Favorite daily staple fish food?

[Jim Supica]

Starting back into the hobby I loved as a kid after a 30+ year absence.

What would forum members recommend for a daily staple fish food for a
small-fish community tank?

Back in the 1960's TetraMin flakes was my fav, but I figure maybe some good
stuff has come available since then.

I supplement w/ algae disks, frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms.

125 gal tank includes neons, zebras, livebearers, dwarf gouramis, kribs,
angels, corys, black knife, pl*co, pictus, hatchets, glass cats.

Gravel base makes me hesitant to use small fast sinking food as a daily staple,
by the way (small sinking cichlid pellets tend to just drop & disappear).

Thanks! -- Jim

[Sue]

> Back in the 1960's TetraMin flakes was my fav, but I figure maybe some
good
> stuff has come available since then.
Lots of new stuff but Tetra still make some good products.
I use Tetra Prima as a staple - a slow falling granule that will suit most
of your fish.
>
> I supplement w/ algae disks, frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms.

Courgette, dark lettuce and shelled peas for the veggies and daphnia, live
or frozen, for the carnivors.
There are some excellent frozen mixes that provide a varied diet without
having to defrost lots of cubes.

Sue

[MartinOsirus]

>> Back in the 1960's TetraMin flakes was my favorite

I use it in 2004 - and the fish do well on it!

[NetMax]

"MartinOsirus" > wrote in message
...
> >> Back in the 1960's TetraMin flakes was my favorite
>
> I use it in 2004 - and the fish do well on it!

Next time that you are in the LFS, compare it with other foods.
Ingredients such as ash and phosphates are bad. Look for minimum protein
levels (you want high). Look for maximum fat levels (you want low).
Look at whether they use hormones (bad) or krill (good) to promote
colours. Look for added vitamins (good), and check the rest of the
ingredients (fillers or real food). Sinking or floating (depends on the
fish being fed). On your list, you have 7 fish which would not do very
well on just floating flake food.

I'm currently using and satisfied with NutraFin Max, which is a
relatively new recipe. I've used lots of TetraMin before as well. There
is a line from Aquarists which is supposed to be quite good. Hikari
makes some nice quality pelleted staple foods. I even have some bulk Big
Al's flake food (I never checked the ingredients on that one, but it was
cheap ;~).

Go for variety.
NetMax

[Mean_Chlorine]

(Jim Supica) wrote in message >...

> What would forum members recommend for a daily staple fish food for a
> small-fish community tank?

I use homemade shrimp mix; I made it with 1/3 shrimp, 1/3 squid, 1/3
frozen green peas. All my fish, which are mainly small or very small
rasboras, love it. I supplement with various frozen foods.

(DON'T use store-bought shrimp mix, in my experience it is always
intended for herbivorous fish, like mbuna, and way too high in fiber
and way too low in protein for small predators like your and my fish.)

> I supplement w/ algae disks, frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms.

Careful with those bloodworms... But you knew that.

[Jim Supica]

Thanks for the helpful responses!

NetMax, thanks for the tip on bottom feeders -- they seem to be doing ok w/ the
sinking Algae Wafers (actually the TopFin wafers I use seem to have relatively
little algae) and the flakes knocked down by the filter current, but I'll keep
it in mind.

I'll give that NutraFin Max a try I think, maybe with some Tetra Prima, and
maybe some of the recipes when I feel adventurous. I appreciate the advice on
what ingredient composition to look for.

One question

>>Careful with those bloodworms... But you knew that.

No, I didn't know -- what do I need to be careful of? I started using them coz
the LFS said my black knife needed them, but anymore it seems they mostly get
gobbled up before he comes out of hiding. What should I be watching for? I've
been feeding a cube or two a day -- am I messing up?

Thanks again! -- Jim

[Rick]

"Jim Supica" > wrote in message
...
> Starting back into the hobby I loved as a kid after a 30+ year absence.
>
> What would forum members recommend for a daily staple fish food for a
> small-fish community tank?
>
> Back in the 1960's TetraMin flakes was my fav, but I figure maybe some
good
> stuff has come available since then.
>
> I supplement w/ algae disks, frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms.
>
> 125 gal tank includes neons, zebras, livebearers, dwarf gouramis, kribs,
> angels, corys, black knife, pl*co, pictus, hatchets, glass cats.
>
> Gravel base makes me hesitant to use small fast sinking food as a daily
staple,
> by the way (small sinking cichlid pellets tend to just drop & disappear).
>
> Thanks! -- Jim


feed that black ghost knife well or it likely will be the only thing left
you have to feed. Quite the fish and it's a good thing you have a big tank
as they apparently can reach 20". If I recall correctly they require quite a
varied and large diet otherwise the other fish in the tank will supplement
it's diet.

Rick

[RedForeman ©®]

>> 125 gal tank includes neons, zebras, livebearers, dwarf gouramis,
>> kribs, angels, corys, black knife, pl*co, pictus, hatchets, glass
>> cats.

> feed that black ghost knife well or it likely will be the only thing
> left you have to feed. Quite the fish and it's a good thing you have
> a big tank as they apparently can reach 20". If I recall correctly
> they require quite a varied and large diet otherwise the other fish
> in the tank will supplement it's diet.

This is very true... My first fish was a BGK, and it got to 11" before it
decided it wanted to wedge itself between a rock and something and it got a
cut*it IS blind* and never healed.... :-(

--
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streetfighter!!!

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[Victor Martinez]

Jim Supica wrote:
> No, I didn't know -- what do I need to be careful of? I started using them coz

I feed bloodworms every day with no problems. I buy Hikari brand.

--
Victor Martinez
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[Mean_Chlorine]

(Jim Supica) wrote in message >...

> >>Careful with those bloodworms... But you knew that.
>
> No, I didn't know -- what do I need to be careful of? I started using them

It's a very fatty food and has a tendency to cause dropsy, especially
if the worms have putrefied before being frozen, as is, unfortunately,
often the case.

Worse, the haemoglobin variant used by the bloodworms is quite
strongly allergenic to humans, so avoid skin contact, at least if you
know you have a propensity to develop allergies.

I use it to condition fish, but I've had (some very costly) losses
which I directly attribute to the bloodworms.

[TYNK 7]

>Subject: Re: Favorite daily staple fish food?
>From: (Mean_Chlorine)
>Date: 3/5/2004 4:53 PM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: >
>
(Jim Supica) wrote in message
>...
>
>> >>Careful with those bloodworms... But you knew that.
>>
>> No, I didn't know -- what do I need to be careful of? I started using them
>
>
>It's a very fatty food and has a tendency to cause dropsy, especially
>if the worms have putrefied before being frozen, as is, unfortunately,
>often the case.
>
>Worse, the haemoglobin variant used by the bloodworms is quite
>strongly allergenic to humans, so avoid skin contact, at least if you
>know you have a propensity to develop allergies.
>
>I use it to condition fish, but I've had (some very costly) losses
>which I directly attribute to the bloodworms.
>
>
>

What brand are you using?
Hikari frozen Bloodworms are far better than Sally's. Fins down!