it would be great to see this level of scepticism applied (daily) to the fish disease forum
Mcarroll most hobbyists IMO feel they have to only feed something that comes from an LFS. When the hobby started there were no LFSs. The hobby started just after WW2 when I started, and we bought fish in toy stores or department stores.
The only food available then was dry flakes like Tetramin. I also used it as that was the only thing available until I got smarter and was tired of having sick fish. Then I discovered that if I supplemented the Tetramin with live worms, I no longer had sick fish, ich was a thing of the past and my fish started to spawn.
Remember, no computers or internet so no arguements and you discovered everything on your own.
That was circa 1972 or so.
Then the salt hobby bloomed and marketing started as did all sorts of food manufacturers. They were trying to make healthy foods that were also convenient and for the most part they did. But in those days no one knew anything about immunity and fish were always sick so they also produced all sorts of fish medications. Some worked and some just turned the water fluorescent colors.
Many people today still follow the hype and use those things instead of just keeping their fish healthy the old fashioned way, the way fish keep themselves healthy in the sea, but the problem is that that method is free, and no one makes money on "natural" and there is no hype about it except a few Geezers like myself who also don't make any money on it and I don't look like a pretty picture of a French Angelfish like is on the packages of dry foods and medications.
Like I said, it will keep your fish alive and it is easy. Just not if you want your fish immune which, to me anyway, is the goal. To live healthy naturally without depending on quarantine and medications. The best method would be to supplement that dry food with some sort of living or at least fresh food with gut bacteria.
I also realize fish food manufacturers have to make a profit.
Those discussions always cause arguments and I don't like to argue. I'm too old.
I did a lot of what I would call important things in my life. I was a combat Sargent in Vietnam where I was in quite a bit of "unwanted" action and lost many men including 6 of my 7 guys, and in that same battle almost 50 other guys. (There is a book about it) Then I was a construction General Foreman for almost 50 years and that caused all sorts of arguments and sometimes fistfights, so I am over it now. I don't need to argue on a fish site which is not in the least important to anyone except us and the fish.
I don't care what people do, all I can do is try to show how I figured this out half a century ago and being I love the sea and have lived next to it and in it all my life, I hate to see so many people killing so many fish uselessly when to me, it is a no brainer and practically free.
