Colour enhancing fish food

[Pricey95]

My colour enhancing fish food is garunteed to colour up almost any fish. Especially cichlids. NO HORMONES!

This food goes A LONG way!! 1 feed a week is all you need.
50g for £8
100g for £13
500g for £45
1 kilo for £80

Message me for before and after pictures of results.
Will give a full refund if fish don't colour up.

Small testers available
Collect from whetstone village or an additional charge for 1st class Royal mail.

 

[robbiek22]

Hi mate do you still have this available?

 

[robbiek22]

My colour enhancing fish food is garunteed to colour up almost any fish. Especially cichlids. NO HORMONES!

This food goes A LONG way!! 1 feed a week is all you need.
50g for £8
100g for £13
500g for £45
1 kilo for £80

Message me for before and after pictures of results.
Will give a full refund if fish don't colour up.

Small testers available
Collect from whetstone village or an additional charge for 1st class Royal mail.

?

 

[Colin_T]

This thread is from a few years ago (May 2021) so they probably won't respond.

 

[GaryE]

Look for any food with astaxanthin (an algae) in it. It colours up red in fish. I've used it from many companies. I used to add it to my homemade rainbow foods, and it worked well.

 

[robbiek22]

Hi Colin, appreciate that. I’ve been searching this topic with no definitive answer (that I can find) so hopefully others can help too

@gary thank you very much for that it’s much appreciated.

Just to be sure and I have looked, there’s not a simplistic thread outlining this topic I am missing is there? ( to save asking questions that have the answers)

Not expecting anything backed by science but would you have the ingredient name etc for each colour.

Astaxanathin- red colouring.
………..-Blue colouring.
…………-Yellow colouring.

Thank you for all your help in advance.

 

[GaryE]

Yellow is affected by astaxanthin as well. Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi looked good with that food.

The oldtimers used to use mild paprika in their foods - quite a lot of it. They swore by it, but when I tried it, I didn't put enough, according to my then 85 year old friend. He really used a lot.

Blue is best enhanced by lighting. I've never found a colour food for that.

 

[MaloK]

Supplementing with any veggies that contains carotenoids: Carrots, Sweet potatoes, Winter squash, Kale, Spinach, Spirulina etc... Will help enhance reds, oranges, and yellows. They also help with growth and immune system.

Hikari VibraRio Color Enhancing Flakes
Tetra Pro Colour Crisps
API Freshwater Color Brights

 

[Magnum Man]

Since this is a discussion… I have seen some exceptional coloration, on my tetras, and electric blue rams lately, since I started feeding Bacter AE… specifically added for the bio film eaters, also feeding Repashi Soilient green, also for the bio film eaters… but both of these are consumed by all the fish… add in some brine shrimp ( I’m currently using frozen spirolina Gut loaded cubes… I’m sure the brine shrimp and Repashi help with color, and wouldn’t be surprised if the amino acids in the Bacter aren’t doing something as well… my platinum Rummy’s are exquisite right now..

 

[GaryE]

Spirulina is supposed to help with colour. I haven't seen much change with it.

Being very happy also lights a fish up. Clean water with the right chemistry can do wonders.

 

[robbiek22]

@GaryE

That’s really useful, thank you for the info.

Would you happen to know what the best foods are that include that ? Ready made suitable for African cichlids in particular?

Can you buy a ‘concentrated’ formula of either of the two ingredients you mention?

In your opinion, would you say a lot of people make their own foods? Do you?

@MaloK thank you for your input that’s really helpful too.
Would you say that the fresh veggies affect water conditions much? In any sense, chemical balances/cloudiness? As opposed to pre-made food?
Do you use those foods you mentioned? I’ll be sure to look. I currently feed
NLS grow and cichlid pellets
Vital is cichlid herbivore pellets
Fish science algae wafers

also have a fresh pack of Hikari cichlid gold however I’m reluctant with this as it’s quite heavy protein based as it’s based for carnivores and I have a mix of peacocks and some Mbuna.

Would you say I’d be better to swap those out or any of the foods for the foods you mention?

@Magnum Man

Hope the discussion is of some interest, it’s certainly helpful for me.

Would you say your water parameters haven’t changed (within reason) and that the foods you describe are a direct result of your colouration and not drastic changes in husbandry etc?

Appreciate this is all a little subjective and could be subject to speculation at least but I don’t have time to try out different combinations and actually everybody’s experiences are really helpful as I can’t seem to find any hat I want to read on forums etc so thank you all in advance.

 

[GaryE]

I used to buy a cheap(ish) bulk, no name colour food that was the best I've used, by far. I could only get it from the USA, and the border became too much of a hassle for it.

I would also buy astaxanthin powder from brineshrimpdirect, also in the USA, but the price spiked when the health food magicians got into it.

Well fed and watered East African Cichlids tend to hold their colour no matter what. I haven't kept any for ages, but used to make a carrot/pea, blanched romaine or spinach food, via the blender, with astaxanthin and spirulina for them. It took a stick blender, and some gelatin to hold it together. I froze it in sheets and snapped off feedings. I've made versions for my current fish types with different ingredients. You can be creative, though no fish food smells good to me.

 

[Magnum Man]

@robbiek22 … water has been pretty much the same, since I added the Rummy’s, and Rams

 

[robbiek22]

@robbiek22 … water has been pretty much the same, since I added the Rummy’s, and Rams

Excellent, thank you for the input, I’m going to review your food descriptions above a little closer.

Would be nice to have something informative at the end of this with an easy search in regards to answers to colours and diet.

At very worst it would promote a varied diet surly?

Thanks again.

 

[robbiek22]

I used to buy a cheap(ish) bulk, no name colour food that was the best I've used, by far. I could only get it from the USA, and the border became too much of a hassle for it.

I would also buy astaxanthin powder from brineshrimpdirect, also in the USA, but the price spiked when the health food magicians got into it.

Well fed and watered East African Cichlids tend to hold their colour no matter what. I haven't kept any for ages, but used to make a carrot/pea, blanched romaine or spinach food, via the blender, with astaxanthin and spirulina for them. It took a stick blender, and some gelatin to hold it together. I froze it in sheets and snapped off feedings. I've made versions for my current fish types with different ingredients. You can be creative, though no fish food smells good to me.

Wow I looked at the websites you mentioned, they do a cool cichlid formula now that ticked all the boxes I was looking for but the shipping was over 200 dollars to me in the uk therefore the quest is back on. I’ve ordered some food from an unbranded eBay account which lists astaxanthin as one of the predominant ingredients with some decent whole foods in. I’ll try this out too.

Not that I’m particularly upset with my colour of fish. Except I’ve noticed some less colouration on specific colours, hence the initial questions.

The food suggestions that Malok suggests are great reading up on them, but couldn’t actually find an easy source in the uk either! Typical.
Are you familiar with those?

I tried feeding some veggies today, fish didn’t go near them

Do you think water temperature affects colouration much IYO?