According to the latest research "good food" cannot be described
in terms of "flake food" or "live food" or "that's my secret
recipe" but there are some certain results which may also
help aquarists.
One of the most important food ingredients are unsatisfied
fat acids. They are responsible for the formation of
prostaglandines. And these are responsible for the breeding
effort.
Flake food contains between 6 and 13 % fat according to the
analysis partially listed on the cans. However, this is not
important, but the contence of unsatisfied fat acids, which
nevertheless should be related to the fat contence.
Don't forget that young fish which haven't sexes can't
already form prostaglandines in that way. Too much fat
at this stage - as well as in old fish - could cause severe
liver damages. Take a special fry food if offered.
Always avoid protein fibers which aren't digestible for
fishes. Thus beef heart is no very good food and if you use
you have carefully to get rid of any tendons etc.
Live food should contain different masses of unsatisfied
fat acids. However, brine shrimps and grindal worms should
have a little bit more than the rest (only freshly hatched
brine shrimps, of course). Blood worms, tubifex and mosquito
larvae will also have more than Cyclops, daphniae and else.
However, as the latter consist of more bulkage they make
also a good food.
Frozen food is more problematically. If you freeze your
food yourself, it must be shockfrozen at 0 degrees Fahren-
heit or less. Commercially these low temperatures are
used normally for human food. I hope they are also used
in fish food.
Don't defrost frozen food before you feed it! Frozen food
will get spoiled from the second on it is defrosted. And no
fish has ever died on a frozen stomach. Fish can't get a
flu!
If you want to know more about food, let me know.
harro
harro.hieronimus at t-online.de