For what it is worth, the feed I give my fish is a mix of 25% dried
plankton, 50% dried blood worms, 50% spirolena algae. This seems to be the
best mix I have come up with without doing the pumpkin and peas bit. The
fish seem to be doing much better on this diet than any other I have tried.
I do also about 4 times a week suplement the diet with a good feed of
frozen brine and bloodworms mixed. This is a costly way to feed but the
adults are almost allways in breeding condition. Durring breeding I feed
exclusively the frozen brine and bloodworm mix. I have not experienced
getting "sick eggs" with this diet.
The term "sick eggs" is a term I use to describe the eggs from fish that
have not been fed an apporiate diet thus resulting in fry that are not as
strong as they should be due to the lack of nutrients in the yolk sack. The
health of the fry is a direct reflection of the diet feed to the adults.
Argue if you want but I agree with Adrian, diet is the single most
important factor in keeping rainbowfishes.
Roy Hunter
Co-Chairman
ANGFA of North America
visit our website at:
http://208.135.166.41
----------
> From: Adrian R. Tappin <atappin at ecn.net.au>
> To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Subject: Re: [RML] Re: more diet/environment comments
> Date: Tuesday, February 18, 1997 2:16 PM
>
> At 07:55 18/02/97 -0800, Rhonda wrote:
>
> >Since I seemed to have started all this recently I would like to make
> >some responses to comments.
> >
> >First of all when talking about fish diet it seems that lumping all
> >fish into the same dietary needs is unrealistic. What may be good food
> >for a plant loving fish like a molly and a fish that roots around in
> >the gravel like a botia are probably widely different. So when mention
> >is made of what "fish" need in their diet and studies of their needs,
> >I think taking into account which fish the studies have been on may
> >have some impact on the way keepers of different fish should interpret
> >the results.
> >
> >On rainbow diets, Adrian mentioned:
> >
> >>>I have been told that a "so far" unpublished research report will
> >show that
> >rainbowfishes consume greater quanities of terrestrial insects than
> >any
> >other food item.<<
>
> >snip,snip,
>
>
> Rainbowfishes are in the first place opportunistic feeders and I believe
> that most of the problems encountered with the rainbowfish group is
> primarily related to diet. Even an old report on diet of rainbowfishes
many
> years ago showed that their diet consisted of 40% terrestrial insects,
37%
> small aquatic crustaceans, 18% aquatic insects and 5% algae, pollen,
seeds
> and miscellaneous organic matter.
>
> Another thing is in many locations where you find rainbows there isn't a
lot
> of small aquatic life for them anyway and on occasions I have often
wondered
> what they may eat.
> I think its a pity that we have never surveyed the aquatic life when out
> collecting fish. Perhaps its not too late and next time anyone goes
> collecting - take a plankton or fine mesh net with you to see what is
> there??? Also most collecting, particularly northern areas of Australia,
are
> only done during cooler months when the water & humidity levels are low.
We
> just don't know what the conditions are like during the monsoon season.
>
> I had the pleasure of visiting Wim Heemskerk and his Father in Holland
last
> year and I must admit that I have never seen more healthy, colourful
> rainbows and blue-eyes anywhere I've been. (that'll cost you Wim ;-) They
> generally do water changes twice a week and their diet consists mainly of
> live food collected locally. This live food seems to contain a host of
> freshwater beasties.
>
> Although they do regular water changes their water conditions are very
> similiar to urban water supplies found around the populated cities of the
> world and certainly not "natural". Apart from their obvious fishkeeping
> skills I have come to the conclusion that this only confirms the opinion
> I've had for many years regarding diet.
>
> The reality however is that not everyone has the luxury of collecting
live
> foods so we have to use substitutes and/or formulate an artificial diet
and
> this is where the problems start. On the other hand - trying to provide a
> self sustaining population of edible morsels in an aquarium is I think
> impossible as the fish will soon devour the source ;-)
>
> Adrian.
> ........................................
> Adrian R. Tappin
> Home of the Rainbowfish
> http://www.ecn.net.au/~atappin/home.htm
> ........................................