Does anyone exclude beafheart by discus diet?

[george07]

I have an idea:

In all fish farm which produce tons of fishes for eating the companies feed their fishes pellet foods and they become quite large very quickly for commercial selling.

Does anyone feed only dry and frozen foods but no beefheart? In this way we can reduce the water changes and I want to know if we could grow discus to large size (7'') without feeding beefheart.

Thanks in advance

[Carol_Roberts]

I don't feed beefheart.

I feed bits, flakes and live blackworms. My fish get big and my water stays much cleaner.

[discus_nw]

Sure, many people exclude beefheart. It is not mandatory. In spite of what many think, a discus can grow well on a 100% pellet diet. Salmon, trout, and catfish do.

[gary1218]

In fact there is a company in PA, Zeigler's, that specilizes in high protein pellet food to sell to the fish farms that raise salmon, catfish, etc. to put quick growth on them.

http://www.zeiglerfeed.com/

GARY

[ReeferKimberly]

yep no beefheart here. a lot of cbws and tetra chips, plus some other flakes.
kimberly :-*

[Smokey]

I just have to post on this one!
First; I am a fan of beefheart/mix diets. I have been using a beefheart mix for over 9 years. Personally, I have never had a problem with beefheart. IF IT IS PREPARED PROPERLY !!!

Smokey

[Fisheyes]

How about posting your secrets Smokey
Fisheyes

[seadog567]

i have to have use beefheart for part of their diet.i think the beefheart make the discus body more thicker.

phil

[edgeguy]

If I am not mistaken don't people feed beefheart for the protein? The protein amount on my package for beefheart is 11.8% and bloodwarms are 8.5% not much difference to me and bloodworms don't foul up the water. I also have Omega one flakes and they have 48% and 44% protein that is a big difference.

So would Omega One flakes and bloodworms be better for the protein than beefheart?

The other factor in this are my discus really haven't figured out how to eat the beefheart. ???

[discus_nw]

edgeguy,

If you would dehydrate beefheart and bloodworms, you would see an increase beyond your flake food. Or, if you would rehydrate your flake, the protein would be less than bh or bw's. The water content must be factored into the equation.

[edgeguy]

I understand the water content is to be considered but I don't dehydrate my bloodworms or beefheart so there protein is what it says right? I also don't rehydrate my flakes so the same for them (until they hit the water of the tank ;D). It still seems that the flakes have more protein in them and don't foul the water up.

[discus_nw]

You are not understabding what I said.

If you compare the label of a Hikari Frozen Bloodworm to a container of freeze dried bloodworms, you will note that frozen is 6.0% and freeze dried (I have no container to look at at the moment) is over 50%. Do you think the freeze drying process adds protein to the worms?

Now, if you take out the 89% water from Hikari's bloodworms and take 6.0% of the remaining contents (which amounts to 11%), you'll see that you have aproximately the same percentage of protein as the freeze dried bloodworms.

Since flake food is comprised of many lesser desirable protein foods, unless a manufacturer fortifies it's flake, it won't have a higher percentage protein as beefheart or bloodworms.

Overfeed flake food, and it will foul the water as much as any other food will.

[edgeguy]

Thanks for the clarification. :sleeping:

[henryD]

When I last check I thought that the pellets and bits were made out of beefheart. So in some ways we are all feeding beefheart.

If you mean the fresh stuff I don't feed any. I find it clouds my water too much and since the pellets and bits are made from it anyway I figure there was no need.

[Smokey]

Hmmm, you know every one says beefheart clouds their water.
I have never had that problem, NEVER.
So, it makes me wonder ... are you over feeding, letting raw beefheart rot in the tank/ filter. WHAT....

Beef heart will rot... yes. My fish eat the stuff before it hits bottom. AND I do not over feed. OR ... throw beefheart in to a tank and leave.
I've been using beefheart for over 10 years ... never had a casulity.