caffeine thought of that day... how well do we understand our fish???

[Magnum Man]

in what they like to eat, even if it's not natural in their environment??? I love pizza, but can't grow it in my garden, and if done right, contains all the food groups humans are supposed to have...

I've seen strange ingredients like garlic added to fish foods, even though, that's certainly not a natural food for fish...

I've been chopping weeds on the farm, and throwing them in the sheep pasture, and turns out sheep love "stinging nettles" I don't know how they can eat them, when I can't handle them without gloves, why their tongue, and mouth surfaces don't react to them like my calloused hands, I don't know???

but apparently all animals have adapted to be able to eat things ( like pizza ) that don't seem natural to them... maybe a lot of these cereal grains, added to the fish foods, some of the fish, actually like, or can digest well??? I actually like and can distinguish the flavor of oats... just sayin

 

[GaryE]

We're just guessing. That doesn't do much.

Humans probably started as scavengers and gatherers, adapting as we went to hunting, herding or farming. A lot of us are still lactose intolerant or have issues with gluten. It's hard to generalize.
With fish, there have been anatomical studies that say a lot about how they digest, and that in turn says what they can digest efficiently. There are also stomach content analyses for some species, where someone has looked at their last meals.

If you look at the length of the intestine, you can guess at ability to eat grains. It won't tell you about the enzymes involved, but it will say what's possible.

Cereal grains seem to get digested. Foods with lots of them foul the tank as they pass through, but most insects have food in their bellies when a fish catches them, and the fish can profit from plant based gut contents even if it's an insect eater.

As nutrition for fish has improved, we see a lot less bloat or dropsy with our fish. Gut blockages used to be a serious killer when I was fishkeeping in a different era. I think we're better off respecting evolution. I can't survive on or digest what the very healthy deer in my yard thrive on. And as much as I love pizza, too much of it and I'll look like the back shed with legs.

There are really specialized fish - eye and scale eaters, or feeders on the babies of mouthbrooders, which they know how to attack. But in the tank, they switch to regular food, mostly.

 

[AJ356]

I'll jump into this topic as it kind of fits with a query of mine, especially Gary's post.

I know there will be no black and white answer with this.

But Fish poop... Is it a myth or ground in reality that if Fish are pooping and you can see it, then that means they are constipated to a degree? I am not talking about white poop, or stringy poop.

Just the regular dark brown, solid consisteny that is dangling down from their anus by about 1cm or sometimes 2 cm? If you had a fish that you see having a daily poop like this, could it be an issue?

In a semi related question, I find myself unsure when I am looking at Fish food ingredients for omnivore fish. The dried foods available all seem either carnivore oriented or vegetarian orientated. Or perhaps they are not, and I am just unable to accurately analysis the ingredients.

This one might be for the geeks only of fish food ingredients... But if you have fish that are omnivores, how do you weigh up dry fish food ingredients? What kind of ingredients listed in the first three or four ingredients on the pack, do you look out for? Or avoid?

Someone said Bug Bites is not a good staple for omnivores, as the focus is on animal protein/animal food (insects). I see bug bites include different ranges, like for pleco's, and they even focus on green coloring on the packaging, but the ingredients look almost identical to the normal bug bites? Just a clever marketing ploy with the green packaging? Well the pleco version does have green peas, but it's the fourth ingredient down after soldier fly larvae, salmon and wheat.

Is an an idea to stick to "normal" good quality all round dried food and then see if your omnivore fish will munch a bit of zuchini/courgette. My experience of typical omnivores (central american cichlids spring to mind), is that they show a disinterest to things like spirulina or zucchini.

Also, if a fish is a true omnivore, maybe it doesnt have the digestion for pure veg, or is that an oxy moron (dumb hypothesis?)

 

[GaryE]

I know my beloved Pelvicachromis are detritivores, which makes them omnivores. They eat the stuff decaying on the bottom, along with what life forms are trying the same thing and that they can catch at it.

Most staple foods are for omnivores. And even predators eat the whole prey, including its gut contents. So if it was a herbivore, omnivore, scatophage, whatever - they digest it.

Those long dangling dark and solid poops are caused by your wanting to take a photo of the fish. Otherwise, they're harmless. Some species produce them, some never do.

 

[AJ356]

I know my beloved Pelvicachromis are detritivores, which makes them omnivores. They eat the stuff decaying on the bottom, along with what life forms are trying the same thing and that they can catch at it.

Most staple foods are for omnivores. And even predators eat the whole prey, including its gut contents. So if it was a herbivore, omnivore, scatophage, whatever - they digest it.

Those long dangling dark and solid poops are caused by your wanting to take a photo of the fish. Otherwise, they're harmless. Some species produce them, some never do.

I think you might be onto something about Fish having DNA that is designed to discourage having their photo taken. I find that male central american cichlids will induce a mega poo if they see you getting ready to take a video, especially if they have new born fry in the tank, the kind of video you want to send to your fish friends as a proud grand daddy of fish fry. Usually, the more desperate you are to capture the proud moment of parental fry care, the bigger the males poop will be