Hikari vs. NLS

Lab_Rat

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 3, 2011
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Deep south
Read this entire thread last night. After reading it I'm still not convinced NLS is the be all, end all of foods, though it's certainly a very high quality product. I feed NLS, Hikari, and Dainichi, along with frozen and live (various worms and then fry culls for my jag) and a ton of fresh veggies. All are top quality foods, though after hearing about the ingredient change on the Betta pellets (and then looking at my pack to see it) I'm probably going to not buy as much Hikari. I hate it when companies pull stunts like that and I'll admit, with a product I've been using for years, I don't read the labels often. I do see that NLS now has the fry food and micropellets, so when I am out of the Hikari versions of those I will likely switch. So overall, I'll probably incorporate more NLS into my regimen and phase out Hikari (never liked the idea of MSG in my fishes food) but I'm not going to stop feeding frozen treats or fresh veggies. Thanks for the good read.
 

kdrun76

Piranha
MFK Member
Mar 4, 2009
1,637
100
81
CT
Lab Rat...great attitude.

I agree with you that NLS is a quality product and when incoporated into the diets of fish with other quality products it helps to meet the nutritional needs of domesticated fish. I honestly don't think any one food can be the "be all and end all" of all foods. The nutritional needs of fish vary with species and they vary with life span and life stages. I just don't believe that any one manufacturer has conquered all the hurdles associated with balancing nutrient lability, shelf life, product odor, palatability, digestibility, and assimilibility.
 

MVPaquatics

Feeder Fish
Nov 21, 2011
2
0
1
Portland, OR
Lab Rat...great attitude.

I agree with you that NLS is a quality product and when incoporated into the diets of fish with other quality products it helps to meet the nutritional needs of domesticated fish. I honestly don't think any one food can be the "be all and end all" of all foods. The nutritional needs of fish vary with species and they vary with life span and life stages. I just don't believe that any one manufacturer has conquered all the hurdles associated with balancing nutrient lability, shelf life, product odor, palatability, digestibility, and assimilibility.
Agreed! and I don't know if it can ever be done...it would be a miracle, and cost $$$!
 

RD.

Gold Tier VIP
MFK Member
May 9, 2007
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Northwest Canada
LOL, the thread that just won't die........

Show me a a CA or SA cichlid (the sub-folder this discussion is taking place in) that can't live a long healthy life on an exclusive diet of NLS, or for that matter Hikari, and I'll show you a cichlid that doesn't exist.

Certainly the nutritional needs of fish vary with species, and life stages, and most manufacturers make different formulas to meet those needs. The rest can be controlled by the quantity of nutrients being supplied. It's a simple concept once one gets over the fact that fish kept in a glass box are never going to eat the exact same food stuffs, or quantity of food, as they would in the wild, nor do they need to in order to live a long healthy life in captivity.
 

Squirtle919

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Sep 5, 2011
1,563
2
53
Within Earth
Got too page 26 and gave up! Nice read but, I have always used dupla food for my tetras etc but now that I have lots of CA/SA (Its additive) started with Hikari the LFS does not stock any small containers of NLS :( I really want to give it a shot after reading all that, my fish enjoy Hikari a lot apart for my dovii no interest at all some of my jags love it others eat one or 2 which I also find weird. I am hoping NLS will be good for the majority of my fish so I can buy in larger amounts also! was wondering if anyone with a heavy stock of fish could give a ruff idea how long one of the 2.2KG containers last them and fish size/stock?

Thanks again for the good read time well spent!
 

the_watcher

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Sep 22, 2011
54
1
38
New York
Nice thread,
(I am straying a little from the subject: NLS VS HIKARI)

I use Hikari, along with a host of other foods....
But all this and more can be accomplished with SHRIMP MIX ....
1:You have control of what you are going to give your fish.
2: You can tailor the blend of the mix for your fish.
3: CHEAPER per pound....
4: Health wise better per pound.....
5: The Color and Growth factors of your fish are in your hands.

I have bred a ton of WC Petrochromis and a ton of WC Tanganyikan ....
and there is nothing like Shrimp Mix.

Here is my own version of Shrimp Mix that I have used for years ( www.petrochromisman.com )

http://www.petrochromisman.com/index_files/PETROCHROMIS_DIY_PROJECTS.htm
 
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