fish food

[foxmulder]

do you think that, by feeding table shrimp purchased from the supermarket to my fish, I run the risk of taking disease into my aquarium?
i'm thinking that, since that shrimp comes from the ocean, it can carry all sorts of germs... is it so?
until now I've been feeding just special fish foods to them, but i'm thinking of trying the comercially available sea foods also... perhaps even making a blend of my own.

[reefhead728]

Every once and a while i have given fresh shrimp to my fish, but i always run fresh water over them, and the only other non comercial fish food iv ever used was romain letuce

[leebca]

All fresh seafoods need to be frozen at least once. If the shrimp you're buying are truly fresh, never frozen, then clean them and freeze them. Thaw then chop for feeding (or chop then freeze, or chop while frozen).

The freezing takes care of almost all parasites, worms, flukes, etc.

[foxmulder]

Ok. Thank you!
What other sea food from the supermsrket can be used? I have ocellaris clowns.
Should I try nori also?
Lee: i've read what you posted about broccoli. How dp you feed that?

[reefhead728]

Ive never got my food from the supermarket, Im lucky i guess we travel to the coast and always pick up fresh from the shrimping boats.

[leebca]

foxumulder,

Anemonefishes are omnivores and need meaty foods AND vegetables. First you want to read through the post on fish nutrition: Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition

There are food suggestion found in there. As far as making your own formula, there are several posts on that, too but you'll have to do some searching. Things from a large store that stocks raw seafoods include: scallops, squid (not all parts), clams, shrimp tails, mussels, and fish roe (eggs). You just want to be sure that if you buy these things that they contain no preservatives, flavorings, additives, etc. You'd be surprised on what is added to some 'raw foods.' Each is frozen before feeding or at some time during the preparation process.

I do not recommend Nori. If you read packages, some are cooked/baked, some contain flavorings. Read this please: Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition. If you follow my recommendations, just feed marine macro algae that is prepared for marine fishes, or which is not cooked, but just dried. Don't bother with broccoli. With pesticides, fertilizers, and other concerns, it isn't worth the risk. What is 'okay' additives for humans can be poisons to marine fishes.

Be sure to include vitamin and fat supplements, which are also covered in that linked post.

[foxmulder]

Thanks for the info. I will try the raw seafoods that you mentioned and see which one they like best.

My clowns will not eat anything vegetable. I've tried a lot of stuff. Is this bad?

You say in your post that we should use marine mysis.
I've read on other websites that freshwater mysis is better.
They say that: the lack of salt intake for fish (especially for marine animals) is desirable since these fish are constantly struggling to expel salt from their bodies. As fish don't need to eliminate excess salt, it's easier on their systems. Also, because they are freshwater animals, this eliminates the possibility of parasite or disease transfer to marine fish.

Of course, you will say that it is not the natural food for marine fish. But if it is even better than their natural food, isn't it ok to offer it in our aquariums?

[leebca]

It sounds like a commercial to sell the product.

Marine fishes only eat seafood. Marine fishes have no trouble removing salt from their system -- they are built for it. Every gulp of water taken is is processed or released. The few minutes spent of eating each day could hardly make any significant difference when they're swallowing water all day long. You have to stand back, take in a bigger picture, and be reasonable.

Regarding parasites and disease -- frozen ones don't contain any, either. Frozen then thawed marine mysis are parasite-, fluke-, and worm free.

I guess if we fed rabbits ground beef they wouldn't have any problems with getting those insects that live on plants, inside their digestive track.