What Fish Food Brand? Too Many Choices...

[jarthel]

so I was checking an online shop and numerous brands with seems like the same ingredients and same nutritional value. I looked at the manufacturer's page (sera, omega one, and new life spectrum and etc) and they don't seem dodgy to me.

some even have garlic to enhance flavor.

The fish I plan to put in the tank are small ones (rainbow fish) (max of maybe 5cm). So I'm looking into flakes (not sure if pellets (even if small pellets) are suitable).

any ideas on how to choose?

 

[aly_starh]

I would reccomend Hikari and Aquarian.

Garlic is normally used when fish are ill and not into the food, they love the taste and smell of Garlic Juice so it entices them to eat. Apparently its also has good Anti-bacterial properties for the internals of a fish

 

[kelly528]

DUDE! Is that a trick question? No one food is 'the best', but you will get very good results by mixing brands of food to 'round out' your fish's diet.

An awesome food for this is the Granulate Menu by Sera. The container has 4 compartments, each containing a different food. So basically you get 4 types of foods in 1 container. Hikari micro wafers is another good one, and a lot or hardcore fish keepers/breeders swear by new life spectrum.

Here is my menu for my community fish:

Staple Food (Granulates)
-Sera Granulate Menu
-Hikari Micro Wafers
-Hikari Micro Bites
-Nutrafin Tropical Granules

Frozen Food
-Hikari Frozen Bloodworms
-Hikari Frozen Brine Shrimp
-Hikari Frozen Tubifex Worms
-Hikari Frozen Daphnia

Bottom Feeders
-Hikari Sinking Wafers
-Hikari Algae Wafers

EDIT: Pellets are totally suitable for rainbows and IMO create less waste than flakes.

 

[OldMan47]

I must echo the idea that Kelly 528 presents. I mix brands and types from regular flake to vegetarian flake to small pellets to frozen and even include freeze dried foods. I seldom pay much attention to the brand name but spend more time watching the type of ingredients in the food. Different fish need different diets. As an example a diet too high in protein, can harm a female livebearer by having her fry grow too big before being born. Those of us who work with goodeids must keep this in mind when feeding our charges. On the other hand, a nice meaty diet works great to bring many tetras and corydoras into breeding condition. Once you know your fish and their needs, get a variety of brands of food that has a focus on the needs of your own fish. It is far better than getting stuck in a rut with a single food that is overall very good but lacks some particular ingredient. Variety is the key to proper nutrition in fish, just like it is in people.

 

[jarthel]

thanks everyone very helpful