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Dry food for native fish


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#1 Guest_sandtiger_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 12:58 AM

For anyone who has picky fish that won't take dry foods I think I may have just found a pellet that might be of interest. For the first time in the 5 months or so I have had it my rock bass has started eating dry foods. Up till now he would only take frozen or live foods and would spit out any flakes I gave him. Anyway, the food he has started taking is HBH Super Soft. It says on the bottle that it's a frozen food alternative and it's basically...well...a soft pellet. So anyway, the rockbass has started eating them, the bluespotted sunfish eats them and my pumpkinseed (who turns down pellets but not flakes) also eats them. I don't know about anyone else but getting my fish on dry foods is something I get excited about, especially with larger fish. Frozen and live food can get expensive and I worry about a lack of vitamins and such in a pure frozen/live diet.

#2 Guest_dsmith73_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 07:24 AM

Thanks for the heads up ST. I know I am always on the lookout for an alternative to FD foods.

I would also like to add that I can generally get all of my fish, except for a very small few, to eat the small fish New Life SPectrum pellets. This is cludes some darters, all the Enneacanthus, all the Lepomis(though I use the bigger size for them), catfish, minnows, mudminnows, etc.

#3 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 08:07 AM

Thats good news Sandtiger. Were they krill pellets? I Would like to add that I've had great success with converting all of my natives (less Elassoma) to dry foods from Avid Aquatics. It's always nice to have dry as a staple and frozen for supplemental feedings. I find this makes the feeding routine much easier as well as keeping the tanks cleaner.

#4 Guest_drewish_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 09:44 AM

I've used the same pellets in the past feeding green sunfish and yellow perch. Since I no longer have the green sunfish and my warmouth won't eat pellets, the yellow perch has also stopped. I need to find a way to enrich my feedings though as I only feed them frozen shrimp and occasional live food.

#5 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 09:58 AM

I'm considering Boyd's Vitachem as a vitamin supplement added directly to the food. Dose anyone have experience with this stuff?

#6 Guest_sandtiger_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 10:29 AM

Thats good news Sandtiger. Were they krill pellets? I Would like to add that I've had great success with converting all of my natives (less Elassoma) to dry foods from Avid Aquatics. It's always nice to have dry as a staple and frozen for supplemental feedings. I find this makes the feeding routine much easier as well as keeping the tanks cleaner.


Yes, they were the krill pellets. They also put out a spirulina pellet.

#7 Guest_dredcon_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 01:15 PM

HBH Super Soft


I've used it before, it's good stuff. All my fish loved it, but they were pigs.

It's almosr freshwater shrimp season here, anyone know how to freeze dry shrimp?

#8 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 08 November 2006 - 06:59 PM

I think freeze-drying is actually done in a near-vacuum.

#9 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 09 November 2006 - 08:39 AM

I've not done this dredcon but have you tried a simple food dryer for making jerky?

#10 Guest_nativeplanter_*

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Posted 09 November 2006 - 08:43 AM

I think freeze-drying is actually done in a near-vacuum.


It is, which makes me wonder. Could one rig up a mini freeze dryer by using one of those wine bottle savers? You know, the vacuum top thingies.

I myself don't seem to have much luck feeding freeze-dried foods. Maybe it's the brands I've tried. Even tropicals never seemed to like it.

#11 Guest_sandtiger_*

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Posted 09 November 2006 - 03:34 PM

I think freeze-drying is actually done in a near-vacuum.


It is, which makes me wonder. Could one rig up a mini freeze dryer by using one of those wine bottle savers? You know, the vacuum top thingies.

I myself don't seem to have much luck feeding freeze-dried foods. Maybe it's the brands I've tried. Even tropicals never seemed to like it.


Same here, most of my fish don't care for freeze dried foods.

#12 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 09 November 2006 - 03:41 PM

At this point in time my fish would be sad without freeze dry food. I'm going to sound like a spokesman for Avid aquatics but this stuff is very well liked by my fishes (especially the freeze dried foods).

#13 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 20 November 2006 - 03:13 PM

For anyone who has picky fish that won't take dry foods I think I may have just found a pellet that might be of interest. For the first time in the 5 months or so I have had it my rock bass has started eating dry foods. Up till now he would only take frozen or live foods and would spit out any flakes I gave him. Anyway, the food he has started taking is HBH Super Soft. It says on the bottle that it's a frozen food alternative and it's basically...well...a soft pellet. So anyway, the rockbass has started eating them, the bluespotted sunfish eats them and my pumpkinseed (who turns down pellets but not flakes) also eats them. I don't know about anyone else but getting my fish on dry foods is something I get excited about, especially with larger fish. Frozen and live food can get expensive and I worry about a lack of vitamins and such in a pure frozen/live diet.

I just bought this pellet to try it out. I have also got to say that it is good food. My darters ate it immediately. It is a sinking pellet, so it is easier to get to the bottom than many freeze drieds. I will purchase more.

#14 Guest_killier_*

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Posted 20 November 2006 - 03:41 PM

I've had it for a stape for a month or to and all my fish love it including my 3 redriver pupfish that only ate livefoods

#15 Guest_bflowers_*

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Posted 21 November 2006 - 01:54 PM

I have been using the HBH Soft Pellet with Krill and I am actually seeing some growth in the YOY darters. I also like the fact you can roll it betwen your fingers and get a slow sinking powder from it. Great for fry.

Bill F.

#16 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 21 November 2006 - 01:59 PM

I have been using the HBH Soft Pellet with Krill and I am actually seeing some growth in the YOY darters. I also like the fact you can roll it betwen your fingers and get a slow sinking powder from it. Great for fry.

Bill F.


Now I'm sold.

#17 Guest_julnj2_*

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Posted 11 December 2006 - 01:42 PM

I'm considering Boyd's Vitachem as a vitamin supplement added directly to the food. Dose anyone have experience with this stuff?


Yes, I have used it with success to clear up HLE in saltwater groupers and lionfish, but it is expensive and they have recently changed the formula, it now makes the tank very cloudy and it seems to be full of particulet matter.
I liked the old formula




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