3 8 PET TRADE WORLD DECEMBER 2009www. pettradeworld. com Aquatic Food Focus Fish food JBL NovoPleco The consistency and the ingredients of JBL NovoPlecoChips are specially balanced to meet the nutritional needs of plant- nibbling suckermouth catfi sh ( plecostomus, ancistrus etc.) and other plant-eating, ground- feeding fi sh. Wheatgerm, spirulina algae, a high proportion of green nutrients as well as 10 % of vital wood fi bre are combined in a special production process to produce a food specifi cally designed for this species. The chips sink rapidly to the fl oor of the aquarium, the level at which these fi sh feed. The stability of JBL NovoPlecoChips in water ensures that the slow- feeding fi sh have suffi cient time to feed without unnecessary pollution of the water. Stabilised vitamin C and other vital vitamins strengthen resistance to disease. There are over 25,000 different species of fi sh in the world - each with their own special food preferences and requirements. The advent of dried fl ake, granular, and pelleted foods have made the feeding of aquarium fi sh a whole lot easier. But people must fi rst understand something about the nutritional needs of their different species of fi sh before they know which food is best for them. Most aquariums contain a variety of fi sh including fi sh that feed on the surface, others that feed in the middle layer and others that only feed on the bottom. It is essential that the food supplied is adequate for each of these feeding levels. It is important to establish the species of fi sh your customer keeps in order to give the correct advice on the appropriate types of fl oating or sinking foods. Nutrition problems usually result from people feeding the wrong types of food and, every year, thousands of fi sh become sick or die because of this. Some fi sh only eat plants ( herbivores) and others only eat animals ( carnivores), but the majority of aquarium fi sh will eat both plants and animals ( omnivores). Plant eating fi sh that are fed animal-based foods will not be able to digest the food and will starve to death. The same is true of strictly carnivorous fi sh that are fed only plant- based materials. Here is an overview of the most common types of prepared foods available in the market - Flakes - Probably the most common type of food sold for fi sh and is a blend of food ingredients that have been dried into fl ake form. Flakes make a great staple diet of balanced nutrition for most fi sh. Pellets - The same principle as fl akes, but formed into pellets and sometimes more suitable for larger fi sh. Frozen foods - Natural ingredients, such as brine shrimp or mysid shrimp, packed together in little cubes and frozen. Freeze- dried foods - These are live ingredients freeze- dried and packaged. They have even less nutrition loss than frozen foods, keep longer and don't have the risks of disease or parasites that live foods can have. Sinking wafers - The most common type of food offered for bottom feeders and is usually algae or other ingredients packed into a thin disk that sinks to the bottom. Includes algae wafers for plecos or algae eating catfi sh and also meatier wafers for cories and loaches. Pond fi sh such as koi, gold fi sh and shubunkins are all related to the carp which is naturally a grazing fi sh, constantly feeding as it picks its way through the silt and debris in a pond. They do not have a stomach, and do not digest single large meals effectively, but rather digest many small mouthfuls throughout the day. Pond fi sh should therefore be fed on a basis of little and often, offering what they will consume in 5 minutes. When the pond temperature falls to the low sixties it is advisable to use a wheatgerm based food as it more easily digested by the fi sh at low temperatures. Pond food, like aquatic food, comes in different formats. There are fl ake foods available as well as pellets in varying sizes for the different fi sh. Pond food also comes in stick format - these are produced in a similar way to pellets but are longer and generally less dense. They will usually soften up quite quickly in the water, enabling even the smaller fi sh to nibble. Here we look at some of the food available for aquarium and pond dwelling fi sh. ¦

www. pettradeworld. comPET TRADE WORLD DECEMBER 2009 39 Aquatic Food Focus Nishikoi Staple A complete, practical and economical diet for all pond fi sh. It contains all of the essential vitamins and minerals required for healthy growth. Pond Flake A complete, practical and economical diet for all pond fi sh. It contains all of the essential vitamins and minerals required for healthy growth. Sinking A sinking pellet for Sterlets, Tench and catfi sh which offers the same high performance of the Nishikoi ® Growth diet. It enables fancy coldwater fi sh and bottom feeding fi sh to feed without having to compete at the surface with other fi sh. Tetra TetraPro The Tetra premium food for high nutritional value. The TetraPro Multi- Crisps combine the benefi ts of - Tetra staple food with - special supplement for fi sh. TetraPro Vegetable Complete daily food with added and visible vegetable ingredients for advanced fi shkeepers. TetraPro Colour Complete daily food with added and visible colour enhancement for advanced fi shkeepers. Tetra Goldfi sh Gold Japan Premium food specifi cally formulated for fancy goldfi sh, such as Black Moors, Orandas, Lionheads, and Fantails Low waste for clear, healthy water Tetra Pond MultiMix Premium food mix for ponds with different sizes and types of fi sh . Flake for small fi sh . Floating sticks for medium to large fi sh . Sinking tablets for bottom feeding fi sh . River shrimp for extra variety and taste Tetra Marine Crisps Advanced daily diet for marine fi sh . Two coloured crisp delivers two diets in one . Less waste compared to fl akes, for clearer, healthier water Tropical Marine Centre Blister Frozen Food . Highest quality ingredients. . Rapidly packed, sealed and frozen. . Gamma irradiated - This completely eliminates any risk of introducing harmful parasites or bacteria into an aquarium, and also means that the food is completely safe to store in a freezer. . 100% natural products and the wide variety available ensures that individual species of fi sh receive a balanced, varied and interesting diet. . Blister packs are designed to dispense one measured cube of food at a time, leaving the rest of the product sealed within their separate blisters. . Colour- coded feeding suitability guide makes it easy to fi nd the right food for any fi sh. Varieties - Amphibian Diet, Bloodworm, Brineshrimp, Brineshrimp plus Omega- 3, Brineshrimp plus Spirulina, Brineshrimp + Garlic, Cichlid Diet, Cyclops, Daphnia, Discus Diet, Finely Chopped Mussel, Finely Chopped Prawn, Krill Pacifi ca, Marine Quartet, Mini Bloodworm, Mysis Shrimp, Red Plankton, Rotifers, Tropical Quartet, Tubifex, Vegetarian Diet, White Mosquito Larvae