# Best flake food



## mikejp67

Hi All, 
I thought i had read somewhere that Tetramin food isnt very good for your fish. Is that true?
What is the best food (mfg) I should be feeding my fish?


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## Tazman

What fish do you have?

New Life Spectrum make some of the best flake food available.


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## thekoimaiden

Another thumbs up for New Life Spectrum. Once I found this brand, I've never gone back. All of my fish get some variation of this food. 

Generally you can tell the quality of food by looking at the first few ingredients. You want some kind of fish or shrimp to the be the first one. If wheat (or some kind of gluten) is then, it's usually a poor-quality food.


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## Fishguy2727

New Life Spectrum exclusively is the best thing you can do. I however do not feed flakes at all anymore. Pellets fill them up better and are cleaner. Even the smallest fish in the store get pellets.


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## AbbeysDad

Yes...check the ingredients. Many fish foods use lower quality fish meals which require copious amounts of starch (wheat, oat, soy, rice flours) as a binder. In some cases, the starches are the first (largest) ingredients and used as fillers to increase the crude protein value. 
*New Life Spectrum* uses a higher quality fish meal made from whole fish (I believe Herring and Krill). 
I think the best foods are made from fresh fish as less starch/binder/filler is required. *Omega One* claims to use fresh fish and kelp.
*Ed's Almost Natural Tropical Fish Food* is made from fresh food grade (the same fish you or I would serve at the table) fish.
*API* is marketing foods made from more sustainable proteins and may also be worth a look.

Note: Higher quality foods result in healthier stock with less fish waste (as much of binders/fillers just pass through).


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## Geomancer

I use Omega One, as it's the best avalible in stores around here.

The ingredient list looks good, whole fish meal. Petsmart has it on sale often, I still buy small or medium containers. I really don't know how long flakes stay 'fresh' so I don't get the large containers.

I've never seen NLS in any store, local or chain.


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## Fishguy2727

Petco carries. It really is better enough to order online. Omega One uses artificial colors.


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## Geomancer

Must be your region.

Out here, 50% is Tetra, the rest is Aqueon, Hakari, Omega One, API, and sometimes one other brand.

I'm not concerned over artificial colors though (nor am I in my own food, I don't do the organic thing).


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## fish monger

Back in day, there was Hartz Mountain, Wardley's, and TetraMin. TetraMin was top drawer. It's still my go to staple food. We've all seen the debates concerning nutrition and whether one form or the other is best in our diets. One report says natural is the only way to go, another says the body can't differentiate. I'm on the fence. I useTetra based on its guaranteed analysis and supplement with good frozen or freeze dried products occasionally. I currently have Onega One because that's all my local Petco had...unbelievable. The fish seem to like it and I would buy it again. No experience with the other foods mentioned.


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## Fishguy2727

If you like Tetra or Omega One give NLS a shot. You will see an improvement. People who have seen the difference don't go back to Tetra for a reason. 

NLS is a step above Omega One as well, and not just because of the artificial colors.


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## fish monger

Fishguy2727 said:


> If you like Tetra or Omega One give NLS a shot. You will see an improvement. People who have seen the difference don't go back to Tetra for a reason.
> 
> NLS is a step above Omega One as well, and not just because of the artificial colors.


I'll definitely give it a try. Thanks.


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## Clubber

It's time to give NLS a shot. I wasn't aware PetCo had it. There is one near me, I just know they're more expensive but I will get NLS there now that I know where to buy it locally.


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## mikejp67

Thanks everyone. I stopped bye a Petco on my way home and bought some NLS pellets and some Omega flakes. I just did my rounds feeding the fish and they seemed to like it seeing as thou they went wild once they got a taste.
I've been useing Tetra min flakes, frozen brine and bloodworms. 
Thanks for all your replies!


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## amazon21

Geomancer said:


> I use Omega One, as it's the best avalible in stores around here.
> 
> The ingredient list looks good, whole fish meal. Petsmart has it on sale often, I still buy small or medium containers. I really don't know how long flakes stay 'fresh' so I don't get the large containers.
> 
> I've never seen NLS in any store, local or chain.


If you want to save a bit of money and buy fish food in bulk, you can put the food in Ziploc bags and freeze them. This keeps the food fresh a lot longer.


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## fish monger

Looks like I'll have to get my NLS online. Grocery stores have a better selection of fish food than my local Petco. Does anybody know if Petco stores are franchises or company owned ? It's like 2 miles from my house. Beyond that, I get involved in 10 miles of major traffic. I'd like to give them an earful if it would make a difference.


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## fish monger

Are all NLS foods pellets ? That's all I see on Petco online ?


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## jaysee

Fishguy2727 said:


> New Life Spectrum exclusively is the best thing you can do. I however do not feed flakes at all anymore. Pellets fill them up better and are cleaner. Even the smallest fish in the store get pellets.


I agree. My fish have all been exclusively eating NLS Thera A for maybe 3 years now.

There are flakes - I think they are called H2O flakes. Amazon has the best prices on NLS.


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## Adamson

I use Omega One because it is the best in the world.


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## Fishguy2727

Omega One is not the best in the world. I have never heard of it doing what NLS can do over and over and again. Any food is the best if you have yet to try better.

NLS is almost all pellets. They do make flakes but I wouldn't recommend them. Pellets fill fish up better, are cleaner, and preserve their nutrition better.


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## Olympia

I personally like Omega One too. Can't remember why. NLS has grain in the second ingredient I think. O-o


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## Fishguy2727

No it doesn't. It has a few protein sources (whole animal meals like krill) and then one grain in the whole food which is a binder, something EVERY food has to have or it will not stay together. It also only has ethoxyquin as a preservative in the meals only as required by law, not added to the food as a whole (most foods add much more of this and other preservatives). 

Omega One has more grain ingredients than NLS. 

Has anyone ever seen a mandarin eat NLS? How about a fire eel? Anyone had galaxy rasboras breed on accident while eating NLS exclusively? How about crayfish? NLS can do what other foods can't, over and over.


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## Olympia

I love mandarins, so sweet around Christmas time. Lol no clue what you are talking about.
And I'm pretty sure a grain is the second ingredient in the betta formula. o-o


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## Fishguy2727

Third, as needed so that it is actually a pellet. No artificial colors, unnecessary preservatives, better results, and only one grain ingredient (Omega One's betta food has two grains, like their other foods, which means together they are probably more than the ingredients listed before the grains, this is called ingredient splitting).


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## Olympia

Don't take offence to this but the way you talk about NLS in every thread just seems like they pay you to do that. o-o
I don't know, I don't nit pick at details, unless I can see the process of making it, the small details don't add up to much. The only deal breaker for me is if one of these companies used Atlantic species as ingredients. I'd be gone. :s


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## Fishguy2727

I recommend NLS because I have seen how much better it is than any other food on the market, for now. 

So you don't like the details, when they dont' support your opinion. 

Anyone else: Just try NLS. Worst case you are one of the few exceptions where your fish don't have better health and colors and a cleaner tank. More likely you are in the majority who keep feeding it exclusively because you see how much better it is.


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## Olympia

The details don't tell me anything... I don't know if these fish are farmed, wild caught in the Atlantic, are these grains organic? Those are the important things, and no fish food tells you that...


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## Fishguy2727

So you are saying that NLS isn't good because it has grain as the third ingredient, but also saying that the details don't really matter at all because no fish food company will tell you the 'important' details.

The most important thing is how well your fish do on it, and most do much better on NLS.


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## Olympia

If your food will turn my threadfin golden brown then I will take it back. I love that colour but they never seem to get that way for anyone. Too bad he doesn't eat pellets. :/


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## Fishguy2727

He will eat pellets if you get it hungry. Fish can go weeks without food, most people don't get their fish hungry enough to try new foods.


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## amazon21

Fishguy2727 said:


> No it doesn't. It has a few protein sources (whole animal meals like krill) and then one grain in the whole food which is a binder, something EVERY food has to have or it will not stay together. It also only has ethoxyquin as a preservative in the meals only as required by law, not added to the food as a whole (most foods add much more of this and other preservatives).
> 
> Omega One has more grain ingredients than NLS.
> 
> Has anyone ever seen a mandarin eat NLS? How about a fire eel? Anyone had galaxy rasboras breed on accident while eating NLS exclusively? How about crayfish? NLS can do what other foods can't, over and over.


almost every food 

Natural Tropical Fish Food - Fish Food Online Store

NLS and Omega One are both solid foods imo.


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## Drift

Over the past few days I have rotated through Tetramin Crisps, Omega One Tropical Flakes, and NLS Micro pellets.

The last being their favorite so far, I've been a fan of NLS for a bit now. I used to feed it to my Betta's, but I switched them to Attison's Pro Betta. (When I can find it.) 

In an attempt to find the best food I've come to read that a lot of people recommend a variety in their diet and that a spirulina based food is good for all fish. As to how true this is I had no idea. Lol!


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## Fishguy2727

IME NLS fed exclusively is better than a variety. Variety is not needed, it is not a nutrient. It is one method of trying to get a complete and balanced diet. NLS does exactly that on its own (or really its variety of foods combined in to one pellet).


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## jaysee

Feeding NLS EXCLUSIVELY is what's important if you try it. Every feeding. If you just add it to the rotation, then you will not see the benefits because the fish will still be consuming inferior foods. 

The whole reason you are "supposed" to feed a variety is because back in the day, there were no good fish foods. There was no NLS or omega one. You fed a varied diet because that was the best shot at getting the fish complete nutrition. Things have changed A LOT since then. The advances in science and our understanding of how things work are significant, which has led to numerous improvements in the hobby, including the quality of fish food. Unfortunately, there are still some remnants from the dark ages of fish keeping that continually pop up.


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## Clubber

I'll make the exclusive NLS switch on at least one of my aquariums and notice the difference!


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## Clubber

I just peeped the NLS line and there are so many to choose from! Which one is best for tetras like rummies, lemons and black skirts? As well as angels and non-chocolate gouramis such as pearls?

I am fairly certain which formula to get for my betta tanks! ;-)

But for my communitys, there seems to be several options. Which one shall I get and stick with?

BTW I still want to feed treats sometimes like bloodworms and other live foods.


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## mikejp67

jaysee said:


> Feeding NLS EXCLUSIVELY is what's important if you try it. Every feeding. If you just add it to the rotation, then you will not see the benefits because the fish will still be consuming inferior foods.
> 
> The whole reason you are "supposed" to feed a variety is because back in the day, there were no good fish foods. There was no NLS or omega one. You fed a varied diet because that was the best shot at getting the fish complete nutrition. Things have changed A LOT since then. The advances in science and our understanding of how things work are significant, which has led to numerous improvements in the hobby, including the quality of fish food. Unfortunately, there are still some remnants from the dark ages of fish keeping that continually pop up.


Yes a lot has changed in the hobby. We've been out of it for about 20+ yrs and just got back into it this past winter. Im amazed at whats changed, so much advancement in many aspects and not just foods. 

Thanks for all the replies and feedback


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## jaysee

20 years ago no one knew about the nitrogen cycle. 

All the NLS formulas are pretty much the same. There are some slight variancs though. I only use one product - Thera A. It has a mega dose of garlic - more than the others. 

You can still feed treats if you like. I thought that I would feed treats for show (for company), but I don't - my fish go nuts for NLS, every single feeding. Exclusive can mean a couple different things. A loser interpretation is feeding it as the only staple food, being the bulk of the fishs diet. A more strict interpretation would be to the exclusion of ALL other food. You will find your place between the two, I'm sure.


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## Fishguy2727

Exclusive means exclusive, not part of a mix or any supplementation or variation. 

There are three main formulas with NLS. The regular is their basic formula and has the lowest protein and fat (what you want for adult fish). This is essentially 90% of their foods (goldfish, discus, cichlid, community, betta, etc.). The Thera+A has enough garlic to kill parasites and has a little more fat and protein than the regular formula. This is what you want to feed a tank that is still getting new additions. The other formula is the grow and has a lot more protein and fat than the other types. Adult fish actually need pretty low levels of fat and protein since they are not growing any more, just maintaining. 

At the store we only feed the Thera+A since we are always getting new fish in. The extra garlic also helps them eat better and sooner. This is also what we recommend since most of our customers are still adding fish.


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## jaysee

Fishguy2727 said:


> Exclusive means exclusive, not part of a mix or any supplementation or variation.


I know what the definition of exclusive is. My point was a matter of practical application, as it pertained to Clubber's question. Are you suggesting that the benefits of NLS are lost if one occasionally supplements with live or frozen foods???


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## Fishguy2727

There is no need for supplementation of variation with NLS. If an aquarist feels it is necessary it should be kept as minimal as possible.


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## jaysee

It wasn't a matter of need - it was expressed as a want by the keeper....


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## Thepoweranga

this is a very interesting discussion!

I find that my fish love the tetra min tropical crisps (although after reading this article I'm having doubts about it's quality...) anywho, i find that NONE of my fish are interested in pellets at all. At first i thought it was because they weren't a very good brand so i've tried several others available in my area and no matter what the wont touch 'em! 

Long story short, I find that as long as you vary their diet and they'll stay very happy and healthy! just my two cents...


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## keepsmiling

Not a flake fan at all. But when I did use it, I only used Ocean Nutrition.


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## Thepoweranga

Might have to try and find some...


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## Flear

i started this thread thinking "what about live foods?" ... instead i was impressed, ... then reminded.

fish foods decades ago ... well that was before my time.

my current understanding of fish foods, ... they recognize the need for variety, ... some going as far as coloring their foods to emphasize "this is proteins" "this is plants" "this is vitamins" (giving each specific colors)

cheap foods are universal, lots of fillers (grains), ... this isn't just fish foods, it's dog food & cat food as well. while hard to tell for dogs and cats, the better foods your pet will poop less, there simple are less fillers. ... your spending $20 3x a month in pet food instead of getting the ultra expensive $50 bag once a month. harder to tell with fish as maintenance is scheduled instead of keeping the litterbox pleasant or cleaning the back yard or whatever you do. similar to how we feed, by schedule. so a "good" food is based on ingredients.

---

live foods are also good

the drawback on live food is the space required, a very large bucket for greenwater, a not quite as large bucket for whatever zooplankton or scudds or whatever is an appropriate size for your fish, ... enough algae (of a type your herbivore type fish will eat)

or raising other critters (wingless fruit flies, midge flies (bloodworms), blackworms, ... there's lots of variety, but they all take space.

for those who are looking for the best organic mix with the least ecological impact on the wild, ... blah, blah, blah, ... there's a lot to it.


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## Austin

I've been wanting to try New Life Spectrum for a while. This thread may inspire me to go out and get some to try. 

Right now I have omega one and tetramin (which is fairly old). I don't really like the omega one flakes because they seem "thick" or stay dry in the water or something and my angelfish sometimes have to eat and spit them several times before they can eat it. The tetramin they simply gobble down. I have to break the omega one into really tiny pieces so they can eat it without issue. My fish were not growing much while I was using only Omega One so I tried tetra which I had used since I started fish keeping at 11 years old and they started growing... Of course I started feeding them more times a day too so........... But still, I think the omega one has far superior ingredients. I just don't like how my fish seem to have a tough time eating it/breaking it into pieces they can digest. I prefer the tetramin texture. Hopefully ill like NLS when I try it!


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## Thepoweranga

I would love to have live food cultures going but my house already has too many tanks and fish related stuff (apparently...) plus I have very limited resources in my area but i always try to feed frozen food twice a week, my fish seem to appreciate it.


I agree with austin, i find my angels are very fussy with texture also but dont have a problem with tetramin flakes


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