Flake Food Only?

[goldmullet]

Hey,

I was talking to a lady who services fish tanks and she was saying on a couple of her tanks, she has automatic feeders set up cause the owners dont want to feed the fish.

And in the tank she has tangs, triggers etc. So she goes by every 2 weeks and refills the feeders with dry food and all the fish are healthy and happy. She says on one tank she has done this for over 7 years.

Is it true that these kinds of fish can live on only dry food?

[snorvich]

I have heard that some people use NLS pellets exclusively. I cannot say if this is a good thing, but NLS is an excellent food and I do use it as one of the foods I feed.

[goldmullet]

What is an NLS pellet? is that the full name?

[lecher]

New Life Spectrum pellet

http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-s.../NL-40210.html

[Dr Colliebreath]

NLS also makes flake food, which should be pretty good. As to the original question, there doesn't seem to be any reason fish couldn't thrive on a flake only diet if it was a good quality food and selected to meet the needs of the fish in the tank (e.g., with lots of greens for tanks with tangs). It seems to be preferable to offer many different types of food to provide the broadest nutrition, but good flakes could suffice.

[goldmullet]

So I could set up my tank on all automatic feeders and only have to swap out food every 2 weeks? I have a new 240 galloon by the way. Fish only.

[duncantse]

I have done this for the last 6-7 months and it works. I don't feed it exclusively anymore because some angels/tangs/finicky eaters will not eat pellets for the first few months. So right now, I'm missing in NLS pellets and frozen together.

[Mark]

I feed NLS pellets 99% of the time. I'd say my fish get frozen food once a month if any. My regal angel and potters angel have been with me for years, and their growth and coloration is spectacular.

[goldmullet]

Wow thats amazing guys. So is there any special NLS pellets or will any of them work?

[MrTuskfish]

I'm old school, I feed good foods, but can't imagine feeding anything exclusively, especially flakes---there's too much waste

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by goldmullet

Wow thats amazing guys. So is there any special NLS pellets or will any of them work?

Thera A but all are excellent.

[fender4string]

Originally Posted by snorvich

I have heard that some people use NLS pellets exclusively. I cannot say if this is a good thing, but NLS is an excellent food and I do use it as one of the foods I feed.

I'm one of those; at least nearly exclusively. I feed mysis and nori as treats. I've had 2 of my fish for 4 years, when I set up my tank, that have been on the 99% NLS diet and they are fat, colorful and healthy. I typically feed 3 times daily. I don't feed Thera A, just the "standard" pellets.

That being said a lot of aquarists who have much more experience than I feed a variety of foods daily.

Also, I wouldn't trust an automatic feeder. I'd rather take the 30 seconds to feed them myself.

[Bnortz]

Originally Posted by mark

i feed nls pellets 99% of the time. I'd say my fish get frozen food once a month if any.

29/30*100=96%

[fender4string]

Originally Posted by Bnortz

1/30*100=96%

I'd criticize you for that but I'm a grammar nazi...

[flameangel88]

I think it's very difficult to tell long term what type of impact/result on our fish if fed exclusively on a particular type of food especially not many manage to keep fishes over 5 or 10 years. If we feed children pizza or burgers exclusively they will look pretty good too.

If we can vary diet why wouldn't we want to give it to our fish? I think if we offer a variety the chance is higher that we miss less of the essential vitamins they require. If people don't like to bother with feeding their fish why have them? Personally feed time is a joy especially on homemade food. Just my 2 cents.

[SDguy]

I would personally use NLS pellets as a staple, not flake, for many of the reasons mentioned already. But I also agree to adding a wide variety of frozen foods in addition, not just instead.

[MrTuskfish]

I sure haven't looked at the science behind NLS foods, I do know its a good staple food for lots of fish. But triggers & tangs eating the same food for a lifetime just doesn't add up. Either the triggers miss the protein they need or the tangs miss the bulk. I know some tangs can live off a good reef tank without ever being fed, feeding on algae & tiny crustaceans, but that is a rare exception. Packing everything carnivores, omnivores, and herbivores into a compact pellet? Maybe, but I'm very skeptical. If this stuff really provides for long term nutrition; maybe the same science should should be extended to human survival rations and 3rd world emergency aid.

[spieszak]

Originally Posted by MrTuskfish

3rd world emergency aid.

This may sound snarky, but it isn't intended too... Isn't the bulk of human nutrition covered by rice and beans? I'm not saying its the best diet ever, I just remember learning in school (been a long time since I was in school, so it could just be mixed memory) that the bulk of what you actually "need" is taken care of in rice and beans.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Bnortz

29/30*100=96%

LOL, ok you got me.

As for equating this to 3rd world rations... The same could be argued for cat and dog food. All I know is I raised an juvie Emperor angel into adult, and have kept two finicky angel species(Potters and Regal) fat and thriving for years with a diet that is 99%...err...96% NLS. My pair of Solomon Percula's spawn like clockwork as well. I'm sure they get additional nutrition from grazing my reef tank, and I may not have had the same success in a FO tank. I don't mean to sound like a NLS endorsement. I imagine I could get the same result with any high quality pellet food. However, I have only used NLS for the last few years. Therefore, I can only state that NLS works for me in this situation.

By all means, I will not dispute that a varied diet is best. But the OP asked if it is possible to keep marine fish happy on just dry food. And I say yes.

[MrTuskfish]

[QUOTE=Mark;19201370] Almost all food aid we send to the 3rd World is rice, beans, or grain. Unfortunately, most of it is stolen before it reaches the truly needy.[Quote]

Beautiful Angels, as you said, I suspect their ability to gaze has a lot to do with their success.

As to cats & dogs; that's apples and oranges when comparing nutritional needs to fish. All domestic dogs are the same species, Canis lupus and subspecies familiarus; or something close. ( except schnauzers, which are Canis yappus). They are all the same (sub) species, so have the same basic nutritional needs. Tangs and triggers aren't even the same genus; probably as far apart as dogs and goats. I like NLS pellets and have never heard anything negative; my (possibly flawed) logic just says ''not one food for all fish, all the time".

[goldmullet]

Wow guys thanks so much for the lesson of NLS pellets. I learned alot. I was just asking cause my LFS said there is now way they triggers and tangs could survive longer than 2 weeks on only dry food. Then another fish lady said she has fed tanks only dry food for years, so it didnt make sense. But now it does.

So basically, fish can live and be healthy on NLS pellets but we all like to splurge every once in a while.

[Allmost]

check out the NLS flake food package for a warning, that stated, that flake food can not be the only food fed, and pellets should be the only food ....


after seeing that, I Stopped using flakes ! and do only pellets, 4 times a day, plus some PE mysis and nori.

[MrTuskfish]

Has anyone seen any real, outside research on NLS? I don't doubt that its a great food; but I still can't imagine its a one size-fits all food for all fish, all of the time. It also seems to contain a lot of krill, which has been linked to a couple of problems with long-term use. They have a great web site, lots of promotional stuff and I've heard lots of great anecdotal comments from seasoned hobbyists. What I haven't seen is any 3rd party study on this miracle product; which should exist, given the claims and growth of this product. In spite of all I've heard, feeding the same thing to tangs and triggers, exclusively and for their lifetimes; just defies common sense. at least to me. If anyone has any link to anything on this food, other than self-promoting (nothing wrong with that, I'm a capitalist) or anecdotal info....I'd appreciate seeing it. I'm not being critical, just skeptical.

[Korrine]

I'm skeptical as well

I do mainly feed nls pellets, but also have pe mysis and nori. Our group is getting ready to make our own batch of frozen food containing:

frozen sea food medley containing (clams, mussels, squid, fish, shrimp, etc..).
Nutramar Ova.
PE mysis
Krill
cyclopeez
selcon
garlic
nori

Then we pretty much know what our fish are eating. This will be a staple for my fish!

[Mark]

Skepticism is healthy.

All I know is my anecdotal experience. I used to hog an area of my freezer with a variety of frozen food. Then I did the homemade recipes to simplify feedings. Eventually, life got busy and I wanted some freezer space back. Feeding pellets seems to keep my fish just as healthy for years. Water quality was easier to maintain with pellets. And I have more space in the freezer.

My original reason for liking NLS was that it is the only pellet that seems to appeal to all of my fish. My tangs, angels, clowns, cave basslet, gobies, blennys, and even my mandarin digs it. New fish seem to like it faster than other foods I've tried. I don't keep any large carnivores, so I can't speak for triggers, grouper, etc. I did have success weaning some scorpionfish onto pellets.

I'm not sure what their marketing department claims. I just think it's a balanced food, and it works for all my fish. If you are someone that likes to feed your fish a homemade concoction or like to keep it varied, more power to you.

That said, I always keep Mysid shrimp and some cyclopeeze in the freezer. And I have some Nori in a drawer somewhere.