Carcinogenic, Toxic Preservative In Fish Food

[KISSfn]

I was on fosterandsmithaquatics.com looking at fish food. Noticed their brand claimed "Contains no artificial colors or preservatives (many fish foods use ethoxyquin, which has been shown to cause mortality in fish)." So I check my container of TetraMin and Ethoxyquin is listed in the ingredients. So I start doing some research and everything I have read basically says Ethoxyquin is used in a lot of pet foods and it's toxic to every pet especially fish. So I dig out my container of New Life Spectrum out of the back of the fridge and check the label, it doesn't contain Ethoxyquin. I had put it in cold storage because my fish at the time would not eat it. So I try some today and they have changed their minds and now like it. The TetraMin went in the trash can. Maybe this is why I was losing fish in water with 0.001 NH3 and a good maintenance routine? We shall see.

 

[KISSfn]

Found this today on New Life Spectrum's website:

"Every fish food that uses marine proteins such as Krill, Fish, Shrimp, etc., will contain a small amount of Ethoxyquin, as will some fats that are added to the formula. The United States Coast Guard regulations (Subpart 148.04 -9) requires any vessel entering US waters that contains fish meal, to have the fish meal preserved with Ethoxyquin. This is required by law for the safety and health issues that can arise if fish meal is not preserved properly. I personally know of no manufacturer that makes their own in-house fish meal on site, which means that if fish meal is being used in a food, any type of pet food, there will be at least a small amount of Ethoxyquin in the final formula."

Maybe NLS uses less than others?

 

[NeonNeptune]

Who needs to buy fish food when you have a blender and access to vegetables and invasive species of fish!

 

[Tolak]

http/bestflake.com/index.php/about-us

As with all advertising, grain of salt in both cases.

 

[KISSfn]

I'm not swayed by advertising. What concerns me is a Google search of Ethoxyquin results in a lot of negative reviews on the use of it.

 

[NeonNeptune]

Ethoxyquin was the last ingredient in my fish food. So it is small amounts, but how much is lethal?

 

[Man of fish]

Absent on my aqueon stuff, last ingredient on omega one and my tetra veg wafers.

 

[KISSfn]

Ethoxyquin was the last ingredient in my fish food. So it is small amounts, but how much is lethal?

Not sure but it seems to have a cumulative effect, like lead poisoning. From Ethoxyquin's Material Safety Data Sheet:

Ethoxyquin was developed by Monsanto in the 1950's. Ethoxyquin was initially registered as a pesticide.

 

[FishFanatic04]

Seems like the same argument I have read on cat food. Different ingredients, but.....toxic. I try to do the best I can with a huge variety...3 different flakes, so the harmful additives will be different each day. Alternating 3 different frozen foods, flakes, algae/veggie/protein wafers, fresh blanched veggies. Nothing I can do about harmful preservatives...

It's hard enough feeding my family without poisoning them.

 

[tomtomtom1230]

I knew a little about this for some time now. I feed my finish once every other day and they seem fine (I can't find a food without it). Just moved them and lost a guppy in the process, but I genuinely think that was down to the stress of moving rather than the food. He was old and not in a particularly good way, anyway. He was in a poor state when I got him. I believe a once every other day feed helps reset this cumulative effect that the preservative(s) have on the fish. Mind you, this could all be bull and a once every other day feed is simply a routine now, rather than a beneficial meal plan

 

[CezzaXV]

Maybe this is why I was losing fish in water with 0.001 NH3 and a good maintenance routine? We shall see.

I'm not at home right now so can't check my fish food, but given that the vast majority of us are probably feeding our fish food containing this ingredient and manage to not have them dying left, right and centre, I'm doubting that it's the cause.

 

[Primous]

I had put it in cold storage because my fish at the time would not eat it. So I try some today and they have changed their minds and now like it. The TetraMin went in the trash can. Maybe this is why I was losing fish in water with 0.001 NH3 and a good maintenance routine? We shall see.

I'm afraid you're going to have to look elsewhere for reasons as to why you were losing fish. Because the 0.0.0.minuscule amount that is in tetra min and other fish foods is not the cause of you losing fish. It just isn't. At a glance I'd address your stocking first.

Just my two...

 

[KrystaK]

I'm not worried about a toxin in my fish food so much as I am in my other animals Now I'm going to have to go around looking at all the ingredients on all my animal's food.
My fish have 4 different meal options to them. Flaked food, shrimp pellets, freeze dried blood worms and veggies. MY dog and cat usually get straight dry pet food and some wet food on Saturdays for a treat. So if anyone was going to have a problem with toxins, it would be my four legged friends

 

[DJH584]

We give our fish New Era Tropical Flakes and nowhere on the ingredients does it list this ethoxyquin.

David

 

[KISSfn]

Maybe this is why I was losing fish in water with 0.001 NH3 and a good maintenance routine? We shall see.

I'm not at home right now so can't check my fish food, but given that the vast majority of us are probably feeding our fish food containing this ingredient and manage to not have them dying left, right and centre, I'm doubting that it's the cause.

I am not losing fish left, right and center. I'm not seeing enough fish living more than 15 months that I would like to.

I had put it in cold storage because my fish at the time would not eat it. So I try some today and they have changed their minds and now like it. The TetraMin went in the trash can. Maybe this is why I was losing fish in water with 0.001 NH3 and a good maintenance routine? We shall see.

I'm afraid you're going to have to look elsewhere for reasons as to why you were losing fish. Because the 0.0.0.minuscule amount that is in tetra min and other fish foods is not the cause of you losing fish. It just isn't. At a glance I'd address your stocking first.

Just my two...

What do you see wrong with my stocking?

I'm not worried about a toxin in my fish food so much as I am in my other animals Now I'm going to have to go around looking at all the ingredients on all my animal's food.
My fish have 4 different meal options to them. Flaked food, shrimp pellets, freeze dried blood worms and veggies. MY dog and cat usually get straight dry pet food and some wet food on Saturdays for a treat. So if anyone was going to have a problem with toxins, it would be my four legged friends

I have a Beagle right now that I have spent $6000 on Vet bills.

We give our fish New Era Tropical Flakes and nowhere on the ingredients does it list this ethoxyquin.

David

It's not required to be listed if it's already in the fish meal that is used, and it's in all fish meal brought into US waters.