Color Feeding

[Per]

Cary,

Carophyll Pink contains astaxanthin just as do NatuRose, the difference is that it is synthetic. NatuRose get the astaxanthin from the algae Haematococcus pluvialis. A big proportion of natural astaxanthin is esterified, which is the form that is most easily taken up by the pigment cells in the skin of the fish. It also contains another carotenoid, canthaxanthin, which also contribute to the red color (but I'm not sure if canthaxanthin add to or substitute some of the effect of astaxanthin).

Synthetic asta. is not esterified, and is the form that is best retained in the flesh (did I hear some people talking about red flesh in Asian discus?). This is maybe one of the reasons why Carophyll Pink is preferred in the salmon and trout feed industry. It is probaly also the cheapest source of astaxanthin. Astaxanthin makes about 10%(!) of the costs in salmon-feed, and I'm sure the producers would have switched source if there was a cheaper one (or more likely, Roche would have lowered the price on Carophyll Pink. They have monopoly on producing synthetic asta., and they make a HUGE profit on it).

Anyway, in both Carophyll Pink and NatuRose, astaxanthin is the pigment that our discus can use (and that they also need, to a certain degree). I have tried both in my discus feeds, whith very good results. I'm not able, though, to say that one source was better than the other.

Per

[Ralph]

Hi Per,
How do get the stuff into your fish? Are they both in powder form and do you mix it in with your BH? What if you don't use BH?
Great post though.
Also, where did you buy both products?
Thanks

[shamsoo]

www.brineshrimpdirect.com also sells astaxanthin and nutrarose powder check it out

[Ivan]

Exactly the same thing in the spirulina powder! Astaxanthin.

[Per]

Ralph,

Both Carophyll Pink and NatuRose are dry powders, and I just mix them in my beefheart/shrimp feed (home-made). Next time I use NatuRose I will mix it with hot water before using it, to break up the though cell walls and release more asta. People on this board (sorry, don't remember who came up with this good idea) has reported better effect when they do so.

Got the NatuRose from brineshrimpdirect.com and the Carophyll Pink from a friend (he got some when he attended a university course in fish nutrition). I don't know how easy it is to buy a small amount of the latter from a commercial source. Somone here probably knows.

Per

[jouniv]

I don't know about US but you can tell by adds in German magazines that small companies in aquarium feed business sell both asta and canta to hobbyists.

Jouni