Spin-off Thread: How does Kensfish Food Stack Up Against NLS?

was wondering that myself ED.

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GUARANTEED ANALYSIS:[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] CRUDE PROTEIN 45.0% MIN., CRUDE FAT 9.0% MIN., CRUDE FIBER 5.0% MAX., MOISTURE 10.0% MAX., ASH 10.0%.

NLS Cichlid Formula

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]MAIN INGREDIENTS: [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Krill Meal, Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Amino Acids, Algae Meal, Soybean Meal, Fish Oil, Beta Carotene, Spirulina, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal- Sterol (D3), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Folic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine, Biotin.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]GUARANTEED ANALYSIS: [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Protein 34% Min., Fat 5% Min., Fiber 5% Max., Ash 9% Max., Moisture 10% Max.[/FONT]
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Once one learns to properly read a label, and separate the wheat from the chaff (no pun intended), it shouldn't be that difficult to figure out.

Some of the various raw ingredients found in Ken's line of pellets ....
http://www.kensfish.com/kenspellets.html

Poultry By-product Meal, Hydrolyzed Feather Meal, BLOOD PORK MEAL, SOYBEAN MEAL, CORN GLUTEN MEAL, WHEAT MIDDLINGS, Soy Flour, BHT & ETHOXYQUIN (ADDED AS PRESERVATIVES).

In a number of the pellet foods, "wheat" is the main ingredient.

Ken doesn't manufacture his own line of food, he simply private labels commercial feed made by a feed mill (or mills). IMO if you prefer to feed that type of quality of feed to your fish, buy directly from a feed mill, or consider one of the various feed mill foods that are sold at local hardware stores. You'll save a considerable amount of $$$ over the long haul.

To answer your question as to how his food stacks up against NLS, IMO it's not even in the same ball park.

Nemesis - that's rather old & outdated ingredient info for the NLS label.

Here's the current ingredient list ....

Ingredients: Whole Antarctic Krill Meal, Whole Herring Meal, Whole Wheat Flour, Whole Squid Meal, Algae Meal, Soybean Isolate, Beta Carotene, Spirulina, Garlic, Vegetable and Fruit Extract (Spinach, Red & Green Cabbage, Peas, Broccoli, Red Pepper, Zucchini, Tomato, Kiwi, Apricot, Pear, Mango, Apple, Papaya, and Peach), Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal-Sterol (D3), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine, DL Alphatocophero ( E ), Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Niacin, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, L-Ascorby-2-Polyphosphate (Stable C), Choline Chloride, Copper Proteinate, Ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate.

Also keep in mind that this is without even beginning to compare the micro-nutrient levels, which are considered proprietary information by New Life.

It's a hell of a lot cheaper than NLS, because the raw ingredients are a hell of a lot cheaper. It's that simple. Why do you think that Hikari bumped up the wheat flour in their Betta Bio Gold, and lowered the inclusion rate of fish meal. Here's a hint - it wasn't because of global warming.

It's called the bottom line, and the reality is that some manufacturers spend far too much time watching their bottom line, instead of paying attention to what's best for the fish.


1. WHEAT FLOUR, SOY FLOUR, GLUTEN (could be corn gluten, wheat gluten or?, either way it's more starch/carbs) Also, white fish meal is comprised of processing plant waste/leftovers - mostly heads, scales, and bones.

2. SOY FLOUR, WHEAT, OAT FLOURS, GLUTEN again, more carbs/starch

I also prefer my fish to get their protein from marine sources, such as fish, krill, squid, shrimp, etc, not from grains, and not from by-products from beer brewing. (such as BREWERS DRIED YEAST)

It's not that foods such as those listed above won't get the job done, they will, just as Kibbles & Bits will for a dog. And just as with dog food, you can't judge the true value of a product by sticker price alone. Higher quality products, that are more nutrient dense, and more digestible, equates to feeding a LOT less. You can fill a fish with grains, starch, and carbs, just as you can a dog, but in the end are you really saving anything? Is this what you consider providing optimum nutrition?

I'm all for helping people save money in this hobby, so if you really aren't serious about providing your fish with optimum nutrition, then seriously consider buying in bulk from a feed mill. Trust me, if you choose a quality feed mill, your results will be just as good as what you are getting now with the food listed above, and you will save a BUNDLE of $$$$.

For some people that's good enough, I can understand that, especially in todays economy.

For myself I chose a long time ago to support a small mom & pop operation, that's based in the USA, and that places the quality of their raw ingredients first & foremost.

If all you want is opinions, you'll find members of MFK that consider Purina foods to be best thing since sliced bread. But are they?

I believe that the cost is approx $30 for a 50lb bag, so quite impressive if all one looks at is the sticker price, and the crude protein content.

Purina Mills Aquamax Grower 600 50-lb Bag
Product Description: Aqua Max Fish Diet is a floating feed Complete for Catfish, Tilapia, Trout, Hyrid Striped Bass Yellow Perch and Red Drum.

Protein: 41% Fat 12% Fiber 4%


Ingredients: Fish Meal, Soybean Meal, Ground Corn, Poultry Meal, Fish Oil, Wheat Middlings, Hydrolyzed Poultry Feathers, Corn Gluten Meal, Blood Meal, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Menadione Dimethyl pyrimidinol Bisulfate, Choline Chloride, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphoshate (source of Vitamin C), Thiiamin MOnonitrate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Cholecalciferol, Riboflavin, nicotinic Acid, Di-Alpha Tocopheryl Acertate, Vitamin A Acetate, Ethoxyquin (A Preservative), Zinc Oxide, Cyanocobalamin, Dl-Motioning, Manganous Oxide, Ferrous Carbonate, Copper Sulfate, Zinc Slufate, Calcium Iodate, Calcium Carbonate, Cabalt Carbonate.


Look familiar?