sensitive Tropheus dietary requirements are, "is p

[jebe]

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/new_life_spectrum.php

[parrdog]

I have been wondering about using NLS cichlid pellets on Tropheus also. I know someone who trialled it on a colony and got more frequent holdings and larger fry sizes. Whatever food change you make with Tropheus though, it has to be a slow and gradual one. There are many examples of Tropheus colonies around the world thriving on diets other than Spirulina flake. If I did feed NLS to my Trophs I would combine it with their OSI flake. I am not sure if I am willing to take the risk though.

[MoliroMan]

Hi Fellow Tropheus Fans!

I have recently started using NLS pellets with my Tropheus. I have used it in the past and had experienced bloat. But i think it was only a coincidence. There r so many other factors that can cause bloat i don't think feeding them NLS was the major one. Anyway europeans use shrimpmix which is high in protein and their tropheus thrive.

I intend to feed the pellets soaked in tank water for a few minutes before feeding. I will feed them their usual spirulina flakes prior to feeding the pellets to aid digestion.

I have also started using OSI brine shrimp flakes 3 times a week after feeding spirulina flake.

Let u guys know how they go!

Remember, try to feed sparingly!

Wish me luck!

Dave

[Nigel]

I think its a big mistake to experiment with feeding Tropheus. I used to breed tropheus years ago and all I ever feed them was spirulina flake. The problem is the proten level thats what causes the bloat. Also I find most people over feed them that also is a cause of bloat. I used to give them a feed of frozen daphnia once a week this helps. Now that I just import them all they ever get is spirulina flake and only OSI brand. The big thing is what ever you feed them DONT over feed. Thats my opinion.

[CThompson]

I have been feeding, pre-soaked (for only a minute or so) NLS pellets mixed in with Sera Flora for over a year now to my K1s. They get it in one of their 2-3 feeding per day.

I have had NO problems with it. If you decided to use it, feed very small amounts mixed in with your other food, and after a say a month, increase the amount.

Make sure you soak it for a bit, only long enough for it to sink. I contacted the creator of this food, and he told me many Tropheus keepers use it. I can’t say that my fish show better colour or anything though.

I believe Jim uses it also, but he can confirm or deny this. And he has F0s.

Nigel is right about the over feeding of Tropheus. But you can do this with any food.

I don’t think it is a matter of experimentation. Experimenting on what foods one feeds their Tropheus would be wrong, and probably would lead to problems. But for me, it was a matter of finding other safe foods I could feed to my fish on a regular basis. I have found NLS to be safe.

Things have changed a lot since I first started keeping fish. The gadgets one can buy now, WOW! Well I think that foods have also come along, as have the gadgets. We would be ignorant not to at least look at the new advances, take them with a grain of salt, as these new things do have a tendency to come and go. That is, just because it is new, doesn’t mean it is good, and should be used. But, be aware and prepared to take on something new if it has merit. Just my opinion.

Craig

[jebe]

this comes from RD form cichlid-forum

NLS

A stressed & weak fish is more likely to get sick, no matter what you feed them. Tropheus certainly aren't unique in this regards.

IMO what makes Tropheus unique is their highly social structure, which often times involves a high degree of aggression (ie stress) until the tank hierarchy is established. Once it has been established, simply adding or removing fish can upset that balance, and cause undue stress. This structured social behaviour is what most Tropheus keepers seem to enjoy the most about this fish, but at the same time one has to be careful not to upset the balance, as sometimes the consequences can be devastating.

Diet is seldom (if ever?) the trigger when bloat strikes, but this seems to be another fishkeeping myth that is difficult to erase.

A few months back a CF member swore up & down that NLS was the cause when bloat struck his tank, so he stopped feeding NLS. Last week I noticed that his fish are once again having major bloat issues, so it seems obvious that there's something else causing this illness in his tanks, and it most likely has nothing to do with their diet.

In Africa, all of the major exporters use generic bulk fish meal based flakes (even the ones breeding along side the lake), and even the strict herbivorous Mbuna, Tropheus, etc eat this food as their main & in most cases 'only' staple, with no bloat issues. These 'wild' fish go straight from a specific diet in the lake, to a bulk flake food, with no apparent side affects.

If diet played such a huge role in causing bloat, as most people in this hobby believe, most of the wild caught Tropheus (and other fish considered strict herbivores) would be dead long before they reached your tanks.

Obviously this is not the case

i think this is a very good point

[Matthew]

G'day

If you follow the link you will find the linked author. One may have to question the motives of the author.

If you look at his signature, there is a direct link to a company that sells nothing but this particular fish food.

I would be concerned about how unbiased his opinion may actually be.

This information may actually be correct I don't know. But everyone please carefully consider what you do, especially when you consider the risk it may have on your colony of fish.

Having said this, I have seen Craigs colony and they look very healthy. Perhaps it is time for some properly conducted experiments?

[TropheusQueen]

IMO why risk anything with these beautiful fish.

Are you concerned about varying their diet? Provide a rotating seasonal menu to tempt their taste buds?

I think most of the time we are not that altruistic, we vary diets to obtain the results we want - fast growth and holding females . What are a few cases of bloat along the way.

I am with Nigel on this (by the way Kigoma's settled in and doing Type A Tropheus things....thanks heaps) OSI flake and algae pellets fed sparingly have kept my Tropheus colonies thriving and breeding with no losses. Females spawn every six to eight weeks and produce 8-15 fry.

I do understand however if you have them for display purposes and wish to keep them with other carnivores, then their dietary restrictions may prove frustrating.

To each his own.

Aline

[Tiger]

hello all .

I believe that if its not broken ,don't fix it .

I have been keeping various Tropheus for a while now ,with no issues atall !

I only feed OSI spirinula and thats it .

Sounds very boring but the fish are very happy .

I would not experiment with different foods on my fish !

just my opinion

cheers Kevin

[MoliroMan]

call it a coincidence but i have been feeding NLS cichlid formula pellets for a few weeks now and all my Tropheus look healthy and in fact i have had 5 females holding that have never before just in the last week!!!

i think we Australians have a rather conservative attitude towards feeding tropheus. As i said before there r many things that can cause Tropheus bloat. But i think diet is only a secondary cause. Stress or poor water conditions makes some tropheus more susceptible to certain higher protein foods. In fact NLS has less protein in it than OSI spirulina!!! Anyway spirulina flake is still my staple diet for my tropheus, NLS will only supplement the diet.

The above is my opinion and i don't expect anyone else to follow what i have done.

Dave

[jebe]

I personally think it’s a great topic to discuss

Lots of passionate people talking about there most loved hobby

NLS has for the most part been discussed with varying reports, has any one used the shrimp mix that is so widely talked about in the euro forms..??

It looks quite pink to me not at all green

[RD.]

G'day from the Great White North.

I was asked by one of your comrades to have a look at this thread, so here I am.

One may have to question the motives of the author.

In my defense, the article I wrote that was linked to above was written before I had any business ties with Pablo Tepoot & his NLS line of food. I've actually been ranting & raving about this food for close to 2 years now, and anyone that knows me from the cichlid-forum knows this only so well.

I also only sell NLS to my fellow Canadians, so my comments here, or for the most part on C-F, have little affect on my regional sales.

At one time I was actually a moderator on that site in the Illness, Health, and Nutrition folder, and stepped down due to the fact that I refused to have my search for the truth hushed by the powers to be. As a mod I had to keep fellow sponsors of the site in mind, as a free agent I could say what was really on my mind. The latter is much more fun!

At this point I believe I have read about Tropheus eating pretty much every food on the planet, with no ill affects, and I stand by my comment posted above. Is bloat sometimes brought on by an improper diet, certainly, but in those cases it's usually a case of operator error, not the food itself. (ie over feeding)

I suspect that 100% of the people that feed OSI Spirulina flakes to their fish do so because they have heard, or read, where other people have used this food with great success, not because they actually researched the food themselves, and made an informed decision based on their many hours of research.

Sound about right?

Most of you may be shocked by this but NLS has far more 'greens' in it than OSI. Yes, far more, and much more than just spirulina.

OSI Spirulina Flakes contain the following main ingredients:

Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Spirulina, Shrimp Meal, Fish Protein Concentrate, Fish Oil

Min. Crude Protein ....... 41%

Min. Crude Fat ....... 4%

Max.Crude Fiber ....... 6%

Max. Moisture ....... 8%

Notice what the main ingredient is? Yes it has spirulina in it, but it also has plenty of fish protein in it as well, quite a bit actually, although some of it is quite poor quality. For those of you that aren't aware of this, shrimp meal is commonly referred to as shrimp waste meal in the aquaculture industry. It is a very low quality protein, and is very cheap. It usually involves the heads & shell from the shrimp, ie; the waste.

The fish meal could be made from any number of fish species, as they don't state on the label exactly what it is, so there's not much I can comment on with regards to the main ingredient, other than most 'quality' fish meals are indeed a good source of protein, as well as amino acids.

Fish protein concentrate is exactly what it sounds like, a concentrated form of fish protein, which in this case is most likely used to boost the overal protein % found in this flake, as well as boost the amino acid levels.

FYI - percent protein says nothing about the quality of the protein, only the quantity of nitrogen. The value of protein is directly related to the amino acid content. It doesn't tell you how that protein was processed, or if it's even in a form that your fish can properly digest & utilize. As an example, feather meal is quite high in protein, but is very poor in digestibility. There are many grades of "fish meal" sold for the aquaculture industry, and believe me, they are not all created equal, nor are they priced equally.

Wheat flour is used as a binding agent (it holds the food together), which is common practice in the fish food industry.

The fish oil adds fat to the formula.

One thing that jumps out at me about this flake, I see no mention of the Max Ash content. Hmmmmm. I suspect that the reason for this is that due to the use of the "shrimp meal' , it's a tad bit on the high side.

Ash is basically ground up bone and scales that for the most part aren't digestible to most fish. This is why some of the low quality foods have a very high ash content. A high ash content will also contribute to water pollution in your aquarium.

Most quality foods contain 10% or less ash. If it's over 10%, then the chances are that a lower grade of raw ingredients have been used as the main protein sources.

I know many people who use this flake for their Tropheus (as well as other species) but I also know many people who use flakes that contain 10-14% fat (such as Omega flakes) even though it has been proven that diets with fat % in that range cause fatty liver disease in African cichlids, which is the leading cause of death in aquarium raised fish.

Some people would rather fight than switch, which is is fine by me.

I'm not here to sell my food, I'm just reporting the facts.

Now, let's take a closer look at the NLS Cichlid formula.

Main Ingredients: Krill, Herring, Wheat Flour, Amino Acids, Algae Meal, Soybean Isolate, Fish Oil, Beta Carotene, Spirulina, Garlic,

Guaranteed Analysis: Protein 34% Min., Fat 5% Min., Fiber 5% Max., Ash 9% Max., Moisture 8% Max.

Krill meal - a rather expensive ingredient that due to its cost is seldom used as a main ingredient in fish foods.

Krill meal is one of the highest quality meals with regards to sources of protein and amino acids, and is also an excellent source of natural antioxidants and pigments. Krill meal is superior to other crustacean meal products in terms of its amino acidic content, its attractant and flavouring quality, the capability of the fish to extract the pigments from the meals, and its immune stimulant quality. Not only does it have a high natural pigment content (astaxanthin), the astaxanthin also functions as an antioxidant. It has been proven that this pigment has a positive effect in the rates of growth and immune modulation in both fish and shrimp.

Herring meal is a fish meal that is made from 'whole' fish, not leftover offal such as most white fish meal, or heads & shells, such as most shrimp meal.

Wheat flour - again, this is primarily used as a binding agent

Amino acids - although I don't agree with Pablo about this being on the label (as many consumers won't understand it) Pablo wanted to make sure that it was very clear that each formula he makes has a properly balanced amino acid content.

Many don't, and Pablo is very strict in making sure that each formula is very precise in this regards.

Algae Meal - (in this formula) is made from Kelp, Seaweed, and haematococcus pluvialis, the latter being a micro-algae that has a very high content of natural esterified astaxanthin.

Soybean Isolate - a highly refined soy (vegetable based) protein that is also very high in amino acids. Used much for the same reasons as OSI uses Fish protein concentrate, with the difference being the NLS formula uses a vegetable based source.

Fish oil - same as above

Beta Carotene - Have you ever heard of the saying that goes ... I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you?

Let's just put it this way, there is no other food on the market that contains the wide assortment of high quality natural color enhancers that is found in NLS.

Spirulina - I suspect you all know what that is

Garlic - used in the industry as an anti-parasitic additive, as well as a flavor enhancer.

Ok, so OSI contains spirulina, and a whole lot of marine based fish protein. Some that may be of good quality, some that IMO is not. (the shrimp meal being NOT)

NLS contains a very high quality combination of fish protein, a vegetable based protein, as well as a large amount of kelp, seaweed, and the micro-algae haematococcus pluvialis. It also contains a significant amount of spirulina. Pablo has also recently increased the amount of spirulina he uses, so don't let the placement of this ingredient on the label fool you. There is more "high quality vegetable matter" in this food than most foods currently on the market, including the ones that are labeled as "Spirulina Flakes'.

Pablo simply refuses to use green dyes (or any type of artificial coloring agents) in his foods. (which many companies do, as eye candy for the consumer)

You can consider the 'source' of this information until you're all blue in the face, the facts will still remain the same.

I feed NLS exclusively to all of my fish, even the species that are considered strict herbivores such as my F1 Tropheops macrophthalmus 'yellow/yellow' (spawned & born in Africa) and they have never looked healthier. I also know breeders that feed NLS exclusively to their Tropheus colonies, and they have had the same results as myself & many others.

Hope that helps .........

[Matthew]

G'day

Welcome to the forum

What a reply. In the past I have had to critically analyse information that is presented to me.

Regarding fish products, there have been numerous occasions where products promised the world. They sell well and the results just happen, unfortunately not always to the betterment of the hobby.

I tend to have an attitude of "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Especially where it concerns our tropheus.

I support this by the far too numerous posts regarding bloat. All seemed to point to food and water quality as the cause.

We have never, ever had bloat in our tropheus, but then again I work extremely hard at keeping the water quality very good.

I have often visited web sites that insist you should feed all kinds of food, often some sort of DIY shrimp mix. Often it would seem to go hand in hand with instructions on what to do when bloat strikes. Personally I would have no idea what to do if it does strike.

Okay back to the topic at hand.

Your post seems to be very well informed and researched. There is information in there that actually should be written on the product. Personally I had not read what was on the label.

To be honest I am a little shocked. The product would appear to be misnamed

A little more research on my part is obviously required.

I will have to watch very carefully those that are using or about to trial it.

Thankyou very much for taking the time to visit us down under and imparting your knowledge.

Hopefully you will continue to visit us.

[parrdog]

Thanks for posting RD, an excellent list of interesting information. I myself am giving NLS a go with my Tropheus. I feed it sparingly in tandem with OSI Spirulina. I will let everyone know how they go.

Jamie.

[MoliroMan]

Thanks RD for giving us your informed perspective on NLS. I have always known it to be a quality product. I think people too easily dismiss a product because it is not called "spirulina" flake or "vege" flake. They don't actually research the product and listen to the evidence before making their own conclusions. I had heard that feeding tropheus pelletised food is also a no-no because it could expand in their long narrow intestines and cause bowel obstruction - "bloat" in it's worst form! But i have found that with presoaking the NLS pellets r so easily digestible.

I have ordered 2.27 kg of NLS Cichlid formula from Age of Aquariums but unfortunately the supply is not meeting the demand! I have had another 2 females holding today after a water change!!! I think i will be using NLS for a long time!

I also heard that there was a rumour that the new batch of NLS has a reduced shelf life - is this true?

Is the Spectrum Thera A (marine) similar to the cichlid formula? Can it be fed to tropheus? How about the Spectrum growth formula, can it be fed to tropheus?

thx

Dave

[RD.]

I won't mention the company name, but here's another "Spirulina" flake that's manufactured and sold in the USA.

(xxx's) PREMIUM SPIRULINA FLAKE:

CICHLIDS, ANGELS, AND SALTWATER VARIETIES ABSOLUTELY THRIVE ON THIS VERY SPECIAL FOOD. CONTAINS EXTRA SPIRULINA ALGEA!

INGREDIENTS: FISH MEAL, SOY FLOUR, WHEAT FLOUR, OAT FLOUR, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, DRIED SPIRULINA ALGEA, SHRIMP MEAL, DRIED PLANKTON, BREWERS DRIED YEAST, SOY OIL, LECITHIN, VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS A, D3, B12, BIOTIN, NATURAL COLORING, ASCORBIC ACID (SOURCE OF VITAMIN C).

GUARANTEED ANALYSIS: CRUDE PROTEIN 45.0% MIN., CRUDE FAT 9.0% MIN., CRUDE FIBER 1.6% MAX., MOISTURE 9.0% MAX. ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS, EXCEPT FOR SOME ARTIFICIAL COLORING.

FISH MEAL, SOY FLOUR, WHEAT FLOUR, OAT FLOUR, CORN GLUTEN MEAL

Remove the fish meal from the first 5 main ingredients, and it sounds more like a pancake recipe, than a diet designed for fish!

IMO this is a prime example of a food that has potential to cause gastrointestinal issues in fish such as Tropheus. Too many ingredients (ie; grains) that are not very digestible to fish. If the fish consumes too much at once, or the tank is in a stressful situation from breeding, aggression, poor water conditions, etc, ..... blam, you got a case of bloat on your hands.

As far as the fat content found in fish food, here's an eye opener for you:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=77303

But hey, try convincing someone who has been using a flake such as the one posted above, or some of the Omega flakes, that are 9-14% fat that this is slowly killing their fish, and they look at you like you're a lunatic.

No worries, now I just post a link to that research paper.

Look, when people ask about my motives I tell them this ........ I'm not in this to get wealthy, I'm in this to spread the wealth.

Trust me, I'm not about to put my name & reputation on the line over something that I don't know with 100% certainty is not only safe for your fish, but is also hands down the best food you can feed your fish, period. Not for NLS International, not for anyone. My word is my bond, and people who know me know this is true. Pablo is the exact same type of person, and this is the main reason I decided to sell his food. Had it been any other manufacturer of fish food that had approached me, I would have said thanks, but no thanks.

In the link above I stated:

IMO there are so many myths & misconceptions in this hobby, that it may take years to erase some of these long held beliefs from the minds of fish keepers around the world.

..... and you can take that to the bank!

Pellet foods swelling up & causing bloat ...... sure, maybe if you feed a D grade pellet food, otherwise, total rubbish.

I find it simply amazing how much time, money, and effort people will put into fish keeping, yet they understand so little about what I feel is the most important aspect of this hobby ........ fish nutrition!

The owner of NLS has THE largest African Cichlid farm in North America, perhaps in the world, and take a guess what type of fish food he uses on his farm?

PELLET FOOD

.... as does every single last fish farm in North America. Why? ....... because pellets are much more economical due to their stability in water (less pollution), as well as being much more nutrient dense compared to flakes.

Just another FACT.

Also...... there is no need to pre-soak NLS pellets, unless you are feeding a NLS formula that is far too large for the fish to eat.

All NLS formulas now contains less moisture than they ever have in the past, and the pellets are even somewhat smaller than they were previously.

As an example, my L. caeruleus (yellow lab) juvies that are approx 1 1/2" in size (with some even smaller) can easily fit a 1 mm Cichlid Formula pellet in their mouth.

The key to remember with any type of fish food .........

DO NOT STUFF YOUR FISH!

Pellets are VERY nutrient dense, so a little goes a long ways.

You can feed a handful of flakes, or a teaspoon of pellets ..... you do the math.

Yes, opinions are nice, but when it comes to fish nutrition I prefer to stick to the facts.

The fact is, no other fish food manufacturer in the world wants to create a food that's based on the type of raw ingredients that NLS uses, because they know that to do so would cause a major reduction in their profit margin.

Riddle me this .......

How many fish food manufacturers do you know that have been breeding & selling fish successfully (as a business) for the past 25 years?

How many of them have 800-1,000 40 gallon fry tanks on the go on any given week?

How many offer a 10 day money-back guarantee on their food?

How many of them have a public online forum where the president of the company will answer any & all questions about their product line?

How many of them have a CAUTION warning on each label of their flake food to ensure that the consumer clearly understands that for larger species of fish, pellet food is much better suited. (Due to insufficient food intake of flakes).

The bottom line is this, long before I started selling this food I had formed my own opinion about the pet food industry, and which fish food was the best product on the market.

The only thing that's changed over the past 6 months, is that I now realize that NLS is the only food I need to feed my fish.

NLS already is a varied diet, so it's the only food I now use.

also heard that there was a rumour that the new batch of NLS has a reduced shelf life - is this true?

No, actually the exact opposite. Pablo has recently reduced the moisture content from 10%, to between 5-7%, so the food will actually last much longer now. I've stored mine in the freezer for as long as 18 months. (back when it still had a 10% moisture content)

From my NLS article:

Usually it's recommended that once a container of fish food is opened, and exposed to light, oxygen, and humidity, that any uneaten food should be thrown out within 2-3 months due to the overall nutritional loss. This is not the case with New Life Spectrum. If stored properly this food will keep for an incredibly long time, with very little overall nutritional loss.

Pablo has conducted laboratory tests that show that after 2 years, under normal room temperature, exposed to air every 3 months, the shrinkage on Vitamins A, E, and C was surprisingly low, as little as 15%. During the manufacturing process he already takes into account a potential 35% vitamin loss, so New Life Spectrum is already way ahead of the game.

I have personally used New Life Spectrum food that was 18 months old, on juvenile fish, and not only did they retain their vibrant coloration, they continued to grow like weeds! I stored the main container of this food in the freezer over an 18-month period, only taking out a few weeks worth of food at a time. After 18 months this food still had the fresh smell of seafood!

Pablo once mentioned to me that there was no need for an expiration date on his food and that New Life International will gladly refund your money, if the food loses its potency within 1 year of your purchase. I decided to take him up on his challenge, and I'm happy to report that his food passed with flying colors.

Is the Spectrum Thera A (marine) similar to the cichlid formula? Can it be fed to tropheus? How about the Spectrum growth formula, can it be fed to tropheus?

The TherA+A line of food is designed for both fresh & salt water fish. Can it be fed to Tropheus, yes, bu personally I would not use it as a maintenance diet for Tropheus. For Tropheus I would recommend the Cichlid Formula.

I use the Growth formula on all fry & small juvies. It's much higher in both protein & fat (50% pro, 9% fat - which all young growing fish require) and as soon as they can easily get a 1 mm sized pellet in their mouth, I switch them over to the TherA+A formula. The TherA line of food is again slightly higher than the Cichlid formula in both protein & fat (38% pro, 7% fat) so I use it as a type of transitional food before I place them on the Cichlid pellet, which is an adult maitenance diet.

Here's a few comments that were posted to me recently on the cichlid-forum. I don't know any of these people, and the first 3 quotes came from a person who works in the aquarium dept of the Wildlife World Zoo in Phoenix AZ. Home of the infamous Jack Hanna.

Just thought you might find their comments interesting.

Myself, I use NLS. in all of my tanks, cichlid and otherwise. I started feeding NLS at the aquarium I work at six months ago; since then, the discus pair have spawned, the frontosa have spawned, and the blind cave tetras, which are usually an of-white, now have a glowing sheen to their side, and orange-ish tails. At home, my corydoras are spawning like no tomorrow; my golden wonder killifish are bright yellow and have also spawned, and NLS is the ONLY food (including live) that I have tossed into my tanks, and seen my spotted raphael catfish dive out of the tank to devour.

Now at work, I'm using NLS to "stuff" the food of fish who ignore pellets. The electric eel, the lungfish, the morays all get krill and silversides soaked in vitamins--now the food is also stuffed with NLS pellets. My latest idea is to somehow get NLS marine formula stuffed into tiny krill bits for our juvie frogfish.

RD, another round of applause to you for getting me interested in NLS. I only wish they sold this stuff in local stores!

I then asked this person if any of the fish received NLS exclusively ...........

I'm the main feeder at the aquarium, so I can say that some tanks, like the Lake Malawi setup we have, are fed only the NLS. But on my off days, someone else sometimes feeds a few of the marine tanks, but none of the freshwater.

Since last week, our reef tank has gotten, and will only get, NLS Marine. The Congo tetras usually only get the NLS, but the new elephantnose in the tank hasn't been weaned fully onto nonlive foods, so sometimes the tetras sneak in some worms.

The Lake Tang setup, the killifish setup, and the rainbows all get just NLS. It's only been a few months since I started the exclusive diet; colors are fab, and we'll see about breeding!

He/she later posted this in another thread:

Another NLS supporter here. No, I don't sell the stuff, I don't make the stuff, but I do feed the stuff. And not just to my fish at home. I'm the aquarist at the Wildlife World Zoo, and 99% of my fish here take NLS (the other 1% are recently wildcaught marine fish who are having to be weaned onto nonlive food anyway). At work, the frontosa AND the discus have spawned after being fed NLS. At home, my bronze cories and golden wonder killifish have spawned repeatedly after being fed NLS.

I tossed out all my old Hikari wafers and my Omega One foods.

Another recent comment posted to me on CF.

I have kind of been a "once in a while" visitor to this site (and forum) and have absolutely noticed all the (as Piepuncher puts it) "hype"about NLS. How could I not.......look at the product review section; 70 reviews and counting and a spectacular overall rating. Just look at the amount of times this topic has been visited and replied to here. Please remember one thing Piepuncher......we, as hobbyists, are creating the "hype". And we are creating this "hype" because we have finally found a product that lives up to its guarantee!

Kudos to RD for taking the time to do a ton of footwork (research) on this product for those of us who simply dont have the time or means to do so. There's a bunch of happy forum reader/hobbyists (including me!) out there that are getting even more educated on the subject of fish nutrition and are feeding NLS because of his efforts.

And, as far as him selling the product being at all misconstrued as a self-serving bias in the favor of NLS.....Listen,........the guy is going way out of his way and putting himself on the line here (at least in the minds of those of us that are still concerned about our reputation). I dont think the guy sounds like a used car salesman here. Sounds more like a very educated and dedicated hobbyist that just found a spectacular product he believes in, and wants to share his findings with other hobbyists (not to mention the ability to purchase NLS in Canada, because without him,....it, as of now, would be even more difficult to get).

I have been keeping fish for well over 30 years ....you name it...I have fed it. Trust me on this. I have been feeding NLS EXCLUSIVELY now for only about 4-5 months. Let me tell you (as many many other fish keepers have in many forums, reviews, web-sites) there is absolutely nothing like this stuff!! We can discuss protein content, amino acids, lipids, etc. until we are all blue in the face......but one thing is for sure. This product really does appear to be the simple simple simple (did i forget to mention simple??) answer to a question we as hobbyists have been asking......WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY FISH?? We have always been told: A VARIETY (stupid!) Right? Well, something struck me as I was reading these many threads about this topic. Is it possible that NLS IS the variety???? It sounds and looks like it has everything in it that all my fish need. What in the heck else could you ask for?...Is it TOO simple to be possible?? AND it works too?? The "hype" being created proves it doesnt it??

I'm honestly not trying to slam the heck out of Piepuncher here....but he brings up some points that I have pondered myself as I am sure many others have. But it just so happens that when you see or hear it coming from someone else.......it sometimes seems a little...lets just say "different" doesnt it? It sounded to me like he was right on the verge of comparing fish to dogs. Now, I am a HUGE fish guy....as well as an absolute dog and cat lover...in fact a true animal lover in general. But it looked to me like he was suggesting his fish would get bored of just one food fed exclusively no matter how good it tasted to them or how nutritionally balanced it actually was. This is where the "WOW!" in the subject line of my rant comes in......Now I love my fish...honestly i do. But if you are telling me I could have had my family of firemouths catchin a frisbee in the back yard had i only offered them a cichlid-milkbone occassionally.... I'm gonna be forced to suggest you take a year or two off of the hobby dude!...lol...Just funnin with ya.

But really....It seems clear to me that NLS IS, in fact, the variety everyone was and is talking about. Remember the ole' "standing too close to the trees to see the forest" line that our parents used (and still use on occassion?!)Could it be that simple??...Gotta tell you. From all the positive "hype" I've read and heard....and all the positive results I have PERSONALLY seen so far.....I THINK SO. (And hey guys....think how happy wifey will be when she doesnt have that smelly half opened plastic baggy labeled "Beef-heart" staring her in the face everytime she opens the freezer door!.....It works in my house!)

Now, granted, I am no nutritionist, rocket scientist, nor am I a brain surgeon....ah!...but a mere fish freak who eats, sleeps, and breathes fish(that is when I am not working or completing the latest "honey-do" list)...but where in any of NLS's info or guarantee does it say that it will turn a toadfish into a Baenschi peacock?? Because if it did, I have the ugliest pleco in the world that is gonna get the rest of the fish-friends in his fish room free food for life! He's been eating it for 4 months now...and i got news for ya........still ugly! I know...I know....beauty is in the eye of the beholder...I get it. But I think you might have to consider a fishes potential a little here....dont you? For now anyway...because who knows what these guys will come up with next year?

Well, in closing, I just wanted to put my humble two cents in here about this subject. And again, to tell RD that I appreciate him participating in this forum. I've definetly learned alot from him, and others, and absolutely can't thank him enough for turning me on to NLS!

Paul

.... and another

Yep it does work. I've been very happy with NLS. I even feed it exclusively to my demasoni and they look fantastic and haven't had a single case of bloat. Best food on the market in my opinion.

and here's one from a Tropheus breeder ..........

Sarah sent me an e-mail about this thread, I'm the one who has been feeding my Tropheus moori and T. brichardi New Life for the last six months. It is the only food that I have been feeding them. I made this change after e-mailing Pablo and he assured me that he had been feeding his Tropheus this for years. I have 60+ tanks mostly Tanganyikans, some South American dwarfs, including dwarf pikes and West Africans and I feed them all NLS exclusively with great results. Back to the Tropheus, the main thing that I have noticed, is that my Tropheus no longer have that hollow belly look that seems to be seen in them. It's what has worked well for me for years and I have found the color, heath and breeding of my fish was improved since I started using NLS. I hope this helps. Pablo, do you have a job for me  ?

Thanks,

Daniel

Now here's one from Pablo ..........

In my opinion, high level of protein is not the cause for bloat, it is poor digestable protein that is the cause for bloat. How do I come to this conclusion? We use tropheus moorei, a herbivore notorious for bloat, as subject. We fed the fish NLS (34% protein) as much as they can eat with lots food left over ( this is an experiment, not normal practice). We never encounter bloat problem in 6 years, In the past, we have lost thousand of tropheus using commercial feed. In my opinion, krill, fish, algae, are the most easily digestable protein. Protein derived from soybean, feather meal, blood meal, left over seafood with too much bones are not easily digestable.

Other than Pablo, I don't know any of the people who I quoted above, so it's not like I'm making this stuff up.

Use NLS, don't use NLS, that's totally up to you ..........

[RD.]

BTW - for some of you OSI die hard fans, here's something you may find interesting, the importer in Australia for New Life Spectrum food, is OSI Imports.

http://www.oceanstarinternational.com/osi/html/contacts.html

Now that's rather interesting, isn't it?

[Gav]

until recently there was also someone else that imported the spectrum food as well and prices were quite a bit lower at wholesale level. since they stopped importing the wholesale price took about a 25-30% jump on bulk foods. kinda sad really as its my main food for my fish and the cost went up 30% in one foul swoop. Just wish someone else could import it and sell it at a realistic price again

[CThompson]

Thanks for your post RD - longest one I've ever read, but also very authoritive. Thanks for the effort you went to.

I agree with kinerata

Just wish someone else could import it and sell it at a realistic price again

It may be the best food out there, but with a lot of tanks, and a lot of fish, even if NLS goes a long way, $ factor into the equation. Is there some sort of way of buying it bulk, 10-20 kg size?

Craig

[Ducksta]

I always thought it odd that 'vege' foods, ideal for tropheus and such, all list fish meal as their bulk ingredient, and then go through the analysis only to find they are higher in animal proteins that many 'balanced' foods. I gave up feeding my specialised vege feeders 'spirulina' and 'vege' foods when I looked into ingredients and analysis. However I moved them onto only high quality flake foods (OSI) Anybody who has seen my demasoni know they're healthy, vibrant, and breeding like convicts

I concluded then that all these 'vege' foods were just a big toss really.

I haven't used NLS except for a small sample pack I was given which lasted less than a whole feeding through my tanks. And I don't have that many so I don't think myself able to comment on that matter.

I would be interested in trying some though, bulk at the right price would interest me. Perhaps a new mission for Gav?

[E4G13M4N]

until recently there was also someone else that imported the spectrum food as well and prices were quite a bit lower at wholesale level. since they stopped importing the wholesale price took about a 25-30% jump on bulk foods. kinda sad really as its my main food for my fish and the cost went up 30% in one foul swoop. Just wish someone else could import it and sell it at a realistic price again

You are so right Gav except when it changed importers it went up about 50% but they were kind enough to offer 25% discount. Maybe the price rise was why the other importer dropped it or maybe they just didnt push the sales enough i dont know. It is good food and i use it but even for me its getting too pricey Down under.

[Nigel]

It all sounds to much like a hard sell to me. I think I will stick with the way I do it.

[CThompson]

I wouldn’t call it a hard sell. There is a lot to read through, but basically it is giving you information, and leaving you to come to your own decision. I think most of us know the first ingredient in the two most common veggie foods we can buy here, and as has been stated, it is not of a vegetable origin. From just that fact alone, one can draw a lot of conclusions.

Craig

[Nigel]

The problem with information Graig is that sometimes to much is as bad as not enough.

[Gav]

how on earth can too much information ever be a bad thing?!?!?