Any discussion that involves fish food deserves a brief explanation on these two types of commercially prepared foods.

1. January | February 2012
Feature title: Flaked fish feeds versus pelleted fish feed for the fish hobbist
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2. FEATURE FEATURE
in a fish, not just the color red. It should not show no sign of aging! How long do fish live if fiber, minerals (ash), will expel through the
turn a Yellow Tang or Yellow Labidochromis, their nutritional needs are met? I suspect that gills and feces creating phosphate, ammonia,
orange, which is often caused by excessive use in many cases it should be 20 plus years. and nitrogen compounds.
of astaxanthin. Fat content should ideally be I also suspect that very few hobbyists have This is the reason why Kelp, Spirulina, grain
below 10 percent to avoid fatty liver disease, kept the aforementioned species of fish alive and other difficult to digest proteins should
except in the case of juvenile fish, which for such long periods of time. For some peo- keep at a reasonable percentage. Many hob-
require fat as an immediate energy source in ple one or two years would be considered byists seem to think that they have to add
order to spare the much-needed protein for a success story! We are not talking about more Kelp, vegetable matter or Spirulina into
building muscle. Damsels, Clown fish, Triggerfish, or other spe- their fish’s diet, unknowingly adding more pol-
cies that are rather easy to keep in captivity, lution to their aquarium. Fish simply cannot
Maintaining health but the marine species that are considered utilize all the additional mineral (ash) and fiber.
Flaked fish feeds versus pelleted Choose a food that can maintain long-term
health for years, not months. I have personally
ultra delicate by most hobbyists.
Superior food generally produces less
A quality food usually contains ample
amount of vegetable matter and minerals.
fish feed for the fish hobbist maintained numerous Angelfish, Surgeonfish,
Butterfly Fish, etc. for over 10 years, and they
waste, hence less pollution in your aquarium.
In other words, excess undigested protein,
Always remember, what goes in has to
eventually come out. ■
by Pablo Tepoot, founder of New Life Spectrum (Fish Food Forum), Florida, USA and sub-edited by Martin Little, IAF
the new standard in cutting edge technology - massively enhanced user
A
ny discussion that involves fish In my 35 years of being in the commercial fish misguided belief that this will aid in digestion Resource Optimisation experience - truly modern deployment opportunities -
food deserves a brief explanation business, I have rarely run across an employee and prevent swelling of the pellets inside the Software all with the robustness and stability you expect from Format
on these two types of com- who knows how to feed fish properly. fishes gut. This is nothing more than an urban
mercially prepared foods. It is necessary to have the sense of aware- myth created by those that simply do not NOW AVAILABLE...
ness not to overfeed or underfeed. In some understand the amount of enzymes and gas-
While flakes have been the most popular ways it is as much an art, as it is a science. tric acids that are released by most fish when
For information and pre-launch updates please e-mail
type of food for the past 50 plus years for The first rule of thumb is; when in doubt, they consume food.
indigo@formatinternational.com
hobbyists, commercial operations learned a underfeed! If necessary you can always rec- Those hard pellets turn into soft mush in
long time ago that pellets are the superior tify the situation later by increasing the feed a very short period of time! If a pellet food
t:+44 1483 726 081
choice for all feeding applications. amount. causes gastrointestinal issues in a fish, it will
formatinternational.com
Pellets are preferred over flakes due to the However, if you overfeed, then eventu- usually be due to the use of poorly digestible
fact that they are more nutrient dense, and ally you can run into some serious prob- ingredients, such as excessive amounts of
much more stable in water. For species of fish lems. While most hobbyists usually overfeed grains and grain by-products, not from the Wenger_AQ_210x147mm 5/27/11 11:17 AM Page 1
over two-three inches, pellets are clearly the their fish; there are also those that underfeed food swelling up inside the fish’s stomach.
most optimum method of providing nutrition their fish to such an extent that their fish actu- Most importantly, when you pre-soak pellet
to your fish. Not only can you feed much less ally look anorexic. food, you are allowing nutrients and water
on a volume basis, but pellets will also remain Many reef keepers are guilty of this due to soluble vitamins and minerals to leach out into
stable in the aquarium for an extended period phosphate and nitrate concern. the water.
of time. If the fish is truly fat, simply Palatability: Fish are governed
By their very design, flake foods are withhold food and feed less. If by olfactory senses and to cer-
paper-thin; absorb water very quickly, and the fish is too thin, simply feed tain extent taste buds. Needless
more. to say, unless the fish is attracted
A hobbyist should know that to the food, no matter how
"Superior food generally they are in control, not the fish. nutritionally superior it may be,
A healthy fish will always beg it will be useless. Food as ener-
Multiply extrusion capacities for small
produces less waste, hence less diameter aquatic feeds with patented
for food, but if the fish shows gy intake has to surpass energy
pollution in your aquarium" no interest in food, chances are output i.e. locomotion, meta- new Wenger technology.
you have a big problem. Either bolic function, etc, especially in Wenger’s innovation of diverging cone screw and oblique die
while doing so leach out much of the water- they are sick, or in very bad marine fish. Even though they technologies brings all the benefits of extrusion to high capacity
soluble vitamins in a very short period. water conditions. When you may be eating in an aquarium, micro aquatic feed production. These new designs result in
Some studies suggest that once flakes feed pellets, the correct size is they can and often will waste floating and sinking small diameter aquatic feeds that are:
are added to the aquarium, the majority of very important. away slowly until they cease
water-soluble vitamins (such as vitamin C) Large fish can eat small pel- to exist. • produced at rates 3 to 5 times greater than previous technology.
are leached out of a flake food within 60-90 lets, but if the pellet size is too A nutrient packed food will • uniform in size and shape.
seconds. This information has been common large for the fish, they will usually spit it back produce substantial growth rate and optimum • on target for density and water stability.
knowledge in the aquaculture circles for out, or expel a large portion of the pellet into health. The type of protein used has to be
Request details now on high capacity, profitable production of
several decades, yet some hobbyists seem to the water column while chewing. easily digested and absorbed by herbivores,
small diameter feeds at info@wenger.com.
be stuck using outdated and less than ideal omnivores and carnivores. As stated earlier, fish
methods for feeding their aquarium raised fish. Different sizes of pellets do not receive an abundant food source in our At Wenger, we innovate to solve customer challenges.
Using pellet food for all feed applications The key is to use a pellet size that allows miniscule aquarium environments. Whatever Inventing the new original since 1935. And then we do it again.
is yet another concept that has been proven the fish to swallow it whole. If you keep a food you feed, it must provide ample daily
in commercial aquaculture since its inception. mixture of fish sizes in the same aquarium, you nutritional requirements for the fish to thrive.
SABETHA, KANSAS USA 785-284-2133 INFO@WENGER.COM
can mix different sizes of pellets to ensure that Superior food generally produces less waste,
Learning to feed fish all of the fishes receive their fair share. hence less pollution in your aquarium. USA BELGIUM TAIWAN BRASIL CHINA TURKEY
Feeding fish might seem easy, but it is actu- Another common mistake by some hob- A high quality fish food should be able to
ally one of the most difficult things to teach. byists is to pre-soak their pellets, in the bring out the wide spectrum of natural colors
26 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2012 January-February 2012 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 27

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