# What to feed? Pakcaged vs. homemade



## thaerin (Dec 12, 2004)

What do you guys think? The packaged flakes, foods etc you can find at the pet shops or homemade food? See lots of recipies for fish, shrimp and even snails, haivng thier own special food. Just curious


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## Raul-7 (Feb 4, 2004)

New Life Spectrum is a great commercial brand, while Omega One seems like it's worth a try. For frozen, Hikari is probably the best. As for homemade, it's basically DIY frozen food. Many Discus keepers do this. Of course, you can always start your own starter cultures of live food, but I find it too much of a hassle and a risk.


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## gunnie (Oct 7, 2004)

I love the Omega One brand of fish foods and basically use it for all my fish. I raised my angels from babies on the color flakes, and they have grown into some beautiful fish! I am also interested in the New Life Spectrum brand but haven't tried it yet. Usually the better fish foods are the ones that don't list fish meal as the first ingredient. I have also borrowed a sticky from another forum I am active on in case you want to make your own food:



> Basic gel food:
> 
> Just like the foods our fish eat in nature, gel food is mostly water, and has a more 'natural' texture than pellets or flakes. Makes the fish feel 'fuller', avoids some of the potential problems of both hard, compressed sinking foods, and air filled floating foods.
> 
> ...


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## Error (Apr 16, 2004)

I am of the mind that a variety is best for just about every fish I can think of. Live, frozen, flake (high and low-quality), pellets and whatnot are all good when used together.

There are some foods you need to be careful with, such as blackworms and bloodworms. But generally, most commercial foods are decent fare if you supplement them with other stuff.


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## thaerin (Dec 12, 2004)

lets see... 9 different things of flakes/pellets/wafers (2 bottom feeder type foods, 1 algae wafer type, freeze dried bloodworms and daphnia, spirulina flakes, regular fish flakes, shrimp pellets, micro pellets), 2 different frozen foods (bloodworms and brine shrimp)and the occasional treat of blackworms (on which they are currently feasting). 
All told, 13 different foods. 
That enough variety?  I know, I spoil them rotten


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## TWood (Dec 9, 2004)

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=fish meal

"Fish meal, fish desiccated and ground fine, for use in soups, etc."

Omega One uses salmon and other -fish-.

I don't see the difference.

TW


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I think feeding a variety of foods is the best for keeping fish healthy and happy. To me the brand does not matter as much as variety.


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## cS (Jan 27, 2004)

Reading this thread makes me feel as if my fish and shrimps are living in poverty.  My babies are fed once a day, every other day, on generic flakes. I used to keep dwarf cichlids that refuse to eat flakes, so I gave them Hikari's frozen blood worms. When it rains, they get live earthworms. When it's spring, everyone dines on aphids for weeks on end.


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

I feed a large variety (around 6 or 7 types) of packaged flake and pellet food. Don't really see the point in making my own and my fish are extremely healthy.

I just never buy large containers of packaged food as the vitamins degrade pretty rapidly once the container is opened. I buy small containers so I'm buying "fresh" regularly. I also only buy packaged food that has either a manufacturing date or an expiry date.

Once a week I feed frozen bloodworms.


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