# Food Comparison



## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

*First let me start this thread by putting in a disclaimer:*
_I am in no way recommending or suggesting one brand of food over the other or saying one brand is better than another._
Now that I have that out of the way for all those who will want to climb all over me because they think I am not recommending what they use. :twisted:
What you want to look for is what is IN the food. Ingredients are listed in the order of quantity contained in the food. The first ingredient listed is what there is the most of, second is second greatest quantity, so on and so fourth.
IMO it is generally considered by most that you want the most plentiful ingredients to be natural, as opposed to 'fillers.' All foods will have some fillers, you just have to consider how much.

*You read and compare! *Then make your own decision!

*Ocean Nutrition*
*Ingredients*
Pure brine shrimp embryos | wheat flour | vitamins (stabilized ascorbic acid, vitamin E supplement, niacin | thiamine mononitrate | folic acid | calcium pantothenate | riboflavin | menadione sodium bisulfate complex | Vitamin A acetate | pyridoxine HCL | Vitamin B12 supplement | Vitamin D3 supplement, biotin) and preservatives (calcium propionate, ethoxyquin).












*New Life Spectrum*
*Ingredients:*
Whole Antarctic krill meal, whole herring meal, whole wheat flour, algae meal, garlic, soybean isolate, beta carotene, spirulina, vegetable and fruit extract (spinach, red and green cabbage, pea, broccoli, zucchini, tomato, red bell pepper, kiwi, apricot, pear, mango, apple, papaya, peach), vitamin a acetate, DL alphatocophero (E), d-activated animal sterol (D3), vitamin B12 supplement, thiamine, riboflavin supplement, pyridoxine hydro-chloride, calcium pantothenate, L-ascorby-2-polyphosphate (stable C), choline chloride, copper proteinate, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, cobalt sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate.












*Omega One*
*Ingredients:*
*Whole Salmon, Halibut, Shrimp*, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Fresh Kelp, Astaxanthin, Lecithin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Phosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Natural and Artificial Colors, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Folic Acid, Biotin, Inositol, Tocopherol (Preservative), Ethoxyquin (Preservative). 













*NutraFin Max*
*Ingredients:*
Krill, fish meal, fish protein concentrate, wheat flour, corn meal, squid meal, oatmeal, wheat gluten meal, dried seaweed meal, soybean flour, oatmeal, wheat gluten meal, dried seaweed meal, soybean flour, soy protein concentrate, fish liver meal, dried yeast, salmon oil (ethoxyquin used as preservative), cochineal extract, squid liver meal, shrimp meal, vitamins (cholecalciferol, biotin, d-calcium pantothenate, folic acid, inositol, niacin supplement, riboflavin-5-phosphate, calcium inositol, L-ascorbyl-2-monophosphate, vitamin A acetate, thiamine hydrochloride, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), yeast extract, fructooligosaccharide, lecithin. 












*Top Fin*
*Ingredients:*
Fish meal, shrimp meal, soybean meal, wheat flour, corn gluten meal, fish oil, squid meal, yeast, calcium propionate, rice bran, proteinase enzyme, garlic, brine shrimp, astaxanthin, spirulina, red algae, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, vitamin a acetate, choline chloride, a -tocopheryl acetate, niacin, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, thimain mononitrate, biotin, pyridoxine HCl, folic acid, d-activated animal sterol, vitamin B12 supplement, vitamin K3 supplement, inositol, calcium iodate, dicalcium phsophate, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, cobalt chloride, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, manganese sulfate.












*HBH*
*Ingredients:*
Fish meal, wheat flour, soy flour, fish oil, brewers dried yeast, squid meal, soy lecithin, krill meal, l-ascorbic acid phosphate (source of vitamin C), choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, niacin supplement, astaxanthin, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, thiamine mononitrate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, sodium selenite, potassium iodate, ethoxyquin (preservative), propionic acid (preservative), red 40.












*Aquarian*
*Ingredients:*
Wheat, soybean meal, fish meal, ground corn, soy protein isolate, shrimp meal, canola oil, dehydrated alfalfa meal, rice bran, dicalcium phosphate, spirulina algae meal, brewers dried yeast, l-ascrobyl-2-polyphosphate, chitosan, vitamin A acetate, d-activated animal sterol, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, vitamin B12, riboflavin, d-calcium pantothenate, niacin, choline chloride, menadione dimethylprimidinol bisulfite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, iron sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganous oxide, copper sulfate, cobalt carbonate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, calcium carbonate, rice hulls, mineral oil, Red 40, ethoxyquin.












*Aqueon*
*Ingredients:*
Whole Fish Meal (Whole salmon, herring & other mixed fishes), Whole Wheat Flour, Soybean Meal, Shrimp Meal, Whole Dried Krill, Wheat Germ, Corn Gluten Meal, Fish Oil, Squid Meal, Garlic, Natural Astaxanthin, Dicalcium Phosphate, Dried Yeast, Choline Chloride, Calcium, Propionate (a preservative), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin A, Acetate, Cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Menadione Sodium Bisulphite Complex (source of vitamin K activity), Folic acid, Thiamine, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, DL-Alphatocopherol (E), Manganese Sulfate, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate











*Hikari*
Ingredients:
Fish meal, wheat flour, milt meal, Antarctic krill meal, gluten meal, clam meal, cuttlefish oil, soybean meal, enzyme, garlic, monosodium glutamate, dl-methionine, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium pantothenate, biotin, inositol, niacin, choline chloride, folic acid, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilized vitamin C), manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, cobalt sulfate, calcium iodate, aluminum hydroxide.











*Tetra*
*Ingredients:*
Fish meal, ground brown rice, torula dried yeast, shrimp meal, wheat gluten, dried potato products, dehulled soybean meal, fish oil, soybean oil, algae meal, sorbitol, lecithin, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (vitamin C). Artificial colors including red 3. Ethoxyquin as a preservative.











*TetraBetta*
*Ingredients:*
Wheat flour, fish meal, wheat gluten, potato protein, corn starch, soybean oil, corn gluten, shrimp meal, dried yeast, monobasic calcium phosphate, lecithin, algae meal, yeast extract, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), inositol, niacin, a-tocopherol-acetate (source of vitamin E), riboflavin-5-phosphate, l-ascorbyl-2-phosphate (stabilized vitamin C), choline chloride, d-calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, pyrodoxine hydrochloride, vitamin A palmitate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, biotin, cyanocobalamin (source of vitamin B12), cholocalciferol (source of vitamin D3), manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, cobalt nitrate. Color Includes: Bixin, beta-carotene, canthaxanthin. Ethoxyquin as a preservative. 
Easy to use and store, slide feeder makes dispensing food a breeze












*Wardley*
*Ingredients:*
Fish meal, whole grain wheat, shrimp meal, soybean flour, brewers dried yeast, wheat germ meal, wheat gluten, fish protein concentrate, fish oil, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, crayfish extract in soybean oil, iron oxide, vitamin premix containing (wheat middlings, vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, B12 supplement, riboflavin supplement, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, menadione sodium bisulfite complex, folic acid, pyridoxine HCI, thiamine mononitrate, d-biotin), choline chloride, marigold petal extract, canthaxanthin, ethoxyquin (as a preservative).


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Um... Sticky please? This is really awesome. I use nls. Best food IMO, no (possibly) cancer causing ethoxyquin and it has garlic. I saw almost the exact same thing on a different forum and this is super helpful!


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## Polkadot (Feb 10, 2013)

Great post,very helpful.New Life Spectrum is brilliant,the best thing I've ever bought for my betta boys.


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## Crowntails (Feb 12, 2013)

Sticky!


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## Otterfun (Dec 31, 2012)

Hikari has MSG woooh...
and NLS has beta carotene, will that off-set the Ethoxyquin?


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

Don't forget Repashy! I will be trying it out soon. Seems to get rave reviews.


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## Blue Fish (Jun 11, 2012)

The NLS seems to have some good stuff that the others lack, specifically the different fruit and vegetable vitamins in it. Thanks for such an awesome thread! I switched from the HBH betta bites to the NLS, and it made a world of difference.


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## SunshineSulie (Mar 16, 2013)

So, just to clarify, Aqueon is not going to kill my fish or make her sick, correct? It didn't look bad on the ingredients list... 

I mean, I am going to get some better food when she runs out, but, just to clarify, she isn't eating crap in a can, right? 

Sorry if that sounds harsh, just want some decent opinions.


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## Artemis (Mar 9, 2013)

My beef with NLS is the veggies. We naturally say "good" but for a betta this is "bad" very bad for a fish who would naturally eat bugs and other fish. Not veggies and NOT fruits.

I would personally get a different food within the week. It would take quite a while to run out of food when they eat about 6 pellets a day max.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

They're now domesticated, however. How is it bad for them, exactly? They're getting added vitamins and minerals. I'm not wanting to start a debate here, I'm just curious.


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

MattsBettas said:


> Um... Sticky please? This is really awesome. I use nls. Best food IMO, no (possibly) cancer causing ethoxyquin and it has garlic. I saw almost the exact same thing on a different forum and this is super helpful!


plus. one.


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Artemis that was my questi


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

The veggies and fruits are just extracts, so the vitamins are in there, but not the fiber, which a betta wouldn't be able to handle.


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

I see my post didn't go through, or got cut off. That's what I get for being lazy and using my iPhone. Sorry about that. Anyway my question was essentially what Artemis said, which has now been answered. Thanks.


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## Artemis (Mar 9, 2013)

Yes but are the vitamins needed at this point? You can domesticate an animal as much as you want, their stomachs aren't going to change and neither are the dietary needs. They are made to eat bugs and meat, carnivores. They get all of their vitamins, minerals, and nutrition from meat. They do not need added extras. They could eat mosquito larvae, bloodworms, and the like for their whole life and it would be very natural and fulfilling.


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Artemis, I hope someone answers this because I had much the same question. On a side note, my dogs and cats are fed a prey model raw diet because I am convinced that its the best thing for them based i what they are genetically engineered to consume. As I learn more about Bettas and their natural diet, it does seem that many of the commercial diets are flawed, which concerns me. I noticed also that many of them contain menadione bisulfate complex which is a synthetic vitamin K derivative that has known carcinogenic properties.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

The fruits and veggies are actually very good for the betta. You would be surprised by the amount of vegetable matter a betta actually eats. The veggies in NLS are in low quantities and are mainly extracts included for the vitamins. Nls also contains a little bit of harlic which acts as a natural parasite preventer. And I know you feed omega one, and I don't know why you are so set on bashing NLS when the food you use contains kelp (a marine PLANT), wheat gluten (a unhealthy binder. NLS uses whole wheat flour as their binder.) and ethoxyquin. It is known that ethoxyquin is a carcinogen, but we don't yet know if it is dangerous for bettas. I care about my fish, and I prefer not to feed something that could make them sick. All preservatives are not good for any animal, fish and humans included.


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## Artemis (Mar 9, 2013)

I'm not trying to bash. I'm sorry if it seems that way. Thank you for the new information. I just went on a research spree and I believe you are right, sorry if I offended you, thanks.

What is the difference between wheat gluten and whole wheat flour as a binder? I really don't want to bash and I did not notice the kelp. Are the results good? Are they small pellets? Where can I buy this? Would a picky fish maybe like it more?

If anyone can give me light and maybe explain the ingredients over PMs, it would be greatly appreciated. It seems like I was going about this all wrong!


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

MattsBettas wasn't being mean or anything, he likes to have his points across straightly and firmly.  I'm sorry if I was bashing you, too. Or at least I sounded like it.

Wheat gluten is an optional filler most brands have. The wheat flour seems to be in every brand I know. It's basically the most common binder and filler of all. NLS' pellets are really small and you can feed up to 8 pellets a day. You can find it at Petco. There's garlic in this so there should be a likely chance of a picky one eating it.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

Yes, I like to get my point across straight and firm lol. Sorry that I sounded so harsh. I'm glad you are open minded. Omega one is not bad food, its one of the best out there. I just want to make it clear that NLS is great food to. Sorry!


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## finnfinnfriend (Feb 3, 2012)

I guess no one pays any attention to anything I say


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## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

finnfinnfriend said:


> I guess no one pays any attention to anything I say


You know that isn't true finnfinn ;-)

I have been staying out of this cause I knew the debate would start and I wanted to watch it happen. :shock:

There are obviously a LOT of NLS fans here and they are VERY ardent in their love of the brand, which there is not a thing wrong with that.
I do, IMO, think that they can be a little ...... er...... 'over zealous' in their backing of their fav. I don't think anyone posting here meant to hurt anyone else, they are just REAL passionate in their beliefs.

Personally (and I feel I can cause every one else has had their say) I like Omega One. I have used it for years with everything from goldfish to angelfish to tetras to bettas and it has worked for all my fish.

Here's an idea. (OMG) Can we all just agree that if EITHER Omega or NLS are used the fish is getting good food?


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

waterdog said:


> sh.
> 
> Here's an idea. (OMG) Can we all just agree that if EITHER Omega or NLS are used the fish is getting good food?


I can agree. Sorry if I was getting a little carried away.. hehe ^^"

And sorry finnfinn, I agree with waterdog. You know that's not true! You were the one that taught me about NLS anyway!


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## LillieCharlotte (Mar 20, 2013)

The veggie/fruit thing is interesting. I used to hang out on another betta forum, and they would recommend feeding bettas a frozen pea (cut up) or broccoli once a week (or as needed as a remedy for constipation).

I've been feeding my betta Hikari, but it looks like it doesn't stack up as well against some of these other foods.


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## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

LillieCharlotte said:


> I've been feeding my betta Hikari, but it looks like it doesn't stack up as well against some of these other foods.


And that is why I did this article. I think we can get so caught up in other things, reading labels on food containers kinda slips by. I wanted everyone to have one place to sit and read what all the different brands had to offer then make their own more informed choice as opposed to just taking someones word for it!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

For the record, I feed both NLS and Omega One  although I do use NLS more, the containers a lot bigger!

And I can't complain about extra vitamins because I add VitaChem to their water (I don't want sick fishies) and come to think of it, I should probably look at that ingredients list, too


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## colorxmexravyne (May 8, 2012)

waterdog said:


> Here's an idea. (OMG) Can we all just agree that if EITHER Omega or NLS are used the fish is getting good food?


+1. It's really not worth arguing over, because at the end of the day, they're both good foods and one's not really much better than the other. Both have ethoxyquin (a REQUIREMENT for fish food that contains real fish, though it's not always listed), NLS just has a few extra things for peace of mind, ie fruits, veggies, and garlic.


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## belleangel33 (Apr 1, 2013)

I feed more frozen bloodworms, live white and grindal worms, flightless fruit flies, a little froze BS and only about once every other week do I feed pellet food. Mostly just to make sure they will still eat it. If I was to rehome a Betta I want to make sure they will eat pellets since that is what most people that dont breed feed.

I will be changing the pellet food today. Thanks to this post! I have to go get more water conditioner any way. I never even looked at the pellet food ingredients =(

Does that make me a bad Mom?


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## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

I don't think in anyones imagination could you be considered a bad betta mom. You do more food wise than 90% of us will ever do.
It is gratifying to know my little article helped even a seasoned breeder take a second look at something they overlooked. 
Thanks for making me feel I did some good!!!!!


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## belleangel33 (Apr 1, 2013)

waterdog said:


> I don't think in anyones imagination could you be considered a bad betta mom. You do more food wise than 90% of us will ever do.
> It is gratifying to know my little article helped even a seasoned breeder take a second look at something they overlooked.
> Thanks for making me feel I did some good!!!!!



This is a great post and I think it needs a sticky. I cant believe I over looked the pellet food! So I personally Thank you! 

I will would like to get both omega and NSL but I dont think they carry NLS at petsmart where Im going for water conditioner but I will check.


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## Nicci Lu (Jan 7, 2013)

Thanks for that link on ethoxyquin, colorxmexravyne! Very informative. I guess we can count on _all_ pet food having ethoxyquin.

When I went betta food shopping, I chose Omega over NLS because Omega has whole fish as opposed to whole fish _meal. _I figured the less processed the meat, the better. I have since found out, however, that the listing order of ingredients is based on pre-cooked weight. Since whole fish has a much higher water content than whole fish _meal_, there is actually much less fish and a higher ratio of wheat products in Omega than in NLS. Grrr... I hate that it's so difficult to find quality pet food- I go through the same with my cats.

Honestly, though, when it's time to get more betta food, I'm going to get Repashy. Harder to feed, but I love that it has no wheat products at all. I really don't think wheat (or corn) has any place in carnivore diets. Fruit and veggies, IMO, is fine because they can be found in the intestines of bugs that bettas eat in the wild. But grains are just not natural for them.


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## motherpeters (Mar 3, 2013)

Love this! Thanks! I'll be switching food brands asap. -.-


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## bannlow2471 (Mar 12, 2013)

Nicci Lu said:


> Thanks for that link on ethoxyquin, colorxmexravyne! Very informative. I guess we can count on _all_ pet food having ethoxyquin.
> 
> When I went betta food shopping, I chose Omega over NLS because Omega has whole fish as opposed to whole fish _meal. _I figured the less processed the meat, the better. I have since found out, however, that the listing order of ingredients is based on pre-cooked weight. Since whole fish has a much higher water content than whole fish _meal_, there is actually much less fish and a higher ratio of wheat products in Omega than in NLS. Grrr... I hate that it's so difficult to find quality pet food- I go through the same with my cats.
> 
> Honestly, though, when it's time to get more betta food, I'm going to get Repashy. Harder to feed, but I love that it has no wheat products at all. I really don't think wheat (or corn) has any place in carnivore diets. Fruit and veggies, IMO, is fine because they can be found in the intestines of bugs that bettas eat in the wild. But grains are just not natural for them.


Where would I get Repashy? I've never seen it before.


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

Nicci Lu said:


> Thanks for that link on ethoxyquin, colorxmexravyne! Very informative. I guess we can count on _all_ pet food having ethoxyquin.
> 
> When I went betta food shopping, I chose Omega over NLS because Omega has whole fish as opposed to whole fish _meal. _I figured the less processed the meat, the better. I have since found out, however, that the listing order of ingredients is based on pre-cooked weight. Since whole fish has a much higher water content than whole fish _meal_, there is actually much less fish and a higher ratio of wheat products in Omega than in NLS. Grrr... I hate that it's so difficult to find quality pet food- I go through the same with my cats.
> 
> Honestly, though, when it's time to get more betta food, I'm going to get Repashy. Harder to feed, but I love that it has no wheat products at all. I really don't think wheat (or corn) has any place in carnivore diets. Fruit and veggies, IMO, is fine because they can be found in the intestines of bugs that bettas eat in the wild. But grains are just not natural for them.


Please post about your experiences with it! I am of the same mind as you, but I haven't heard any direct info from anyone feeding it to a betta.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I haven't done a whole lot of looking into it, but Ethoxyquin seems to be a bigger issue in dogs. That, or there just isn't a lot of info in fish foods. But there are tiny amounts of it in the foods, obviously, because its either listed last or not at all.


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

bannlow2471 said:


> Where would I get Repashy? I've never seen it before.


My LFS carries it. If you go to their home page, you can search by state for a distributor. Or, buy online from them. Googling around can help out a lot with price.


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## Nicci Lu (Jan 7, 2013)

I have the Repashy Super Green vegan algae mix for my otos (who absolutely _adore_ it, BTW) and I had to order it from ebay. My LFS selection is limited to the big chains, unfortunately, and they don't carry it. It's a gel food, so you have to pre-mix it, then cut it and freeze it for longer storage. So, more prep work.

I posted a thread a while back asking members if they'd had experience with the Meat Pie (their carnivore mix). Some said their bettas loved it, but it seemed to limited to those who had bettas that would eat food off the bottom. It sinks, you see. My VT likes to chase falling food, so my hope is that he'll snag the pieces as they fall. I'll definitely report back when I get some.


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## VJM (Feb 7, 2013)

I am hoping that bettas will take it if it is gelled up with a string hanger inside, or attached to something that floats.


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## belleangel33 (Apr 1, 2013)

I could only get omega they do not sell NSL at petsmart =(


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## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

belleangel33 said:


> I could only get omega they do not sell NSL at petsmart =(


Well you got one of the two best so your fish should really love you for it! 

All I feed is Omega to all my varieties of fish and they all do great on it! ;-)


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## mandimai (Jun 17, 2013)

I am always having this conversation, only in regards to dog food, with my clients. Quality food is SOOO important! NLS by far loos like the best here. I am trying a mix my breeder friend uses, but will be switching to NLS if I decide I don't like his.


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

mandimai said:


> I am always having this conversation, only in regards to dog food, with my clients. Quality food is SOOO important! NLS by far loos like the best here. I am trying a mix my breeder friend uses, but will be switching to NLS if I decide I don't like his.


I know this is off topic but what dog food brand(s) do you suggest? I've been looking for a good brand for my dog. He's almost 7 and is a chihuahua/miniature pinscher and weighs about 11lbs.

I ask because I've been looking all over for a good brand but there aren't many choices available here and I'm willing to buy online but I find so many good brands that have been bought out by other companies and have been causing dogs to have diarrhea and vomiting (Innova I know is one and Blue Buffalo wilderness is another). I feel bad that my fish have better quality food than my dog! He's always had Iams.


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## mandimai (Jun 17, 2013)

Personally I *love* Earthborn Holistic Primitive Natural. EVO is awesome as well. I feed both to my service dogs. If you can, grain free is the way to go. 

A great reference site is: dogfoodadvisor.com
They break down foods and give ratings on each one depending on what goes into them. 

A great educational piece is: http://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_Nutrition/thread/518898

I'm a professional dog trainer, specializing in training service dogs. Feel free to PM me if you want more info or have more questions!


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

Thanks! I looked it up and there are only a few places here in Nebraska that sell the earthborn but I will live relatively close to one when I move in a month or so! I think I'll order some online to try it.

I look at that dog food advisor site a LOT and the comments there suggest that the innova and blue buffalo have been giving dogs stomach issues after the companies were bought out, even though the rating is still 5 stars, I think the formulas have since changed and the comments made me scared to even try new foods. Earthborn is both 5 stars and has good comments


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## NozzALa (Apr 10, 2013)

I feed mine the betta flakes that you can get from Walmart. I tried pellets but he wouldn't eat them and they would just sit at the bottom and cloud the tank after a while. If I ever went with a different food it would definitely have to be flake form.


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## Mohankrish99 (Jun 3, 2013)

Cp optimum Betta food is best for me as these are about 1mm and my Betta eats them very quickly they never sink until fish swallows it and splits it...for me its best...


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## xxRho (May 29, 2013)

@mandimai - (off topic) YES to this and the amount you feed you dogs is really important! I'm constantly waring over my family dog's cooked bones and portion sizes :roll:

That's so cool (I wish I was a dog trainer :-D)


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## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

Not making a big deal about it, but could you dog food guys either pm or start a thread in one of the off topic sections please? Thank you


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## Nibblez (Jan 29, 2013)

When i first bought my betta, i got the Aquarian brand pellets for my first betta. I used that for a few months till i got another betta and thats when i started looking into other foods for my bettas, i saw the hikari bio-gold which was everywhere and was the best i could find at that time. My bettas loved it over the Aquarian one, but after reading up on the NLS pellets, i tried looking for them but i cant find them in australia so i started to look into other foods, i found the Ocean Nutrition food which looked so much better than what i have but i was also comparing it to the ADA pellets. I settled for the ADA pellets, I currently feed it to all my bettas and they just gobble it up. i still treat my bettas to live foods but they seem to prefer the pellets now. I would list the ingredients if i could but it doesnt exactly list it clearly like every other food brands.


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## xxRho (May 29, 2013)

Sorry waterdog!

I got carried away.

Back on topic:

This is the food I am currently using (although I plan on changing when I finish the pack). The packaging looks exactly the same and its the same brand and product but I don't have my packaging here to list the ingredients so I will just go with what the website says it has (I'm hoping the ingredients are the same no matter what country you're in).
I also occasionally use freeze dried blood/black worms and the Nutrafin Max Betta Colour Enhancing Flakes.

*Zoo Med Micro Floating Betta Pellets:
*









*Ingredients:*

Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Squid Meal, Soybean Meal, Krill Meal, Fish Oil (naturally preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Shrimp Meal, Dehydrated Beets, Lecithin, Garlic Powder, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of stabilized Vitamin C), Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Potassium Iodate, Astaxanthin, Canthaxanthin, Propionic Acid (a natural preservative), Rosemary Extract


Also with these sorts of food will the copper in it pose a problem for other things in the tank or is it in too low a quantity/okay since you only put as much as the betta will eat at a time?
I'm just wondering because I've been told copper additives to the aquarium (e.g. a copper coin in the filter, copper based meds, etc) will kill all the invertebrates, also a lot of foods has "copper something" in the ingredients (but I also know that copper is needed in the diet of vertebrates for respiratory enzymes and in inverts its used in-place of iron for oxygen transport).
Any thoughts?


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## mandimai (Jun 17, 2013)

I am currently feeding a crummy food: Top Fin Betta Bits, supplemented with freeze-dried bloodworms. The breeder who is sending my new fish is sending his personal mix with him. I plan on trying that, and if it's not to my liking switching to another store bought, high quality food. 

Can you feed freeze-dried bloodworms and brine shrimp alone?


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## xxRho (May 29, 2013)

I don't think freeze dry foods should be the main part of a diet but can be used in addition to other things. 

With freeze dried foods:

let the freeze dry foods soak for a little bit so they don't expand in the gut when the fish eats it
remove any sharp/crunchy bits because they can cause internal damage
Freeze Dried is good because unlike live food it doesn't carry disease (unless soiled).

Bettas dietary needs are:
Macronutrients:

Fat ~8% (some sources say 10%) & ~15% for conditioning/growth
Protein ~40-45% & about 50% for growth/conditioning
Carbohydrates this includes fibre, is not needed in large quantities, (but don't eliminate completely!) I'm not sure on the total % of fibre can be safely given to a healthy betta but since they are carnivorous I wouldn't say more than 10% and I'm not sure how much crude fibre can be given. Most sources have said 40% is the very upper limit on total carbs.
and I'm not sure how much micronutrients are needed (but they are needed!)


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

I respectfully disagree on the freeze dried foods. No, they are not meant to be used as a staple. I feed them once a week. However, I have never experienced bloating issues with them. Pre-soaking them causes them to lose many of the nutrients they DO have in the water. Then you are almost literally feeding a "potato chip" by removing the nutritional value.


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## waterdog (Dec 31, 2012)

xxRho said:


> Also with these sorts of food will the copper in it pose a problem for other things in the tank or is it in too low a quantity/okay since you only put as much as the betta will eat at a time?
> I'm just wondering because I've been told copper additives to the aquarium (e.g. a copper coin in the filter, copper based meds, etc) will kill all the invertebrates, also a lot of foods has "copper something" in the ingredients (but I also know that copper is needed in the diet of vertebrates for respiratory enzymes and in inverts its used in-place of iron for oxygen transport).
> Any thoughts?


No problem with that. By the time you would put in enough food to make the copper a problem, you would have foulded the water with food and killed your fish anyway!


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## xxRho (May 29, 2013)

@AyalaCookiejar - I never said they should be used as a stable. 

That's good to know about it loosing nutrients I never thought about that but it does make sense *face palm*. What about when you just wet the food before they eat it?

@waterdog - thank you! I thought that would be the case but I wanted to make sure =]


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

xxRho said:


> @AyalaCookiejar - I never said they should be used as a stable.
> 
> That's good to know about it loosing nutrients I never thought about that but it does make sense *face palm*. What about when you just wet the food before they eat it?


I know I was agreeing with you on parts but disagreeing on the soaking. 

Their food almost always gets wet before they eat it, but the longer it sits in the water, the more nutrients it'll lose. Many people also say that freeze dried foods lose almost all of their nutrients through the freeze drying process, which I think is a bit of an exaggeration. They do have nutrients and protein, just not a good enough variety.

I've personally seen a fish go months with freeze dried bloodworms ONLY. He didn't get sick or bloated once. In fact, he's still alive.

Would I recommend it as a staple? No. But people make them sound way worse than they are, and I think it scares some people away.


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## xxRho (May 29, 2013)

Oh okay my bad.

That's how I thought in regards to the freeze dry food but so many people were like "you have to soak it!".

Because it makes sense that there would be some loss of vitamins/minerals but the protein and other macronutrients (not including water) should still be in there; yes it may be altered by freeze drying it but humans alter their own food when they cook it.
xP


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## AyalaCookiejar (Nov 20, 2012)

The only time I've soaked food was when feeding meds... I soaked it in vitachem, lol.


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