Garlic: How does it help?

[john.m.cole3]

I've heard over my year and a half of reefing that soaking your fish food in garlic will help keep your fish healthy by encouraging them to eat. After watching BRS 160 week 51 on fish disease, I'm not so convinced. Ryan even suggests that garlic may be harming our fish. Does anyone have any factual evidence that supports this whether it be good or bad?

 

[justingraham]

I have heard like u it does not do anything for health wise but the fish are drawn to it my joke tang would not eat nori off a clip until I drenched it in garlic I have now slowly started removing the garlic and he eats off the clip so health wise I don't think it does anything but for picky eaters I think it works well

 

[justingraham]

Yes my joke tang is suck a joker I meant Kole tang Siri strikes again

 

[john.m.cole3]

I thought you were dissing your tang for a moment, lol

 

[gashunk]

I've heard it helps boost the immune system while also getting the fish to eat more and I've also heard it's not that great for their Health in long term but I noticed if you feed pellets one of the ingredients is garlic! Well at least in mine it is

Personally I had a tang that got ich and I didn't have a qt setup In time and I started mixing their food with the garlic and the ich is gone granted the parasitic could still be in my tank cause I went management approach and not eradication approach but I don't see any ich on my fish anymore this is just my personal experience it's different for everyone

 

[Ike]

No actual evidence that it helps anything but possibly to elicit finicky eaters to eat. There is some evidence that I could cause harm to fishes organs long-term. Also, I believe the allicin is greatly reduced in garlic that is not fresh. Odds are the garlic in prepared foods in mostly harmless, but also has little benefit.

 

[Sabellafella]

No actual evidence that it helps anything but possibly to elicit finicky eaters to eat. There is some evidence that I could cause harm to fishes organs long-term. Also, I believe the allicin is greatly reduced in garlic that is not fresh. Odds are the garlic in prepared foods in mostly harmless, but also has little benefit.

Yup it oxidizes very very quickly.

 

[Humblefish]

IMO; garlic should be used sparingly to encourage a new or sick fish to eat.

 

[ReefFrenzy]

After speaking with countless researchers and curators of public aquaria who specialize in quarantine procedures LRS made the decision to remove what little fresh garlic water we added to our recipes last Winter. When we printed and unveiled all the new packaging designs with updated ingredient labels they are all GARLIC FREE.

There is no fresh garlic juice in any LRS food blends and has not been for many months.

 

[justingraham]

After speaking with countless researchers and curators of public aquaria who specialize in quarantine procedures LRS made the decision to remove what little fresh garlic water we added to our recipes last Winter. When we printed and unveiled all the new packaging designs with updated ingredient labels they are all GARLIC FREE.

There is no fresh garlic juice in any LRS food blends and has not been for many months.

And why did u guys do this? What did the researchers and curators say?

 

[Eva Rose]

I know my green Nori sheets have added garlic -I can smell it.
I'm good on frozen - I use LRS brands.
What Nori sheets , pellet. and flake brands do you guys use that are garlic free?

 

[ReefFrenzy]

And why did u guys do this? What did the researchers and curators say?

We couldn't find any studies verses a control that showed garlic provided any benefits for immunity or parasitic control. None of the curators I spoke with have garlic or garlic extract in their "arsenal" of tools. My guess is that the pungent aroma of garlic may catch the attention of a fish which causes it to investigate and then find food more readily. That is just a hunch. In our experience if the ingredients are fresh that elicits enough of a feeding response. I truly believe that garlic in foods has been a case of "The tail wagging the dog." Hobbyists seem to gravitate towards garlic as a magical "cure all" therefore food makers fear that by not having it on the ingredient label their product may be passed up for one that DOES have garlic. This has been going on for many years and even we used fresh garlic juice in the beginning. As I became more informed and was able to network with people who knew a whole lot more than I did about fish heath we decided to take the risk and remove it to remove any remote possibility of any LONG TERM side effects from adding garlic. We didn't make any posts about it and people still kept getting the same great results with LRS with new arrivals and finicky eaters. I am sure there are many hobbyists who add garlic daily and may continue to do so for years with no ill effects. When you are feeding fish around the globe, some of which are the only specimen in captivity, I can't afford to take that risk.

 

[justingraham]

We couldn't find any studies verses a control that showed garlic provided any benefits for immunity or parasitic control. None of the curators I spoke with have garlic or garlic extract in their "arsenal" of tools. My guess is that the pungent aroma of garlic may catch the attention of a fish which causes it to investigate and then find food more readily. That is just a hunch. In our experience if the ingredients are fresh that elicits enough of a feeding response. I truly believe that garlic in foods has been a case of "The tail wagging the dog." Hobbyists seem to gravitate towards garlic as a magical "cure all" therefore food makers fear that by not having it on the ingredient label their product may be passed up for one that DOES have garlic. This has been going on for many years and even we used fresh garlic juice in the beginning. As I became more informed and was able to network with people who knew a whole lot more than I did about fish heath we decided to take the risk and remove it to remove any remote possibility of any LONG TERM side effects from adding garlic. We didn't make any posts about it and people still kept getting the same great results with LRS with new arrivals and finicky eaters. I am sure there are many hobbyists who add garlic daily and may continue to do so for years with no ill effects. When you are feeding fish around the globe, some of which are the only specimen in captivity, I can't afford to take that risk.

Thank u for taking the time to write this.
Side note I can not find anyone around me that sells ur food and I have tried every LFS I know about.

 

[Humblefish]

My little pet theory on garlic: If (BIG IF) it is effective against parasites, it might be because the garlic leaches back out of the fish's pores. Making it difficult (or undesirable) for theronts (free swimmers) to attach.

 

[Untamedrose]

allicine(sp) is a natural antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral chemical found in garlic. Used in all kinds of home remedies, on humans of course....but just a thought.

 

[ReefFrenzy]

allicine(sp) is a natural antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral chemical found in garlic. Used in all kinds of home remedies, on humans of course....but just a thought.

It has toxicity in dogs and the research seems to indicate marine fish lack the ability to process this terrestrial substance. Fresh minced garlic is dirt cheap so we would gladly keep adding it if there was even a remote chance it provided a benefit, but we can't find any marine data to support it.

 

[Untamedrose]

Pulled a few...

"Garlic, Allium sativum L., extract administered as a therapeutic bath was shown to have antiparasitic properties towards Neobenedenia sp. (MacCallum) (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) infecting farmed barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch). The effect of garlic extract (active component allicin) immersion on Neobenedenia sp. egg development, hatching success, oncomiracidia (larvae) longevity, infection success and juvenile Neobenedenia survival was examined and compared with freshwater and formalin immersion. Garlic extract was found to significantly impede hatching success (5% ± 5%) and oncomiracidia longevity (<2 h) at allicin concentrations of 15.2 μL L(-1) , while eggs in the seawater control had >95% hatching success and mean oncomiracidia longevity of 37 ± 3 h. At much lower allicin concentrations (0.76 and 1.52 μL L(-1)), garlic extract also significantly reduced Neobenedenia infection success of L. calcarifer to 25% ± 4% and 11% ± 4%, respectively, compared with 55% ± 7% in the seawater control. Juvenile Neobenedenia attached to host fish proved to be highly resistant to allicin with 96% surviving 1-h immersion in 10 mL L(-1) (15.2 μL L(-1) allicin) of garlic extract. Allicin-containing garlic extracts show potential for development as a therapy to manage monogenean infections in intensive aquaculture with the greatest impact at the egg and larval stages." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23952605


"It has been proved that garlic has immunomodulatory properties and is well capable of enhancing protection
against pathogens. Hence, it can be concluded that garlic supplemented diets in fish enhance growth rate and improves the immune response in aquaculture." http://www.biosciencejournals.com/archives/2014/vol2issue4/8.1.pdf

 

[Untamedrose]

"All garlic products significantly reduced parasite mean survival time in vitro, from 13 h to <1 h. In fully randomised trials, the number of parasites was also significantly reduced on infected fish exposed to garlic from different sources. Two garlic treatments (minced and granule forms) reduced worm burdens by 66% and 75% after three doses, whereas Chinese freeze-dried garlic and allyl disulphide were 95% effective after a single application. In fact, Chinese freeze dried garlic was equally effective as Levamisole, a licensed livestock dewormer that is highly effective against G. turnbulli but not routinely prescribed for use in fish; hence, garlic may be a potential alternative treatment for gyrodactylosis." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401713004901

"During this 13-week study period, Sand tiger A increased the frequency of feeding days
and increased the amount of food per feeding when offered garlic-injected food. Sand tiger B
also increased the amount of food consumed on certain individual days but overall decreased its
food intake. Since the cessation of the garlic additions, Sand tiger A has continued to consume
its targeted food amount during most weeks. Sand tiger B has continued to eat sporadically." https://02af4cce-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites...b7akPJqBFIMvKhv6kUZEfS&attredirects=0#page=95

"The results indicate that the inclusion of 1.3% garlic in the diet of orange-spotted grouper enhances feed efficiency, fish growth and resistance to infection by S. iniae." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848612004255

 

[melypr1985]

In short.... It doesn't. Extended use of garlic can harm the liver. The only thing it's good for it helping entice a picky fish to start eating, or maybe masking the taste of medications in food. It should only be used short term.

 

[ReefFrenzy]

Pulled a few...

"Garlic, Allium sativum L., extract administered as a therapeutic bath was shown to have antiparasitic properties towards Neobenedenia sp. (MacCallum) (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea) infecting farmed barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch). The effect of garlic extract (active component allicin) immersion on Neobenedenia sp. egg development, hatching success, oncomiracidia (larvae) longevity, infection success and juvenile Neobenedenia survival was examined and compared with freshwater and formalin immersion. Garlic extract was found to significantly impede hatching success (5% ± 5%) and oncomiracidia longevity (<2 h) at allicin concentrations of 15.2 μL L(-1) , while eggs in the seawater control had >95% hatching success and mean oncomiracidia longevity of 37 ± 3 h. At much lower allicin concentrations (0.76 and 1.52 μL L(-1)), garlic extract also significantly reduced Neobenedenia infection success of L. calcarifer to 25% ± 4% and 11% ± 4%, respectively, compared with 55% ± 7% in the seawater control. Juvenile Neobenedenia attached to host fish proved to be highly resistant to allicin with 96% surviving 1-h immersion in 10 mL L(-1) (15.2 μL L(-1) allicin) of garlic extract. Allicin-containing garlic extracts show potential for development as a therapy to manage monogenean infections in intensive aquaculture with the greatest impact at the egg and larval stages." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23952605

The above references immersion in garlic dosed water so it isn't comparable to try and extrapolate the same results to an ingested substance. "Garlic, Allium sativum L., extract administered as a therapeutic bath was shown to have antiparasitic properties towards Neobenedenia sp"

"All garlic products significantly reduced parasite mean survival time in vitro, from 13 h to <1 h. In fully randomised trials, the number of parasites was also significantly reduced on infected fish exposed to garlic from different sources. Two garlic treatments (minced and granule forms) reduced worm burdens by 66% and 75% after three doses, whereas Chinese freeze-dried garlic and allyl disulphide were 95% effective after a single application. In fact, Chinese freeze dried garlic was equally effective as Levamisole, a licensed livestock dewormer that is highly effective against G. turnbulli but not routinely prescribed for use in fish; hence, garlic may be a potential alternative treatment for gyrodactylosis." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401713004901

^^This study is for a freshwater guppy. I'm specifically referring to garlic and the effects on marine fish. There are many differences between the two so I don't think it is prudent to suggest what is OK for a FW fish would be equally safe or beneficial for a marine fish.


[QUOTE="During this 13-week study period, Sand tiger A increased the frequency of feeding days
and increased the amount of food per feeding when offered garlic-injected food. Sand tiger B
also increased the amount of food consumed on certain individual days but overall decreased its
food intake. Since the cessation of the garlic additions, Sand tiger A has continued to consume
its targeted food amount during most weeks. Sand tiger B has continued to eat sporadically." https://02af4cce-a-62cb3a1a-s-sites...b7akPJqBFIMvKhv6kUZEfS&attredirects=0#page=95 [/QUOTE]

^^While it may support the statements that garlic can act as a mild attractant what it fails to address is the long term potential for negative side effects from continued use of garlic. Let's face it the average hobbyist likely lasts 18-36 months in the hobby from what I have been told. It may take 3, 5, or even 10 years for the negative effects from heavy use of garlic in a food to develop. We just don't really know but there are studies which show a potential risk.

[QUOTE="The results indicate that the inclusion of 1.3% garlic in the diet of orange-spotted grouper enhances feed efficiency, fish growth and resistance to infection by S. iniae." http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848612004255[/QUOTE]

^^In this study with orange-spotted grouper: "Fish were fed diets containing 0, 1.3 and 4% of garlic powder for 14 days. The cumulative mortality of the fish fed with the 1.3% garlic diet was significantly (p < 0.01) lower than that of those fed with the 4% garlic diet and control diet following a challenge with S. iniae and had significantly (p < 0.01) higher percent weight gain and feed efficiency."

If you convert those percentages to real world numbers that would mean the feed would have 1.3 or 4 POUNDS of garlic added per 100 pound batch. While the study does in fact say the mortality of the fish fed a diet of 1.3% they DO NOT tell us what happened to the fish fed the diet of 4%. Did the fish fed a diet with increased garlic (4%) suffer negative side effects so they only posted the results found by using a dose over 50% less? We don't really have any way to know.

I would really love for there to be a simple food additive that is cheap (like garlic) which could provide a benefit in the marine aquarium. However what really irks me is that web forums and Facebook keep perpetuating myths surrounding garlic (and now ginger). New hobbyists see these posts and think that just because they dosed their food with garlic for 4 days and all the white spots went away their fish is now cured of Cryptocaryon. Feeding garlic is not a reef safe cure for parasite control.

The following article has some great information and I would highly recommend anyone following this thread to read it. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/sp/

One of my main tasks at LRS is to do R&D and look for ways to improve our foods. By working along side public aquaria and college university labs we have access to some of the brightest minds in the hobby. Sharing information about nutrition and supplements is what we do whenever I have the opportunity to talk with these experts. A prime example would be the recent success of the captive breeding of the blue tang at the University of Florida. We all know blue hippo tangs are very susceptible to "ich" but the diet we provided all year for the broodstock contained no garlic. Sure we would have gladly added it if requested but it didn't even come up in conversations.

If you want to try and use garlic to get a new arrival to eat that is being stubborn by all means go for it because if it doesn't eat at all the alternative is death. However if you are dosing or soaking your food every day in garlic juice because you believe it is keeping your fish immunity elevated the science just doesn't support it. Just my $.02 from someone immersed in food discussions 24/7.