Has Flaked Food Enhanced Your Fishes’ Colors?

andrew.jones50 · Apr 11, 2020

Has anybody else experienced anything like this?

The shortest version:

For the past 2 years I’ve been only feeding frozen spirulina brine to my fish @ 1 cube, 1x per day in the morning. Sometimes 1.5 or 2 on the weekend. Then last fall I switched to Omega. Most recently I’ve switched to Mysis.

Since I’ve been laid off I decided to fatten up my fish by supplementing with some Prime Reef flake that’s been under my tank for about 3 years Lol. So a little flake in the morning and Mysis (still 1 cube) in the late afternoon.

Since I’ve started this, about 1 week ago, I have noticed a significant increase in the quality of markings and colors on a few of the fish. Most notably my Frostbite Subzero Clown has increased iridescence around the frostbites. She also has developed numerous blue patches. These are patches that may have been visible in the dealer’s tank. But, this fish has not ever had any visible blue patches under my lighting- about 8 months. Additionally, dartfish (more iridescent streamer, deeper reds) and noticeably enriched colors in all 3 leopard wrasse.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying they’re different fish now. And I don’t believe they will be. They’re just enhanced enough over the past week that I feel compelled to share my experience and ask for some opinions.

It seems like a pretty insignificant amount of food compared to the volume of protein in a cube. Could the flakes be increasing the color? Pretty sure that color enhancement is noted somewhere in their literature. Or could it just be the continuous overall increase in calories?

Flippers4pups · Apr 11, 2020

Can't quite say what it could be in the food that's causing that. If it's got Omega 3 fatty acids, that could be it.

I feed a combo of Ocean nutrition prime reef flakes and LRS reef frenzy. My fish colors look great.

Ocean nutrition says "natural color enhancers" and what that is?, good question.

The problem with flake is that all of the "good stuff" is baked out during processing. A good quality flake will have a very high protein level, 60+% but still isn't a good as frozen foods.

Can you get by on flake? absolutely.

I'll keep you in my prayers about your work situation! Hang in there!

Chrille26 · Apr 11, 2020

My lfs recommended that I feed a mix of frozen and flakes just for that reason, that it enhances color. Unfortunatly I cant confirm since my fishes love frozen artemia and ignore the flakes completly.

Flippers4pups · Apr 11, 2020

Chrille26 said:
My lfs recommended that I feed a mix of frozen and flakes just for that reason, that it enhances color. Unfortunatly I cant confirm since my fishes love frozen artemia and ignore the flakes completly.

Finicky eaters. I have a few like that. Long nose hawk won't touch it at all. Eats LRS like crazy.

Zionas · Apr 11, 2020

I want to feed a mixture of frozen foods, flake foods and pellet foods as well as feedings of brine shrimp and seafood from the seafood market from time to time.

Sabellafella · Apr 11, 2020

andrew.jones50 said:
Has anybody else experienced anything like this?

The shortest version:

For the past 2 years I’ve been only feeding frozen spirulina brine to my fish @ 1 cube, 1x per day in the morning. Sometimes 1.5 or 2 on the weekend. Then last fall I switched to Omega. Most recently I’ve switched to Mysis.

Since I’ve been laid off I decided to fatten up my fish by supplementing with some Prime Reef flake that’s been under my tank for about 3 years Lol. So a little flake in the morning and Mysis (still 1 cube) in the late afternoon.

Since I’ve started this, about 1 week ago, I have noticed a significant increase in the quality of markings and colors on a few of the fish. Most notably my Frostbite Subzero Clown has increased iridescence around the frostbites. She also has developed numerous blue patches. These are patches that may have been visible in the dealer’s tank. But, this fish has not ever had any visible blue patches under my lighting- about 8 months. Additionally, dartfish (more iridescent streamer, deeper reds) and noticeably enriched colors in all 3 leopard wrasse.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying they’re different fish now. And I don’t believe they will be. They’re just enhanced enough over the past week that I feel compelled to share my experience and ask for some opinions.

It seems like a pretty insignificant amount of food compared to the volume of protein in a cube. Could the flakes be increasing the color? Pretty sure that color enhancement is noted somewhere in their literature. Or could it just be the continuous overall increase in calories?

I swear on all things hobby related, I've must've went trought 100 large prime reef containers in my systems lifespan. There's literally something about that flake food that just works especially for fish health and color. keep in mind, that food also adds aminos acids and vitamins for all the coral tinker geeks. I have to feed that flake daily to keep my phosphate off 0. Everyone of my friends, I've gotten to try that flake food and it's always been extremely successful. Even both of my mandarins swim to catch the flakes everytime I feed! Such an amazing supplemental food man I swear

JoshO · Apr 11, 2020

I use hikari marine s and I've noticed an improvement in colouration v frozen mysis. However the downside is as soon as I feed mysis again the clown tends to not touch the pellets again for a few days until she's hungry again!

homer1475 · Apr 11, 2020

I've always used flake in my arsenal of foods. Brought up on using flake from FW days. Just seemed more natural to me to use it, as opposed to not.

Once or twice a week I feed seachem nutridiet marine flake.

Zionas · Apr 11, 2020

Why are so many people against flake foods? Do you feel they are an integral part of fishs’ nutritional needs?

Paul B for example only feeds live or frozen foods and never feed flakes. Not sure if he does pellets or other dried foods.

homer1475 · Apr 11, 2020

Zionas said:
Why are so many people against flake foods? Do you feel they are an integral part of fishs’ nutritional needs?

Paul B for example only feeds live or frozen foods and never feed flakes. Not sure if he does pellets or other dried foods.

The typical response you will get, and quite a few will parrot it....

It's not natural. To them I say, neither is pellet or frozen, but no one has a problem feeding them.

Pellets and flakes are pretty much the same thing. One is dried out and scraped off in sheets, to then be broken up into flakes, the other is cold formed. But both have the same typical ingredients.

Zionas · Apr 11, 2020

Thanks for the reply. Well my stocking list consists of carnivorous and omnivorous fish, so I will be mixing things up to hopefully give them the best nutrition possible.

-Flake foods

-Pellets (garlic enhanced)

-Nori strips

-Dried plankton and brine shrimp eggs

-Brine shrimp sticks and pastes (frozen)

-Live brine shrimp

-Chopped seafood / live small shrimp or fish from seafood market

-Dried bloodworms

My fish stocking list: Marine Betta (hopefully a pair), Black and White Ocellaris Clowns (pair), Flame Hawkfish (pair), Royal Gramma or another basslet, dwarf angel (maybe a pair).

OrionN · Apr 11, 2020

I feed a variety of food to my fish and a lot of it. Variety and enough are keys IMO.
Main food is Otohine and TDO Chroma Boost Pellets with auto-feeder. Then I feed fresh or frozen oyster and steamer clams on the 1/2 shell almost daily. and mixture of flakes and frozen mysis once or twice a day. Nori clips all they can eat last to about 3 PM or so.
Omega One flakes are exceptionally good IMO. I got all their flakes and mix them together to form a compound flake, that is what I use as far as flakes go.
If you give your fish enough variety, and enough, they will be healthy and colorful.
My fish are all healthy, fat and very colorful. Some of you may see pictures of my fishes I posted, most will agree I am sure.

OrionN · Apr 11, 2020

Zionas said:
.......

-Pellets (garlic enhanced)

.....

-Dried plankton and brine shrimp eggs

......

My fish stocking list: Marine Betta (hopefully a pair), Black and White Ocellaris Clowns (pair), Flame Hawkfish (pair), Royal Gramma or another basslet, dwarf angel (maybe a pair).

There are a lot of hypes but, IMO, garlic is best in your food, not the fish.

Brine shrimp eggs are encapsulated and need to be decapsulated before feeding to the fish. IME, none of the fish you plan to keep need tiny food like plankton and brine shrimp eggs. The brine shrimp eggs are very expensive for the amount of food value in it. You may want to try to get fresh fish roe if you want very nutritious food for your fish. When I eat fish, if there are any fish roe, I always save them for the fish tank as treat for the fish.

andrew.jones50 · Apr 11, 2020

Flippers4pups said:
Can't quite say what it could be in the food that's causing that. If it's got Omega 3 fatty acids, that could be it.

I feed a combo of Ocean nutrition prime reef flakes and LRS reef frenzy. My fish colors look great.

Ocean nutrition says "natural color enhancers" and what that is?, good question.

The problem with flake is that all of the "good stuff" is baked out during processing. A good quality flake will have a very high protein level, 60+% but still isn't a good as frozen foods.

Can you get by on flake? absolutely.

I'll keep you in my prayers about your work situation! Hang in there!

I’m not trying to get by on flake. I have multiple fish that wouldn’t last more than a few months on a flake only diet.
Also, thanks for the prayers. I’m essential at my non-essential career. We’re just not firing up again until the smoke clears. I’m doing just fine until then