AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING GB PROFESSIONAL AQUARIUM TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING Dear Aquarist, beautiful and healthy fish in the aquarium the highest quality natural raw materials. The formulation are the result of the combined influence of many factors. of each food is the distillation of many years’ experience, One of the most important of these is a well-balanced knowledge, and passion for aquarium fish. High quality diet that suits the fishes’ needs. This guide will help you and proven effectiveness are the quintessential virtues of to choose Tropical foods most suitable for your fish and Tropical foods. And the special feature that distinguishes teach you how to put them together to compose a com- them from other foods is the passion we put into their cre- plete healthy diet. Tropical foods are manufactured from ation. This makes Tropical products unique. Raw materials presented in the picture are the example of ingredients used for production of Tropical’s foods. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1. egg • 2. algae • 3. spinach • 4. beta-carotene • 5. natural xanthophylls from marigold flowers • 6. shrimp meal 7. spirulina • 8. astaxanthin • 9. krill meal • 10. lysine 2 TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING CONTENTS Foreword 4 Basic principles of fish feeding 6 Multi-ingredient foods 8 Vegetable foods 14 Colour-enhancing foods 18 Natural foods 21 Nano aquaria and foods for the fry 22 Foods for freshwater and marine crustaceans 24 Water treatment products 26 Accessories 28 Filtration media and sponge filters 29 Sample diets 30 TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING FOREWORD We still continue in our efforts to improve the formulas of our foods. As a result we decided to introduce new system of their classification. It categorizes Natural, Standard and Premium foods. Natural line consists of dried and freeze-dried invertebrates. The remaining two lines include products in the form of flakes, granules, tablets, wafers, sticks, pellets and chips. All Tropical foods share some common features: they are manufactured from the best quality raw materials, they don’t cloud the water and are extremely palatable. Premium foods have been further subdivided into five categories based on their intended use: Yellow category – universal foods Purple category – foods for cichlids Green category – foods for bottom-feeding fish and crustaceans Red category – foods dedicated to specific species of fish or group of fish Blue category – foods for marine fish These colours will progressively appear on new labels of all our foods. Such classification will make it easier for our clients to find proper foods for their fish. Yellow category Purple category Green category Red category Blue category 4 TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING We have also modified our offer of foods in the form of tablets. The simplification will navigate your way through our offer, making the choice of proper tablets quick and easy. Moreover, Premium adhesive tablets (12 mm) have been engraved with „fish” image to emphasize their uniqueness. New foods in the form of tablets Name Packaging The diameter Vitabin multi-ingredient 50 ml 12 mm Vitabin vegetable 50 ml 12 mm Pleco's Tablets 50 ml, 250 ml, 5 l 25 mm Supervit Tablets A 50 ml, 250 ml, 2 l 12 mm Supervit Tablets B 50 ml, 250 ml, 2 l 8 mm Vitality & Color Tablets 50 ml, 250 ml, 2 l 12 mm 3-Algae Tablets A 50 ml, 250 ml, 2 l 12 mm 3-Algae Tablets B 50 ml, 250 ml, 2 l 8 mm Super Spirulina Forte Tablets 50 ml, 250 ml, 2 l 12 mm Tropical Nanovit Tablets sachet 10 g 8 mm TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FISH FEEDING Tropical’s wide range of foods, along with the different of the animals. When fed with Tropical foods, your fish re- forms in which they are offered, allows precise adjustment ceive all essential nutrients in the form that enables them to to the requirements of a given species or group of species, feed in a way close to that intended by Nature. including different dietary preferences and the age and size The FISH Available way food Small and medium Big fish eating Fish eating from Fry forms behaves Graphic fish eating at the at the surface the middle layers Bottom eaters in water representation surface of water of water of water flakes płatki floating x x granules granulat mini granules sinking x x x nano granules chips chips sinking x x sticks pałeczki floating x pelletspellet floating x adhesive tablets tabletki sinking x x samoprzylepne sinking tablets tabletki tonące sinking x wafers wafelki sinking x dried and pokarmy suszone freeze-dried foods floating x x i liofilizowane microvits floating 6 TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING When composing a diet for your fish, take into account the proportions of multi-ingredient, vegetable and high-protein foods shown in the diagrams. CARNIVOROUS FISH OMNIVOROUS FISH HERBIVOROUS FISH 15% 20% vegetable foods 30%* (* or animal foods rich in chitin) 25% 10% high-protein foods 70% 60% 70% multi-ingredient foods Compose your own original menu for your fish. Use 7 basic principles of correct feeding. If you are unsure what type of food your fish should receive, consult your dealer. 7 basic principles of correct feeding PRINCIPLE WHY...? 1. Varied diet. In nature fish have different sources of food at their disposal. Hence always remember that beautiful, healthy and eagerly spawning fish are the result of a varied diet. 2. The diet should be compatible with Different fish’s alimentary systems are adapted to digesting different types the fish’s natural nutritional preferences. of food. It is your role to supply your fish with the right food. Feeding unsuitable foods may lead to fatty degeneration of internal organs, digestive and reproductive problems, as well as reduced resistance to diseases. 3. The size and form of the food should be The size, shape and position of a fish’s mouth are adjusted to feeding on compatible with the size of the fish’s mouth specific types of food. By using the appropriate form of food in your and its feeding method. aquarium, you will enable the fish to feed in a near-natural manner. 4. Feed fish with small portions that are eaten Uneaten food lying on the bottom of the tank leads to the deterioration immediately. of water quality, which has a negative effect on fish’s health and condition. 5. Fry and herbivorous fish need to be fed Young, growing fish need more food (in terms of the amount of food per unit several times a day with small portions, of body mass) than adults, in which the growth rate is significantly lower. older fish and predators less often. The alimentary system of herbivorous fish is adapted to the constant intake of small amounts of food. This can be simulated in the aquarium by frequent feeding with small portions. 6. One-day fast (not for fry). Give your fish a one-day fast. It will cleanse their organisms of toxins and improve alimentary tract function. Remember that in their natural environment fish are often hungry. 7. Beware of live foods! Live foods may be the source of pathogenic organisms. 7 TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING MULTI-INGREDIENT FOODS Multi-ingredient foods are characterised by a variety of selected have an exceptionally beneficial influence on the health, breeding ingredients of animal and plant origin, which make them a basic and appearance of fish. They are particularly useful for feeding fish component in aquarium fish’s diet. Enriched with vitamins, trace kept in community tanks due to the variety of forms available. elements and valuable natural substances, e.g. beta-glucan, they SUPER WAVIL ICHTIO-VIT • basic food for popular fish (such as swordtails, guppies, • basic food for most aquarium fish mollies, platies, barbs, danios and goldfish) • the source of carefully balanced vitamins and trace • the source of carefully balanced vitamins elements and trace elements • ensures excellent condition and healthy growth • ensures excellent condition and healthy growth HOBBY MIX TUBIVIT • basic food recommended especially for young fish keepers for everyday feeding of popular fish (such as • high-protein flake food with Tubifex and chironomid swordtails, guppies, mollies, platies, barbs, danios larvae for omnivorous and carnivorous fish and goldfish) • the source of easily digestible protein • ensures excellent condition and healthy growth • purified Tubifex and chironomid larvae are safe • exceptional taste encourages fish to feed alternative for live foods WEEKEND FOOD • sinking tablets for ornamental fish to be used in the absence of the aquarium handler • tablets do not disintegrate in water, soften very slowly when placed in the water, encouraging fish and crustaceans to feed • help keeping fish in excellent condition at weekends and during the holidays TROPICAL • high-protein food for omnivorous and carnivorous fish • perfect feeding solution for egg-layer breeding stock and juvenile fish • the source of essential amino acids • ensures effective weight gain 8 TROPICAL – AQUARIST’S GUIDE TO FISH FEEDING WELSI GRAN KIRYSEK • fast sinking granules for bottom feeders • sinking granules for young fish and small bottom eaters • a variety of raw materials of animal and plant origin (such as Corydoras, Pangio loaches and algae eaters) is the source of indispensable nutrients • carefully balanced ingredients of animal and plant origin ensure • optimally balanced vitamins and trace elements ensure excellent condition of fish excellent condition BETTA BETTA GRANULAT • basic food for fighting fish and other small labyrinth fish