Ocean Nutrition/New Life Spectrum

[Batt4Christ]

Ok--- jus returned home from my preferred lfs. Just before I went up front to pay for a few things, I noticed they have Ocean Nutrition foods. I had picked up a smallish can of their "community" food when I was in Dallas, TX back in April. I'm impressed w/ the ingredient list, and have read rave revues of the stuff, especially on Discus and Angelfish forums.

When I mentioned that I was glad to see it- the nice lady I usually deal with said that they were closing it out- that it has "too much filler"... Instead, she gave me a sample of New Life Spectrum pellets to try- said it is what she personally recommends.

What gives?

 

[Fishguy2727]

I am a NLS fan.

Ocean Nutrition contains artificial colors, that alone is enough to highly question it in my book.

Odd that you ask this particular question, I had a debate with the former manager of the shop I was running when I was still FW dept manager. He liked Ocean Nutrition and I NLS. So I started a write up on them for the owner.This is what I had, maybe it will help. Ignore the stuff about soaking the food (unless you soak your food), that was directed at the manager's habit of soaking flakes before feeding.

Ocean Nutrition versus New Life Spectrum:

Water-soluble Vitamins:
C-ascorbic acid, ascorbate, L-ascorbate
B1-Thiamin
B2-Riboflavin
B3-Niacin
B5-Pantothenic acid
B6-Pyridoxal phosphate
B7-Biotin, Vitamin H
B9- Folic Acid, Folate
B12-(synthetic supplemental form: Cyanocobalamin)


Vitamin C is very soluble in water.

Fat-soluble Vitamins:
A-retinol
D-D2 ergocalciferol, D3 cholecalciferol
E-Alpha tocopherol, tocopherol,
K-phylloquinone, phytomenadione

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues. These stay in the body. Because of this excessive amounts can build up over time, leading to toxicity. This is known as vitamintosis.

Protein is made up of amino acids, no need to add more if the food provides complete protein to begin with. Garlic is already in New Life Spectrum, no need to add more. Thera+A has enough garlic to actively kill internal and external parasites.

Fat levels:
High fat levels in fish food have been shown to cause excessive fat deposits throughout the body. A recent scientific study using African cichlids showed the connection between excessive fat levels and fatty liver disease. The fat level in most New Life Spectrum formulas is only 5%. The fat levels in Ocean Nutrition foods range from 8.2 to 12.7%. The exceptions to this in New Life Spectrum are in formulas like GROW made for growing fish which need and can handle higher fat levels.

Preservatives:
Ethoxyquin has been shown to cause tumors in fish. In New Life Spectrum the only ethoxyquin is in the meals imported into the United States, which is required by law. New Life Spectrum does not add any ethoxyquin to the food as a whole. The ethoxyquin in Ocean Nutrition’s Community Formula is listed before all of the following: carotenoid pigments, soya, wheat germ, tuna eggs, Euphasia superba, kelp, squid, marine algae, adult brine shrimp, brine shrimp nauplii, Spirulina, garlic, salmon egg oil, sea clams. This means that in Ocean Nutrition there is more ethoxyquin than any of these ingredients. In addition, some Ocean Nutrition formulas contain BHA and BHT, both of which are carcinogenic and have been shown to cause liver tumors with long term use.

Flakes versus pellets:
Flakes expose every bit of nutrient in the food to the air, water, and light. All of these can destroy certain nutrients and lead to a decrease in the quality of the food that actually ends up in the fish’s stomach. Soaking foods removes water-soluble vitamins. Since all the nutrients in flakes are exposed to the water during soaking, significant losses in these nutrients are possible. Adding water soluble vitamins (like Vitamin C) to food while it soaks does not add anything to the food itself, just to the water. This means the food that actually ends up in the fish’s stomach is not any more nutritious because of this type of supplementation. The best way to ensure all nutrients are in the fish’s diet is to put them in a single flake or pellet, without the guesswork of dosing supplements or the nutrient loss of soaking food.

General:
New Life Spectrum has been shown to prevent and treat the following: Head and Lateral Line Erosion, Fin Erosion, Lateral Line Disease, and Hole in the Head. Moorish idols have lived for over three years on NLS exclusively. Pablo Tepoot (the owner and developer of NLS) has a 2,000 gallon marine aquarium with fish from all over the world and with all types of natural diets (herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores, specialized sponge or polyp eaters, etc.). This aquarium has been fed nothing but New Life Spectrum for twelve years now. All of the fish are healthy and thriving. None of the fish have any signs of head and lateral line erosion or fin erosion.

References:
1-http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PUBS/FOODNUT/09312.html
2-http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09315.html
3- http://www.oceannutrition.com/
4- Home
5- BHA and BHT - Chemistry of BHA and BHT Food Preservatives
6- Feingold diet - Studies on BHT & BHA

 

[Batt4Christ]

This is the ingredient list for the ON food that I like along w/the analysis:

Ingredients
Salmon fillets, Euphasia pacifica plankton, squid, wheat germ, tuna eggs, Euphasia superba plankton, wheat flour, sea clams, kelp, adult brine shrimp, brine shrimp nauplii, soya-lecithin, MPAXTM (Marine Protein Amino eXtract: fish meals, select amino acids (DL-Arginine, L-Lysine, DL-Methionine, Betaïne, TL-Tryptophan)), vitamins (ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), biotin (Vitamin H), Vitamin B12, riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), tocopherol acetate (vitamin E), panthotenic acid (Vitamin B5), menadione (Vitamin K3), folacin (Vitamin B9), cholicalciferol (Vitamin D3), niacin (Vitamin B3), retinol (Vitamin A1), pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)), minerals (potassium iodide, iron oxide, manganese sulfate, magnesium oxide, zinc sulfate), ethoxyquin, carotenoid pigments.

Guaranteed Analysis
Protein (min) 54.6%
Fiber (max) 0.5%
Fat (min) 11.8%
Ash (max.) 5.8%
Moisture (max.) 7.7%
------
Contrast that with a popular mass-market food - TetraMarine:

Ingredients:

Fish Meal, Dried Yeast, Ground Brown Rice, Shrimp Meal, Wheat Gluten, Potato Protein, Dehulled Soybean Meal, Feeding Oat Meal, Soybean Oil, Fish Oil, Algae Meal, Sorbitol, Lecithin, Wheat Flour, Ascorbic Acid, Inositol, Niacin, Riboflavin -5-Phosphate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, A-Tocopherol-Acetate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Palmitate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Cyanocobalamin, Cholecalciferol, Colors Include: Beta Carotene, Blue 2 Lake, Red 3 Dye, Yellow 5 Lake, and Yellow 6 Lake, Ethoxyquin as a preservative.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude protein (min.) 46%
crude fat (min.) 8.5%
crude fiber (max.) 2%, moisture (max.) 6%
phosphorus (min.) 1.2%
ascorbic acid (vitamin C) (min.) 94 mg/kg.

I know you listed 10% as somewhat of a threshold number for fat content. Where does that come from? I saw your reference to a recent scientific test, but didn't see if that test included measurement of the fat content fed to those fish.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to attack any one particular food (ok - maybe the Tetra junk....) - but other than the 11.8% fat, I don't identify any ingredient issues with the ON food... am I missing something else? I see "ethoxyquin" listed as the next-to-last ingredient. If what I have read is correct in several bits of literature - ON is 100% produced in USA - thus the ethoxyquin would be related to requirements of the industry/law (much as the other pet food regs...??).

Carotenoid colors are natural organic pigments from plants and algae. Don't see any artificial colors.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Never use Tetra (or Wardley) as a comparison, the other food will almost always be a better option.

There are two wheat products listed, this can be the product of ingredient splitting. Wheat germ has protein in it (28%) so some of that high protein may be coming from that and not high quality ingredients (although there is obviously a good number of those listed).

The ethoxyquin may or may not be added to the food, not just the meals per the law. I emailed them and never got a reply, so that means what it means. It is possible that it is indeed more than the minimum to meet the law.

I don't see artificial colors listed. Any time I have checked the ingredients they include artificial colors. If this formula really doesn't have them, good. If it does then I wouldn't want to use it.

The 10% comes from NLS's site. Biased, yes. But the idea is there, more fat can cause problems. The exact percentage may be arbitrary (10% is okay but 11% is bad), but you have to draw the line somewhere. NLS Thera+A is only 7%, a better option than 11%.

My experience with the NLS is better health and success. I wouldn't compromise those. I have used both in question in this thread and would go with the NLS without any hesitation. I think nutrition is the most underappreciated aspect of this hobby and should not be compromised in any way. Ocean Nutrition, like so many other foods out there, will give you great short and medium term results. But I think NLS will provide the better long term results.

 

[Batt4Christ]

Thanks FishGuy for your honesty. As I have posted- different crowds, different preferences (though I totally agree with your statement about health of our fish - or any pets for that matter!).

My original trial of ON was based on recommendations on a couple of angelfish and discus boards. I do realize that quick growing is a common goal for those (particularly discus). But I also know how obsessive discus owners can be about their fish.

Either way- I'm going to give the NL sample a try. It doesn't appear to be significantly different in price at my lfs.

 

[Fishguy2727]

Which formula did they give you?

Yes, what you base the best food on will vary and can be naive to truly proper nutrition. If you base it only on growth, color, or breeding you will get a different food each time. But to measure true long term thrivability is almost impossible. This is why it is inevitable that a food discussion ends up the way they always do. People who use X will say it is best (if they didn't think it was the best they wouldn't be feeding it). But is it really the best long term?

 

[Batt4Christ]

Which formula did they give you?

Yes, what you base the best food on will vary and can be naive to truly proper nutrition. If you base it only on growth, color, or breeding you will get a different food each time. But to measure true long term thrivability is almost impossible. This is why it is inevitable that a food discussion ends up the way they always do. People who use X will say it is best (if they didn't think it was the best they wouldn't be feeding it). But is it really the best long term?

Not sure... 2mm pellets, red, and when she asked what I was feeding, I told her angelfish.

 

[Batt4Christ]

Kind update- I couldn't get my fish to touch the New Life Spectrum. Figuring it was because if the other foods including frozen. So I fed the New Life exclusively (the other fish would nibble it a bit after it would sink to the bottom). After a week- the angel still wouldn't touch it. I even tried breaking the pellets up a bit to make smaller bites: nope.

So, I started the Ocean Nutrition "Discus" formula- and after a day, the angels started eating it. Since, he has really started to put on some size and color and seems the "happiest" he has been.