Brew12
Electrical Gru
View BadgesExcellence Award
Reef Tank 365
Article Contributor
Moderator Emeritus
North Alabama Reef Club
Article Administrator
My Tank Thread
Here at R2R we have an entire forum section dedicated to nutrition and I don't want to duplicate those efforts here. I do feel there is value in trying to bring information on how proper nutrition can be used to help combat parasites and bacterial infections.
Here is a good discussion on the role of live food in fish health.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-importance-of-live-bacteria-in-food.300641/
An article by @Paul B discussing clams
Clams, The Best Food for a Reef
I've attached a pdf of a study on the role of probiotics and it's impact on fish health. Here is part of the conclusion from the attached pdf.
"To conclude that P2 & P3 (individual probiotic bacteria) were highly effective and efficient probiotics which plays a vital role in controlling aquaculture diseases, in contrast mechanisms as a biocontrol agent. Also it concluded the a group of probiotic bacterial species were becoming a consortium which plays a significant role in nutraceutical values as well as preventing and controlling pathogen & metabolic diseases. In future many such probiotics will be isolated and discovered to apply as a biocontrol agent, all most in all the living systems. So, that one can avoid side effects due to the chemically synthesized medicines and to overcome microbial resistance."
I feel there is a lot of room to improve the information we share on this topic. If you know of an article or post here on R2R that adds value on this topic, let me know.
If someone has the time and inclination to put together an article on this topic, written as a "how to" guide and backed with properly referenced scientific studies I would be very grateful! Otherwise, I'll get to it when I can.
I am also going to copy some of my thoughts from a previous article in here.
Fish Nutrition:
The immune system of a fish is a fascinating thing. This immune system is fueled by the food the fish consumes. It is more than having the right amount of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals although those are also important. Gut microbiota (probiotics) play a critical role in the health of a fish. The most reliable way of supplying microbiota is through fresh live foods. That isn’t an option for many of us but frozen foods can be almost as good. All frozen foods made from quality ingredients will contain some of the necessary bacteria. Some frozen food suppliers, such as LRS Foods, add probiotics to their foods prior to freezing. It is important to minimize the number of times the food is thawed and re-frozen as each cycle will kill additional bacteria. There is nothing wrong with using pellets or flake food but they should be supplemented by at least some fresh or frozen foods on a regular basis.
Feeding the proper amount is also important. Feed the fish what the fish need to be healthy. If you are cutting back on how much you feed because of algae issues or to try and reduce nitrates you are risking the health of those fish. Find other methods to address those issues. Properly fed does not mean overfed. One feeding a day should be plenty for most fish. A healthy tank will have pods and algae that fish will graze on to supplement what you provide.
Here is a good discussion on the role of live food in fish health.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-importance-of-live-bacteria-in-food.300641/
An article by @Paul B discussing clams
Clams, The Best Food for a Reef
I've attached a pdf of a study on the role of probiotics and it's impact on fish health. Here is part of the conclusion from the attached pdf.
"To conclude that P2 & P3 (individual probiotic bacteria) were highly effective and efficient probiotics which plays a vital role in controlling aquaculture diseases, in contrast mechanisms as a biocontrol agent. Also it concluded the a group of probiotic bacterial species were becoming a consortium which plays a significant role in nutraceutical values as well as preventing and controlling pathogen & metabolic diseases. In future many such probiotics will be isolated and discovered to apply as a biocontrol agent, all most in all the living systems. So, that one can avoid side effects due to the chemically synthesized medicines and to overcome microbial resistance."
I feel there is a lot of room to improve the information we share on this topic. If you know of an article or post here on R2R that adds value on this topic, let me know.
If someone has the time and inclination to put together an article on this topic, written as a "how to" guide and backed with properly referenced scientific studies I would be very grateful! Otherwise, I'll get to it when I can.
I am also going to copy some of my thoughts from a previous article in here.
Fish Nutrition:
The immune system of a fish is a fascinating thing. This immune system is fueled by the food the fish consumes. It is more than having the right amount of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals although those are also important. Gut microbiota (probiotics) play a critical role in the health of a fish. The most reliable way of supplying microbiota is through fresh live foods. That isn’t an option for many of us but frozen foods can be almost as good. All frozen foods made from quality ingredients will contain some of the necessary bacteria. Some frozen food suppliers, such as LRS Foods, add probiotics to their foods prior to freezing. It is important to minimize the number of times the food is thawed and re-frozen as each cycle will kill additional bacteria. There is nothing wrong with using pellets or flake food but they should be supplemented by at least some fresh or frozen foods on a regular basis.
Feeding the proper amount is also important. Feed the fish what the fish need to be healthy. If you are cutting back on how much you feed because of algae issues or to try and reduce nitrates you are risking the health of those fish. Find other methods to address those issues. Properly fed does not mean overfed. One feeding a day should be plenty for most fish. A healthy tank will have pods and algae that fish will graze on to supplement what you provide.
Attachments
Last edited: