When RD was posting the ingredients sounds like he was reading a jar of NLS pellets. NLS is the best!
http://algatech.com/astax.htmNATURAL vs. SYNTHETIC ASTAXANTHIN
The chemical difference between natural and synthetic ASTAXANTHIN lies in the stereochemical orientation of the molecules in space (those different molecules are called enantiomers).
ASTAXANTHIN exists in three main enantiomeric forms, termed 3S-3S, 3R-3S, and 3R-3R, depending on the spatial orientation of the hydroxyl (OH) groups in chiral carbon number 3 (see Fig.1). Quite simply stated, chirality and stereo differentiation are crucial factors in biological activity because in nature, at a molecular level, asymmetry dominates biological processes, such as enzymatic and most immunological reactions. Chirality is not a prerequisite for bioactivity but in bioactive molecules where one or more chiral centers are present, great differences are usually observed in the activities of the different enantiomers. This is a general phenomenon that applies to many bioactive substances, such as drugs, flavors, fragrances and food additives.
A recent study showed that farmed salmon, like most of the salmon sold in supermarkets, can be easily distinguished from wild salmon in its ASTAXANTHIN isomers, because farmed salmon are fed synthetic ASTAXANTHIN.
The pigment in wild salmon is found overwhelmingly in the 3S-3S enantiomeric form, the same form as that found in Haematococcus. Synthetic ASTAXANTHIN from petrochemical sources contains a mixture of all the enantiomers of ASTAXANTHIN, as a direct result of its chemical synthesis, primarily (~50%) the 3R-3S enantiomer (the meso form). Indeed, in an elegant human study, Østerlie and co-workers found that humans selectively absorb the different isomers and their relative concentrations were found to differ in various organs. It is important to note that nearly all studies showing ASTAXANTHIN's health-beneficial effects in humans were performed on the stereoisomer found in Haematococcus, 3S-3S. Although the other stereoisomers may not be harmful, no significant biological effect has been established.
Moreover, natural ASTAXANTHIN exists in algae and fish as mono- and di-esters of fatty acids, while synthetic ASTAXANTHIN is produced and sold for salmon farming as free hydroxy ASTAXANTHIN. In nutraceutical applications as well, scientists have proven that one of the main advantages of natural ASTAXANTHIN esters is that the esterified form is inherently more stable than the free form, providing for a significantly longer shelf life without being oxidized. Several recent studies clearly showed the positive effect of ASTAXANTHIN esters mixed with fat formulations on the oral bioavailability of ASTAXANTHIN in humans
The distributions of configurational isomers of astaxanthin in the flesh of wild Atlantic and wild Pacific salmon are similar, but significantly different from that in aquacultured salmon.
It's a public forum.. simply stated- "If he can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. "dogofwar;4661491; said:The only "problems" seem to be comments from other people...
Matt
Hi mshill90,mshill90;4661435; said:If you bought the best you could afford, you must not be able to afford much.. I have seen STUNNING discus at my LFS full grown that were only like $60.
Instead of buying crap fish, and feeding them CP, why don't you SAVE some money, and buy some good quality discus.
Raising them since the 80's and you can't find anything decent... Something tells me you aren't looking hard enough, or you aren't willing to pay for quality.
Hi RD,RD.;4661492; said:There are plenty of quality discus breeders & importers in North America, and none of them pump their fish up with CP. Most honest discus breeders would frown on these types of products, just as they do the use of hormones, ditto to quality breeders of Asian arowana. (another species mentioned on Tony's website)
I suspect that if Tony had posted this discussion in the Asian aro folder, or Discus folder, he wouldn't have received a very warm welcome.
This whole topic reminds me of a Trooper song from back in the 70's. lol
Hey wait a minute
Who do you think you are
Comin' on, comin' on
Just like you're some kinda movie star
Well you can say what you like
Be what you wanna be
You can suit yourself baby
But you don't suit me
You're just a 3 dressed up as a 9
You're only, wastin' my time
A 3 dressed up as a 9, hey yeah ...
I believe it is a bit of a low blow to try to use an emotional appeal regarding this chemical. Artificial, synthetic, and unnatural are not bad things. Many people have artificial hearts. Many people use clothes of synthetic material. Basically everything we use in our daily lives is unnatural (computers, glasses, stoves, etc). The information in the link you provided is all you need to convince most rational people not to use this product: bad long term health effects on fish, even bad health effects on people.RD.;4657500; said:A classic example of how even genetically inferior fish can be made to look good using artificial color enhancement.
Carophyll Pink is a synthetic color enhancing agent used by the salmon industry, which is why a farm raised salmon has pink flesh, instead of a bland grey.
It all depends on how much is added to the feed, you just have to pick a number from the slick little color chart & dial in what kind of unnatural color that you are seeking.
See page 2 of the following discussion to find out why I don't advise feeding this product to fish.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=370001
I never said that they were.Artificial, synthetic, and unnatural are not bad things.