What goes into making a good fish food?
The best fish foods have the best ingredients. They’re comprised of quality prepared fish meal, other “meats” (such as shrimp matter, krill, bloodworms) and vegetable matter, if necessary. The effort the manufacturer puts into making the food and the research of its effects on fish is what makes quality foods more expensive.
Fish Meal
Fish meal is usually listed in two ways on the ingredients of your fish food. “Whole fish meal” and “fish meal” are the words often used on packaging. Whole fish meal provides a more nutritional meal due to the fact that the manufacturer uses the entire fish; meat, bones, everything. This is in contrast to the vague “fish meal,” which could just include the meat of the fish and lack the more nutritional aspects.
Water Content of Fish Food
You may notice something called water content in your food. It may be listed as a percentage. The water content directly affects the shelf life of the food; the higher it is, the shorter the shelf life. This also means that less nutritional matter and more water is taking up the space in the packaging. The food goes farther for the company that produces it, but lasts for a shorter period for you, going stale before you can use all of it. This benefits the manufacturer, meaning they can make more fish food with what they have and you end up buying it more often.
The Best Foods
Optimum quality food consists of quality ingredients and production. This means it’s likely to be one of the more expensive brands. A lower water content is desired in dried foods. I recommend Hikari and OSI, to name a few, of the quality brands out there.
Foods to Watch Out For
Low quality foods are what you want to avoid. Look at the ingredients not just the amount of food you buy. Quality foods come in lower amounts, but they last longer and provide your fish with the nutrition they need to maintain proper health. You save money in the end.
Resources: Personal experience and research into foods; images from drsfostersmith.com.
Written by Leah C., Fishhome Forum and Database Founder.
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