FAQ

There are several reasons why one can use the feeding station. For instance it’s a good idea to use is if your tank is equipped with an over flow type set-up. It will reduce the amount of uneaten food going straight into the filter. Competition at feeding time can sometimes be quite fierce in the tank so it’s also a good tool to create a diversion and target the slower moving fish. Any flake can be used in conjunction with the feeding station.

The diet of bottom dwelling fish has often been neglected because of the misconception that these ‘cleaners’ eat the leftovers of the feed not picked up by the top dwelling fish. This often results in irreversible damage caused by malnourishment in common species of Corydoras and loaches.

Our Algae wafers are specially formulated for herbivorous species such as Ancistrus type of fish. Our Tropical wafers target omnivorous fish such as loaches and catfish. Shrimp wafers are a direct result of the increase in popularity of freshwater shrimps in nano- and planted aquarium.

Wafers are disc shaped pellets designed to specifically meet the needs of bottom dwelling fish species. They reduce competition with top dwelling fish species at feeding time because they sink quickly to the bottom and are too hard to eat by top dwelling fish. Made from the best ingredients available, the wafers will appeal even to small nibbling species. Unlike flakes, it can take a while before wafers are totally consumed by bottom dwelling fish, which is why they are specially formulated not to cloud the water.

Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (HUFA) are a subcategory of unsaturated fatty acids (FA) which contain 20 or more carbon atoms and multiple double bonds. Common HUFA encountered in fish nutrition are EPA and DHA, both omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA are essential for fish health. These HUFA must either be obtained in the fish’s diet, or made through the conversion of other FA such as Linolenic Acid—although not all fish are capable of this or efficient at the process, making incorporation in the diet important. Studies suggest that fish benefit most from directly consuming the EPA and DHA as evidenced by increased rates of growth and survival. Why don’t you give your fish a HUFA boost by feeding them with our HUFA enriched artemia?

Correct. Even the more omnivore cichlids will eat some veggies. The key here is to present and prepare the vegetable the right way. Spinach or salad leaves need to be blanched before being placed in your tank. Blanching consist of rinsing under hot water. This process will break the cell walls to allow better digestion. Our Seaweed range offers you versatility and variety all in one. To avoid algae or spinach leaves clogging up filters or overflow pipes we strongly recommend using our seaweed or grid feeding clips. ‘Vegetarian’ fish will graze all day and will feed whenever they want.

Live fish are often distributed to predatory fish for the thrill of it. In this day and age, this practice should not be encouraged. It is not only cruel but also a potential risk to the predator himself buy indirectly introducing diseases carried by the prey. One needs to ‘wean’ the fish off live food by fooling the predator. By using our feeding prong you’re one step in the right direction. However, the feeding prong is not a magic wand and it might take a little practice before you get it right. The advantage of our feeding prong compared to other models on the market is that it is made out of clear plastic and as good as invisible underwater. It is also flexible which allows you to recreate some kind of swimming motion. Ideal products to use with the feeding prong are: lance fish, whole mussels, whole cockles , whole krill superba.

Yes, this is correct. All South American cichlids including dwarf cichlids will relish on the idea of feeding on bloodworm, so for these guys it’s safe to use. Cichlids from the great African Lakes on the other hand are very inefficient in digesting hemoglobin. Bloodworm is full of hemoglobin which give the worm its specific color The hemoglobin appears to irritate the fish’s gut and a condition known as ‘Malawi’ bloat may occur. In general, these fish thrive on minuscule food particle that they find in the ‘awfuch’ (plankton and inverts found in the algae growing on the rocks). But you should try feeding your African cichlids Cyclops or you will see the feeding response for yourself.

This is of course the million dollar question. Fish are by nature opportunistic feeders. Meaning that they will feed on whatever they can find. There is no clear cut answer here. A general guideline for feeding flakes and pellets is feed as much as your fish will eat in 2-3 minutes. The key is to feed little but often. This is not only very important for the digestion of fish but also allows the filter to cope easily with any uneaten or undigested food. Wafers on the other hand take longer to be consumed and algae can be grazed upon all day.

Once again, fish are opportunistic feeders. However, it isn’t because the fish rise to the surface of the tank each time one walks buy that one needs to feed them. The importance lies in the quality rather than the quantity. Contrary to popular belief, fish don’t need to eat as much as we think and there are several reasons for this. First and foremost fish unlike us don’t need to spend much energy in fighting gravity as they evolve in a three dimensional environment. Second reason is that fish are cold blooded animals and don’t spend any energy unlike us to keep warm. Third reason is that humans spend lots of energy in producing urine fish just produce ammonia. But last and not least, our fish evolve in an artificial environment however large the tank may well be.

Put it this way… Would you like to eat mash potatoes every day? In principle our flakes and pellets are manufactured to meet all your fish’s dietary requirements. Your fish will live perfectly happy if fed exclusively on our flake range. By combining frozen formulas feeds and the appropriate flakes or pellets, you will bring a little more excitement in your fish’s life. For instance, its well known in the hobby that daphnia (frozen) can trigger breeding responses. Variation in a fish’s diet is not only changing flakes and frozen food but also the way of presenting food. Tools such as our grid feeder for example encourage fish to feed in a ‘natural way’.

Your fish can be fed everyday just make sure there is a lot of variation in their diet. However, as our fish are contained in a relatively small environment and to avoid obesity it is generally accepted that a 1 day a week starve is a good idea. Of course, this theory should not be applied for breeders and tanks full of juvenile fish. Starving juvenile fish will have irreversible effect leading more often to deformed or stunted fish. This is particularly true for discus (small discus with out of proportion eyes).

Artemia cysts should be stored in cool dry place prior and after opening the packaging. Standard guidelines are: * Maximum 2 gram of dry cysts per liter, * pH > 8, * Salinity between 25 and 35 gram per liter, * A lot of aeration and light, * Water temperature between 26 and 29 °C (do not exceed 30 °C°). It is important to keep the water properly buffered in order to maintain a high pH. Make sure that all equipment is properly cleaned to increase your chances of success. Please check our downloads section.

It has happened to the best of us and you know what the old saying is “never put all your eggs in the same basket”. First of all before setting up your artemia hatchery make sure that all the basics are respected. Is the salinity correct? Is the pH OK? Do I need to buffer my pH? Are my cyst properly stored? These are all variables that can easily be avoided. In general, it is a good idea to start two cultures with a couple of hours delay between each culture. Should one fail, you’ve got a back-up plan. We do have an off the shelf solution which is just as good as the real thing. It’s called the instant baby brine shrimp. This product has brilliant buoyancy properties that will fool any prey. The Instant Baby Brine Shrimp is an ideal extra to any invertebrate tank. Other products such as our frozen Cyclops and red plankton also work successfully.