Feeding and Life expectancy

[henryD]

I picked up a recent journal where they performed experiments with calories intact. The article mentioned that they animals and fish that took in less calories tend to live longer. Now that is not say you only inject 1 calorie a day. I think they were speaking of excessive feedings.

So my questions is are we shortening the life of our discus by cranking up the heat and all these extra feedings?

I have heard of people keeping discus for 10 years+. Not sure if that is recently or in the past.

So for those who have been keeping discus for awhile. How long did it live for and is this recently? How about the feeding regime?

Henry who is just curious....

[brewmaster15]

Hi Henry who is just curious.!

The article mentioned that they animals and fish that took in less calories tend to live longer MAN i AM SO DOOMED! :) Here I am munching on chocolate chips and planning on a nice pasta and meatballs dinner to night... and then theres that homebrew...definetly not low cal stuff!!!! :) :) :) :)

Henry, I am not sure of any of the details of the the article you read but it really depends on the animals they studied... many things play a role in longevity of an animal...calorie in take is only a small part..Theres the actual source of those calories to consider( carb, fats and protein etc) and Theres genetics, reproductive life cycle, environment to name a few.

If that study included small animals like humming birds and shrews it would skew any results... These animals require massive amounts of calorie intake to stay alive because they have tremendous energy needs....Its takes a lot of energy for a hummingbird to beat it wings as fast as it does.. and shrews need to consume many times their body weight in food practically daily to live...and in both these cases.. life is short for them.

Take a turtle that can live for a hundred years and yes it will have less calories being taken in, but it expends less energy as well.

Discus obviously fall in the middle of these examples...But keep in mind The high heat is what they are used to and their immune systems seem to function best in these warm water..this increases their appetite as a function of that ...Their instincts guide them to eat more because they require more metabolic fuel. I don't think the extra feedings are too much of an issue either because eating a fixed number meals a day is a human invention... In the wild animals eat when they can and as much as they can when opportunity exists.. I think you harm them by feeding too much when you feed... but not by feeding them many small feedings.

I believe there is probably something to be said about calorie intake and longevity when you look across species.. but if you are going to look within a species..I think the picture is very complicated and definetly includes more than calories..

My oldest Discus right now is going on 6 years old..

JMO's
-al

[henryD]

Well Al don't worry you have company. I would be right there with you. I enjoy food. In fact I was going to write a book about how to get your money worth at a buffet. My family and I have gotten it down to science. The restaurants usually closes their door and turn off the lights when they see us coming.

It was in sciencetific journal. I have to find that magazine again. Because of my discus hobby I have not resorted to not buying any magazines but instead going to barnes and noble a couple of times a month and reading as much as I can. Stupid I know but discus money must come from somewhere.

Henry

[brewmaster15]

Because of my discus hobby I have not resorted to not buying any magazines but instead going to barnes and noble a couple of times a month and reading as much as I can. Lol... I do the same...

Those free 1-3 month trial subscriptions work great too... buts its a pain to keep remembering to cancel them! ;)

-al

[jeep]

I don't know about the food (fish wise ;) ) but I was told once that, under ideal conditions, discus living its life in 82 degree water will live several years longer than a discus living its life in 86-88 degree water.

This was not including the initial time after we receive them, which I was told to bump the temp to 86 for 3 weeks and then, when all appears well, lower the temp to 82.

I have no idea of the accuracy...

Brian