raffles, samples, etc to try out basically everything that's out there. I only use new food (half-used old food is no bueno). Insight from folks like RD. has really opened my eyes to the importance of ingredients and fat content.

I don't think that there's any right answer. There are definitely bad foods...and there are definitely good foods. And lots of decent ones. The endless arguments about which is the absolutely best food seems about as pointless as which is the best bio media. And the average aquarium of people who would participate in either debate likely has excess of both!

I'd argue that feeding a little less food and doing an extra water change every couple of weeks will make more of a difference than switching among the good foods...

Matt

That's what I do, Matt. It's also better for the fish - and more natural, to boot.

In addition to that; another great cost saver is to buy "whatever" "whenever it's on sale." (Or when people get out of the hobby, or whatever) This way I get a wide variety of a wide assortment of different foods, different sizes and shapes - and a varied diet. That, plus anything I find outside - worms, slugs, snails, other "bugs" and even leftover human foods. This gives fish a good well-rounded, mixed, more "natural" diet.

Mods - thanks for reeling things in - no need for putting down people who may or may not know a little less about something or other.

 

[xraycer]

I get enough free food through various fish club events, raffles, samples, etc to try out basically everything that's out there. I only use new food (half-used old food is no bueno). Insight from folks like RD. has really opened my eyes to the importance of ingredients and fat content.

I don't think that there's any right answer. There are definitely bad foods...and there are definitely good foods. And lots of decent ones. The endless arguments about which is the absolutely best food seems about as pointless as which is the best bio media. And the average aquarium of people who would participate in either debate likely has excess of both!

I'd argue that feeding a little less food and doing an extra water change every couple of weeks will make more of a difference than switching among the good foods...

Matt

Well put. I take all the infos/opinions and draw my own conclusion. I don't have 100% faith in any one person (outside of close family members)

 

[Jc1119]

How about this? Use the price increase as an incentive for all of us to feed our fish less...

Skip an extra day per week of feeding your fish (other than fry) and your fish will be healthier (in the long and short term) and more active, your tank(s) will be cleaner and you'll be spending the same (or less).

Or how about replacing 10-20% (one feeding day per week) with home grown red wigglers? A rubbermaid and a one pound worm culture that will feed your fish, theoretically, forever will cost you less than a bucket of food...

Matt

Agreed. Most keepers grossly overfeed their fish.


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