TwoTankAmin
Fish Connoisseur
Consider what we can actually control in terms of caring for our fish and how much effort is needed to do so. Then consider the fish we keep and how they behave.
Parameters: Many of us prefer to keep fish which can thrive in the parameters of our tap water. But, if our tap is off for what is needed and needs to be corrected, this can be work and mean extra monitoring. Altering the parameters in a meaningful way is often not for many of us. Altering parameters requires the knowledge of how to do so and then being able to do so in a stable fashion. We also control the temperature, flow rate/circulation and cleanliness of the water.
Aquascape/Layout: This is 100% one of our main jobs and getting it "right" matters. For exampIe, I keep plecos and they like to hide. So I need to provide them with a layout that will meet this need. Lacking the right sort of layout, including tank size, if done wrong will stress fish. Some fish love live plants but others eat them. Some fish need a sand substrate while others can thrive in a bare bottom tank.
Stocking/Tankmates: Again this is 100% under our control. What fish we choose matters greatly in terms of their size, number, habits and getting along with each other.
Food/Feeding: This is also 100% under our control. I have never understood when keepers say their fish won't eat this or that or that their fish keep eating the foods we feed for other fish as well as what the fish should be eating. In my experience I have come to believe that all fish are pigs and will try to eat almost anything they can whether or not it is healthful and/or provides them with the needed nutrition. This means the foods we choose are one of the most important decisions we make.
In terms of food two things matter the most. The first is that it provides what they require to thrive, this it the nutritional values listed for the foods we buy. It includes information on protein, fat, vitamins etc. The next is the the actual ingredients they contain. As mentioned, fillers should not be the major components. We need to know that the fish need in their food to thrive and how best to provide these things. I also believe most fish do best on a somewhat varied diet.
In my experience live foods are usually the best. This would include fresh veggies/algae as well as the meaty foods. I drew a line at live as being more than I was willing or prepared to do. So, this means I needed to find the next best options to be as close to live as possible. For me this is quality frozen, Repashy gel mixes and, for dried commercial foods, those whose ingredient list include the least processed ingredients and fillers.
Feeding some of the best foods can be more work than feeding dried commercial brands. So, which ones we choose to feed matters a great deal. I always read the ingredient and nutritional value listed for any food before i am willing to use it. So I prefer fish meal which includes the whole fish. Plain fish meal usually does not. Then I want that sort of meal to be appropriate. I also want needed vitamins and minerals which are needed but not present in the main ingredients to be added. One of the issues with commercial foods is the better ones normally cost a lot more. Not all of us can afford this.
So, in terms of the food being mentioned by Magnum in his thread opening, I would not use this except as a rarer last resort now and then. It probably has a decent shelf life but that alone is not enough to feed it very often in or any quantity.
As always, the above are just my opinions on things. They are most certainly not the only nor even necessarily the best way. They are what works for me. It is up to each of us to decide what works best for them and for the fish they keep.
Parameters: Many of us prefer to keep fish which can thrive in the parameters of our tap water. But, if our tap is off for what is needed and needs to be corrected, this can be work and mean extra monitoring. Altering the parameters in a meaningful way is often not for many of us. Altering parameters requires the knowledge of how to do so and then being able to do so in a stable fashion. We also control the temperature, flow rate/circulation and cleanliness of the water.
Aquascape/Layout: This is 100% one of our main jobs and getting it "right" matters. For exampIe, I keep plecos and they like to hide. So I need to provide them with a layout that will meet this need. Lacking the right sort of layout, including tank size, if done wrong will stress fish. Some fish love live plants but others eat them. Some fish need a sand substrate while others can thrive in a bare bottom tank.
Stocking/Tankmates: Again this is 100% under our control. What fish we choose matters greatly in terms of their size, number, habits and getting along with each other.
Food/Feeding: This is also 100% under our control. I have never understood when keepers say their fish won't eat this or that or that their fish keep eating the foods we feed for other fish as well as what the fish should be eating. In my experience I have come to believe that all fish are pigs and will try to eat almost anything they can whether or not it is healthful and/or provides them with the needed nutrition. This means the foods we choose are one of the most important decisions we make.
In terms of food two things matter the most. The first is that it provides what they require to thrive, this it the nutritional values listed for the foods we buy. It includes information on protein, fat, vitamins etc. The next is the the actual ingredients they contain. As mentioned, fillers should not be the major components. We need to know that the fish need in their food to thrive and how best to provide these things. I also believe most fish do best on a somewhat varied diet.
In my experience live foods are usually the best. This would include fresh veggies/algae as well as the meaty foods. I drew a line at live as being more than I was willing or prepared to do. So, this means I needed to find the next best options to be as close to live as possible. For me this is quality frozen, Repashy gel mixes and, for dried commercial foods, those whose ingredient list include the least processed ingredients and fillers.
Feeding some of the best foods can be more work than feeding dried commercial brands. So, which ones we choose to feed matters a great deal. I always read the ingredient and nutritional value listed for any food before i am willing to use it. So I prefer fish meal which includes the whole fish. Plain fish meal usually does not. Then I want that sort of meal to be appropriate. I also want needed vitamins and minerals which are needed but not present in the main ingredients to be added. One of the issues with commercial foods is the better ones normally cost a lot more. Not all of us can afford this.
So, in terms of the food being mentioned by Magnum in his thread opening, I would not use this except as a rarer last resort now and then. It probably has a decent shelf life but that alone is not enough to feed it very often in or any quantity.
As always, the above are just my opinions on things. They are most certainly not the only nor even necessarily the best way. They are what works for me. It is up to each of us to decide what works best for them and for the fish they keep.
