What Makes a Food Good?

threejjj

threejjj

4EVER
Mar 12, 2005
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I am looking at my fish food now and wondering what all of these numbers are and if they are good. The Label reads
Min. Crude Protien 46%
Min. Crude Fat 7%
Max. Crude Fiber 2%
Max Moisture 8%
Min. Phosphorus 1.4%


What do all of these #'s mean? What would be the % of each in a perfect food? And what are the most important #s to look at?
 
You want different amounts for different fish. Just like humans, protien encourages growth and you don't want too much fat. There are many other things in fish food like certain vitamins that I would consider more important. Just buy quality products and don't worry about the numbers too much.
 
I agree with Mack there....also, I'd like to add, variety is the most important thing. Give them a varied diet and they'll be getting all the nutrition they need.
 
Good advise.

Also, DONT fall into the trap that a lot of folks do thinking that the protien content is the MOST IMPORTANT. If anyone tells you this, they are making it up and are dead wrong (wait till I tell you how I really think!).

The reason is that high protien leads to more nitrogenous waste and more metabolism, and swifter growth. I much prefer my fish to grow slowly.

I recommend highly that people feed frozen food (frozen mysis, daphnia, shrimp, clam, etc...) b/c they are more natural, less protien and waste, and the fish love them. Use flake food as a "vitamin" supplement, twice or three times a week very sparingly. I use Cyclop-EEZ flake food.
 
I would also watch the freshness of the food. Don't fall into the trap of buying the gallon-sized tub of food and use it for the next two years. You're much better off buying small containers frequently. Many natural color enhancers such as beta carotene have a relatively short shelf life. On that note, buy your food from a busy store that rotates stock quickly. Many foods have a date on them that shows when they were produced. Don't be surprised if you find one can made several months ago and another can made several years ago on the same shelf at your LFS. Also, check the ingredients when you buy vegetable food such as spirulina pellets. Some type of vegetable matter or algae should be within the first four or five ingredients listed. Just because the food is green and it says vegetable on the side doesn't mean that it's a decent veggie food. As far as general food/color food, make sure you're buying a food with a decent amount of shirmp meal. Shrimp meal is a good, natural color enhancer.
 
Seems worth a try, just keep in mind that a quarter pound of food is a lot of food (6 ounces). A pound is a ton (try not to take that too literally it hurts the brain).

Then again it seems like nothing special, the ingredients are the same everyone else puts in their food. I've recently switched to using Cyclop-EEZE freeze dried and my fish are going berzerk over it-- fresh and saltwater. I feed mostly frozen food and use dried food only as a "quick meal" and vitamin supplement.
 
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