What's wrong with non-marine food

picant · 06/13/2008, 12:31 AM

I have about 25 years of FW experience and am about to move to marine. Reading different SW sources (including this forum) I could find very limited info about use of life food that is commonly used in FW in marine tank. Is there something wrong with feeding marine tank inhabitants with white/black/red worms, daphnia, mosquito larvae etc. ? In FW world such life food works much better than any dry food. I can't think of anything that makes it work different in marine world.

Pavel

xJake · 06/13/2008, 12:56 AM

From what I've read, most people assume that since marine fish never encounter these types of foods in the wild that we shouldn't feed them in the captive setting. I tend to disagree as far as the popular opinion on this issue, and I feel that feeding live worms and other FW foods can entice some of the pickiest eaters to begin feeding. As long as the majority of the animals' diets aren't made up of the FW foods, I can't see any problem in feeding them. Daphnia is actually used quite often as a base for many dry coral foods. I feel daphnia are simply too large for most corals to consume successfully and shouldn't be used as a staple food for feeding corals (there are much better alternatives anyway). Fish, on the other hand, seem to respond quite well to daphnia as it mimics the size and shape of zooplankton that these fish encounter in the wild.

Stick with your staple marine foods and supplement this with FW foods if you like. Just know that it may be detrimental to feed solely FW foods to marine fish.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 06/13/2008, 08:58 AM

I can't think of anything that makes it work different in marine world.

Marine organisms often have a somewhat different assembly of biomolecules, such as fatty acids. Different levels of unsaturation and even chain lengths on fatty acids, for example. Hence the interest in fish oil capsules for people rather than pork fat capsules.

rjsilvers · 06/13/2008, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
Hence the interest in fish oil capsules for people rather than pork fat capsules.

Oh Randy, you're such a jokester...

seapug · 06/13/2008, 11:15 AM

mmmmm.....pork fat.

While sticking with marine foods for marine creatures is generally a good idea, there are some cases where non-marine foods can be very good staples-- mysis shrimp are one example.

I think a greater concern comes from using herbivore foods of non-marine origin. Some terrestrial vegetables contain high amounts of oxalic acid which has been suspected in causing illness in fish that consume large amounts of it.

kayne_21 · 06/13/2008, 08:34 PM

Don't forget the link that has been made between feeding freshwater feeder fish to predatory marine fish like Lionfish and fatty liver disease.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=291308

cloak · 06/14/2008, 01:37 AM

I have no idea.

Some of the prepared foods on the market have a picture of a discus and a clown on the same package.

06/13/2008, 12:31 AM	#1
picant Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Vic, Oz Posts: 5	What's wrong with non-marine food I have about 25 years of FW experience and am about to move to marine. Reading different SW sources (including this forum) I could find very limited info about use of life food that is commonly used in FW in marine tank. Is there something wrong with feeding marine tank inhabitants with white/black/red worms, daphnia, mosquito larvae etc. ? In FW world such life food works much better than any dry food. I can't think of anything that makes it work different in marine world. Pavel

06/13/2008, 08:58 AM	#3
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	I can't think of anything that makes it work different in marine world. Marine organisms often have a somewhat different assembly of biomolecules, such as fatty acids. Different levels of unsaturation and even chain lengths on fatty acids, for example. Hence the interest in fish oil capsules for people rather than pork fat capsules. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

06/13/2008, 11:15 AM	#5
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	mmmmm.....pork fat. While sticking with marine foods for marine creatures is generally a good idea, there are some cases where non-marine foods can be very good staples-- mysis shrimp are one example. I think a greater concern comes from using herbivore foods of non-marine origin. Some terrestrial vegetables contain high amounts of oxalic acid which has been suspected in causing illness in fish that consume large amounts of it. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

06/13/2008, 12:56 AM	#2
xJake Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,385	From what I've read, most people assume that since marine fish never encounter these types of foods in the wild that we shouldn't feed them in the captive setting. I tend to disagree as far as the popular opinion on this issue, and I feel that feeding live worms and other FW foods can entice some of the pickiest eaters to begin feeding. As long as the majority of the animals' diets aren't made up of the FW foods, I can't see any problem in feeding them. Daphnia is actually used quite often as a base for many dry coral foods. I feel daphnia are simply too large for most corals to consume successfully and shouldn't be used as a staple food for feeding corals (there are much better alternatives anyway). Fish, on the other hand, seem to respond quite well to daphnia as it mimics the size and shape of zooplankton that these fish encounter in the wild. Stick with your staple marine foods and supplement this with FW foods if you like. Just know that it may be detrimental to feed solely FW foods to marine fish.

06/13/2008, 08:34 PM	#6
kayne_21 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 209	Don't forget the link that has been made between feeding freshwater feeder fish to predatory marine fish like Lionfish and fatty liver disease. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=291308

06/14/2008, 01:37 AM	#7
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I have no idea. Some of the prepared foods on the market have a picture of a discus and a clown on the same package.