Dried Fish Food

[Gary Morris]

Hi,
Does anyone choose their dried flake / pellet fish food according to the list of ingredients or is it by price or by package design or reviews?

I saw (can’t remember on where or what) that ‘Ash’ was listed as one of the ingredient’s in this particular fish food.
Is 'ash' on a fishes ‘must have’ meal item? I know that ash is in certain dog foods; however my cocker spaniel has never found a charred log appetising.

I’ve tried ‘You Tubing’ it and have to say I’m a little cynical when you see a review of a certain brand of fish food, they have most likely been given a load of free items, so they are not really unbiased.

I’m just thinking ahead, to when I have my plans sorted and my tank setup.
I’ve read that fresh / live food is the best, with frozen being second.

[Vale!]

"Ash" in a list of ingredients doesn't (as I understand it) refer to a standalone component that the manufacturer has put in ; rather, it's a statement about what weight, or percentage, of inorganic material that would remain if a known weight of the food were completely incinerated. In the case of fish food, ash references mainly (I guess) calcium and magnesium salts

I feed my fish live food in the main but include dried and/or defrosted food a couple or three times per week. I do look at the ingredients of dried foods but apart from those my main considerations are whether they float or sink slowly or sink fast ; and/or whether I can easily scrunch them down so that there's a variety of particle sizes.

[Andys temperate tank]

I use high protein granules as part of my feeding daily. And like Vale! I use ones I I can crush up.

[Andys temperate tank]

@Gary Morris this video shows how I feed my fish apart from I dont strain the frozen food through a net.
https://youtu.be/9yddSdQ3XN4

[Gary Morris]

Thanks for the replies Vale and Andy, can you feed raw garlic to your fish? Watched the video Andy, thanks.
I've just watched a video called 'Fish Food Ingredients Fully Explained Everything You Need to Know About Fish Feed' by 'Aqua Nut' and it goes into depth about dried fish foods in which it says there's alot of everyday items that go into dried foods, such as garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, as well as items used as 'fillers'.
I was wondering whether you could feed these from your kitchen cupboard? This way you could remove any of the additives that are used to 'fix' the items so as to be 'stable' in the fish food?

[Andys temperate tank]

Thanks for the replies Vale and Andy, can you feed raw garlic to your fish? Watched the video Andy, thanks.
I've just watched a video called 'Fish Food Ingredients Fully Explained Everything You Need to Know About Fish Feed' by 'Aqua Nut' and it goes into depth about dried fish foods in which it says there's alot of everyday items that go into dried foods, such as garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, as well as items used as 'fillers'.
I was wondering whether you could feed these from your kitchen cupboard? This way you could remove any of the additives that are used to 'fix' the items so as to be 'stable' in the fish food?

I think you crush the juice out of a clove and add that to your feed.

For what proper fish food costs it's not worth going in the kitchen. If your interested in free food you may want to read @Vale! bath thread.

[Gary Morris]

Thanks Andy, I'll have a read.

[Vale!]

Somebody rang?

GM - there's some better video somewhere of the normal Summer content of the bath. If I can find it I'll come back and link it.

[Gary Morris]

Thanks Vale; I read your post very interesting. I have a large rain butt that has daphnia which I can use, it's too deep to see if I have worms; as your bath has. Each summer it's thick with them. (daphina)

[plankton]

For garlic you can can just crush some (usually less than a clove per tank) including the flesh.
If you want it as part of a medical format then you need to let it rest for 10 minutes to release all the "stuff" that helps it to do that.
But don't use it too often in a balanced tank - only about every 4-5 months or so.
I use it in quarantine twice weekly for those 6 weeks.