Can Silversides lead to Thiamin definciency?

[hrdneglcry]

Can feeding aquarium fish Silversides lead to Thiamin definciency?

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Depending on the actual species of silverside fed (there are a ton of species called silversides), yes.

You want to be careful feeding krill, silversides, and even shrimp - the reason is the Thiaminase, which breaks down Vitamin B1; by all accounts that I've heard, if predators develop a vitamin B1 deficiency, they will die from it.

Some kinds of silversides are fine, but a lot of silversides are high in thiaminase (there are a ton of different species known as silversides) - the last I've heard, San Francisco Bay Brand (January of this year) was the one with good silversides to use.

 

[hrdneglcry]

I think I feed Hikari which I read does not. I ask because in recent months they are all that my grouper likes to eat. He won't touch the Marine Cuisine which he loved or any of cubed frozen foods which he enjoyed.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I think I feed Hikari which I read does not. I ask because in recent months they are all that my grouper likes to eat. He won't touch the Marine Cuisine which he loved or any of cubed frozen foods which he enjoyed.

I'd call/email Hikari and ask what species of Silverside they use these days - I think they use to be good, but they may have changed species recently.

The grouper suddenly refusing other foods that it previously ate is concerning to me - that may be something to ask @Jay Hemdal about to figure out if your grouper has an issue or not.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I'd call/email Hikari and ask what species of Silverside they use these days - I think they use to be good, but they may have changed species recently.

The grouper suddenly refusing other foods that it previously ate is concerning to me - that may be something to ask @Jay Hemdal about to figure out if your grouper has an issue or not.

Here is Joe Rowlett's article on silversides:

https://reefs.com/brief-word-silversides/

 

[hrdneglcry]

Here is Joe Rowlett's article on silversides:

https://reefs.com/brief-word-silversides/

Thanks it looks like Hikari now sells a freshwater smelt as a silverside but the do not contain Thiaminese as according to MFK forum list. He has stopped eating thouhh but is mostly normal otherwise. He digs his cave. He bullys the Trigger. He swing around and treatens me. Seems like my last one did this but snapped out of it. This one seems to have a bump in the tummy which I tought would have disappeared after five days without food.