These statistics are even reported by the hobbyist magazines you are all familiar with, how predators in the aquarium have a dismal lifespan. Here are some of the numbers I've read; moray eels 2-4 years, volitan lions 3-5 years, dwarf lions 1-2 years, anglers 1-2 years, various scorps and others from 1-3 years. Very dismal and these are the best case scenarios, what I see is even worse. They only lightly touch or the causes of this and more so act as if it is normal and to to be accepted. Many articles will breach the subject of nutrition, but then never give specific solutions, if any only broad brush strokes. Water quality is also a concern as keeping some of these fish can be messy, and water quality can suffer, but lets address some key points to nutrition.
I'll keep live food out of this conversation, as I am sure you all have heard enough on that subject. This will also include other species like eels, groupers, toadfish, and really any fish to what to give a long healthy life. Just as with humans, the quality of diet plays a major role in quality of life and longevity. The cleaner more natural you can keep things, the better. Ethoxyquin is a very dangerous preservative that used in pet foods that contain fish products. This chemical is used at the docks when the food has separated for human consumption, you will not find it in the ingredients list. The lfs do sell food now that is manufacturer with human grade ingredients, if you are not using human grade seafood from you market, I strongly suggest these. Species like eels have been known to have the same liver issues as lions, perhaps this makes a difference. I know people keeping into the teens and they all have one thing in common, they feed them human grade seafood, buying fresh many times and using the food they feed themselves..
Fresh vs frozen; you can do your own research on this as some have argued with me on this point. You need to dig deeper than the initial statement that frozen contains the same amount of nutrients as frozen. There are some caveats; they need to be frozen at peak freshness, properly frozen and maintained at an optimum of 0 degrees, and used within their recommended best by date. If you meet all this criteria, then yes frozen is just as good as fresh. Thye quality control I've seen, I doubt if all if any of this is meet, check the temp gauge in your market the next time you go, or signs of partial defrost, and if there is even a best by date or one that's been labeled over. I believe in buying fresh and freezing in small batches, you can find standards listing the best by use for each type of food. If these criteria for frozen food isn't met, then the nutritional dosage does decline. I'm sure everyone has heard of thiaminese, alot of the food we feed our predators does contain thiaminese, but also contains a good or even high amount of vitamin B1. If you are using improperly stored or old shrimp for instance, the level of thiaminese hasn't decreased, but the level of vitamin B1 has, now there's problem.
Supplementation and pellet stuffing; if you are using supplementation, try for ones that are naturally derived. Selcon is very popular and an alternative is Brightwell's aminomega, which contains some other elements including vitamin B1. If you are waving the food around on a feeding stick, soaking with supplements may be fine if you fish are snatching it up pretty quickly, you can also use a kitchen syringe to inject chunks of food. I prefer to pellet stuff chunks of food. Pellets are a nutritionally dense food and it doesn't take much, so be careful. Hikari makes a nice pellet that is high in vitamin c, vitamin c is very important for fish, just as with humans. Using an algae pellet is also a good addition, predatory fish would usually get elements found in algae from the guts of their prey.
There is also a concern for fatty liver disease, not only will this come from a poor diet, but in some cases it comes from overfeeding. Overfeeding in the form of feeding too often, mostly in reference to eels and lions and any others that eat on a fast/gorge routine. Always start your research in the wild for natural foods and feeding routines. You can also get tips how to prepare your tank by studying where they live in the wild.
I'll keep live food out of this conversation, as I am sure you all have heard enough on that subject. This will also include other species like eels, groupers, toadfish, and really any fish to what to give a long healthy life. Just as with humans, the quality of diet plays a major role in quality of life and longevity. The cleaner more natural you can keep things, the better. Ethoxyquin is a very dangerous preservative that used in pet foods that contain fish products. This chemical is used at the docks when the food has separated for human consumption, you will not find it in the ingredients list. The lfs do sell food now that is manufacturer with human grade ingredients, if you are not using human grade seafood from you market, I strongly suggest these. Species like eels have been known to have the same liver issues as lions, perhaps this makes a difference. I know people keeping into the teens and they all have one thing in common, they feed them human grade seafood, buying fresh many times and using the food they feed themselves..
Fresh vs frozen; you can do your own research on this as some have argued with me on this point. You need to dig deeper than the initial statement that frozen contains the same amount of nutrients as frozen. There are some caveats; they need to be frozen at peak freshness, properly frozen and maintained at an optimum of 0 degrees, and used within their recommended best by date. If you meet all this criteria, then yes frozen is just as good as fresh. Thye quality control I've seen, I doubt if all if any of this is meet, check the temp gauge in your market the next time you go, or signs of partial defrost, and if there is even a best by date or one that's been labeled over. I believe in buying fresh and freezing in small batches, you can find standards listing the best by use for each type of food. If these criteria for frozen food isn't met, then the nutritional dosage does decline. I'm sure everyone has heard of thiaminese, alot of the food we feed our predators does contain thiaminese, but also contains a good or even high amount of vitamin B1. If you are using improperly stored or old shrimp for instance, the level of thiaminese hasn't decreased, but the level of vitamin B1 has, now there's problem.
Supplementation and pellet stuffing; if you are using supplementation, try for ones that are naturally derived. Selcon is very popular and an alternative is Brightwell's aminomega, which contains some other elements including vitamin B1. If you are waving the food around on a feeding stick, soaking with supplements may be fine if you fish are snatching it up pretty quickly, you can also use a kitchen syringe to inject chunks of food. I prefer to pellet stuff chunks of food. Pellets are a nutritionally dense food and it doesn't take much, so be careful. Hikari makes a nice pellet that is high in vitamin c, vitamin c is very important for fish, just as with humans. Using an algae pellet is also a good addition, predatory fish would usually get elements found in algae from the guts of their prey.
There is also a concern for fatty liver disease, not only will this come from a poor diet, but in some cases it comes from overfeeding. Overfeeding in the form of feeding too often, mostly in reference to eels and lions and any others that eat on a fast/gorge routine. Always start your research in the wild for natural foods and feeding routines. You can also get tips how to prepare your tank by studying where they live in the wild.
