Protein Content In Foods And Best Brands

[MewMew42]

is the protein content in foods important? does it lead to better health?

i was looking today at work at the frozen food protein content of bloodworms and it said 5% [per cube im guessing], now that seemed a little low? do live have better proteins? or does it not matter, should I be looking at something else?

the flake im feeding at the moment is 46.7% is that a good number? and the sinking tablets are 47%

sorry if that sounded random, i hope someone can understand!

oh what are the best brands of foods to feed? [for general community and bettas] do you mix them? what brings out their best colours and health?

 

[reeeedfish]

The protein content has to be above 45%. I feed using tropical fish pellets, small little black balls the size of a tip of a pencil. However, live food has to have a large concentration of protein doesn't it?

 

[OldMan47]

Be careful just reading the raw protein content of foods. The blood worms are mostly water so the protein content is indeed low. With the flake food you are looking at, the water has been evaporated off and you are reading how high the protein is in the remaining solid. Experiments have been done that show growth rates of the selected fish, it was some kind of livebearer but I don't remember which, were greatly affected by the protein content of their feed up to about 40% dry weight but that higher levels beyond that did not promote better growth. The experiment was carefully done with foods that only varied in protein content so that other ingredients effects were not being measured. Unfortunately, it is very easy to artificially raise the protein content of food and advertise it on the label without making a very good food in the process. Fish food is a very complicated subject if you decide to study up on it. There is far more to it than finding something that the fish enjoy eating.

 

[DiscusKeeper403]

The protein content has to be above 45%.

Hmmm... I would like to know where you found this number?

I think Oldman47 explained it perfectly. When you dry out a food, it's going to shrink due to the lack of moisture, but in this case, the protein and fat content will stay the same. I read on another forum that in almost all cases freeze dried food (for instance blood worms, mysis, brine) will be identical per single unit (i.e. one single shrimp) vs. its frozen form aside from the moisture content of course. Fat and protein are good for growing fish, but IMO such high amounts are not needed once fish have reached their full size.

 

[MewMew42]

Be careful just reading the raw protein content of foods. The blood worms are mostly water so the protein content is indeed low. With the flake food you are looking at, the water has been evaporated off and you are reading how high the protein is in the remaining solid. Experiments have been done that show growth rates of the selected fish, it was some kind of livebearer but I don't remember which, were greatly affected by the protein content of their feed up to about 40% dry weight but that higher levels beyond that did not promote better growth. The experiment was carefully done with foods that only varied in protein content so that other ingredients effects were not being measured. Unfortunately, it is very easy to artificially raise the protein content of food and advertise it on the label without making a very good food in the process. Fish food is a very complicated subject if you decide to study up on it. There is far more to it than finding something that the fish enjoy eating.

eeeeeep I had no idea it was so complicated! Id best do some reading lol

thank you =]