BT05
11-28-2005, 12:20 AM
(First, a short preamble)
Like most people, I am skeptical when hearing about new products that are supposed to be "the best" compared to similar products. In this case, I'm referring to:
http://www.nlpublish.com/images/products/food/large/thera-formula.jpg
New Life Spectrum Thera-A: Anti-Parasite
If you haven't heard about NLS, it's a type of fish food that is supposed to be high in nutrition and that most fish will eat it readily regardless of the types of food they eat (flake/pellet/frozen/live). There are different "formulas" but the main ingredients are the same, just in different ratios. This particular formula has a higher dose of garlic, it's function is explained further below.
See the following links for more info:
Canadian website: http://www.cichlid-food-canada.com
International website: http://www.nlpublish.com/
On to the review...
Fin Erosion Treatment
I started noticing some fin erosion in my clownfish and my foxface. After a bit of research, I found that this is linked to an improper diet and if left untreated it can lead to head and lateral line erosion (HITH and HLLE). Previously, I was feeding my fish Ocean Nutrition formula 1 and 2 pellets, Nori (green seaweed), frozen mysis and my fish were still showing signs of poor nutrition.
note: Although the terms "fin erosion" and "fin rot" are used interchageably, here I make the distinction that "fin rot" is caused by a bacterial infection causing whitish blotches and a ragged appearance of the fin as if being torn. "Fin erosion" is caused gradually by an improper diet giving the fin a saw-tooth appearance (ie. the part between the rays starts to recede). The difference between the two is unmistakeable.
Went out and bought a small container of NLS choosing the Thera A formula just in case there was some other cause. Took the "challenge" of feeding my fish NLS exclusively for 10 days. Followed my regular feeding schedule (2x a day) and I observed noticeable fin regeneration after a week. After about 2 weeks, the fins have completely regenerated and the coloration of my fish is much better than before and no i didn't change my lighting or anything else that would affect their appearance. They really DO have more vibrant colors.
Ich/Ick Treatment
Weeks after completing the fin rot treatment, I had an outbreak of ich in my tank. The cause is stress related (which is another story I will not describe here) and after doing some more research I decided that I would try to treat this using more natural methods to eliminate any use of medications, dips, etc. Natural immunity is the best way to overcome any illness.
Here are some brief details on the treatment I used:
* maintain a stress-free environment for the fish
- do not remove any sick fish and place them in quarantine, removing them is very stressful and will make it worse
- do NOT perform any freshwater dips, this is probably the worst thing you can do short of leaving them out of water VERY STRESSFUL and not very effective
* Feed HEAVILY with NLS
- fed my fish heavily 3x a day with NLS marine thera A pellets exclusively thoughout treatment. Fed them until they were bursting and lost interest in eating each time. This will boost their immune system by giving them the proper nutrition to fight off the disease.
note: Garlic is yet unproven as having any medicinal properties. It acts rather as an appetite stimulant which is why it is regarded as an effective treatment. The actual "cure" is produced by the immune system of the fish.
* water changes
- I did not vacuum the sand as this would have just added more stress. I only performed light water changes using my sump during the course of the treatment. (lightly stocked 180 gallon, lots of filtration)
* "cleaner" animals
- added cleaner shrimp. I feel that it wasn't neccesary, but it provides the fish with some temporary relief.
The entire treatment took 3 weeks to complete and I DID NOT LOSE A SINGLE FISH. All fish are fat and happy and the tank has been ich free for more than 3 weeks now. I take comfort in knowing that they are stronger now having used thier natural immunity to fight off ich. The best thing of all is that my fish cured themselves, but NLS was a key factor in allowing this. I don't think I could have achieved sucess using any other type of food.
Conclusion
NLS is an excellent line of fish food I can recommend that actually lives up to its own claims (it's reputation is something else to be discussed). I believe it is indeed highly nutritious and worth every penny (it's not *that* expensive as you might have heard). Even after reading about my experience with it, the only way to know for sure is to try it out for yourself.
What I have just provided is called "anecdotal evidence" to support this product and my treatment of ich. Like most things in this hobby, by no means was there any real science or empirical testing involved so keep that in mind before you post back with the intent to flame me on why it works/doesn't work, etc. If you want references to information in this post, Google is your friend. Thanks for reading.
Like most people, I am skeptical when hearing about new products that are supposed to be "the best" compared to similar products. In this case, I'm referring to:
http://www.nlpublish.com/images/products/food/large/thera-formula.jpg
New Life Spectrum Thera-A: Anti-Parasite
If you haven't heard about NLS, it's a type of fish food that is supposed to be high in nutrition and that most fish will eat it readily regardless of the types of food they eat (flake/pellet/frozen/live). There are different "formulas" but the main ingredients are the same, just in different ratios. This particular formula has a higher dose of garlic, it's function is explained further below.
See the following links for more info:
Canadian website: http://www.cichlid-food-canada.com
International website: http://www.nlpublish.com/
On to the review...
Fin Erosion Treatment
I started noticing some fin erosion in my clownfish and my foxface. After a bit of research, I found that this is linked to an improper diet and if left untreated it can lead to head and lateral line erosion (HITH and HLLE). Previously, I was feeding my fish Ocean Nutrition formula 1 and 2 pellets, Nori (green seaweed), frozen mysis and my fish were still showing signs of poor nutrition.
note: Although the terms "fin erosion" and "fin rot" are used interchageably, here I make the distinction that "fin rot" is caused by a bacterial infection causing whitish blotches and a ragged appearance of the fin as if being torn. "Fin erosion" is caused gradually by an improper diet giving the fin a saw-tooth appearance (ie. the part between the rays starts to recede). The difference between the two is unmistakeable.
Went out and bought a small container of NLS choosing the Thera A formula just in case there was some other cause. Took the "challenge" of feeding my fish NLS exclusively for 10 days. Followed my regular feeding schedule (2x a day) and I observed noticeable fin regeneration after a week. After about 2 weeks, the fins have completely regenerated and the coloration of my fish is much better than before and no i didn't change my lighting or anything else that would affect their appearance. They really DO have more vibrant colors.
Ich/Ick Treatment
Weeks after completing the fin rot treatment, I had an outbreak of ich in my tank. The cause is stress related (which is another story I will not describe here) and after doing some more research I decided that I would try to treat this using more natural methods to eliminate any use of medications, dips, etc. Natural immunity is the best way to overcome any illness.
Here are some brief details on the treatment I used:
* maintain a stress-free environment for the fish
- do not remove any sick fish and place them in quarantine, removing them is very stressful and will make it worse
- do NOT perform any freshwater dips, this is probably the worst thing you can do short of leaving them out of water VERY STRESSFUL and not very effective
* Feed HEAVILY with NLS
- fed my fish heavily 3x a day with NLS marine thera A pellets exclusively thoughout treatment. Fed them until they were bursting and lost interest in eating each time. This will boost their immune system by giving them the proper nutrition to fight off the disease.
note: Garlic is yet unproven as having any medicinal properties. It acts rather as an appetite stimulant which is why it is regarded as an effective treatment. The actual "cure" is produced by the immune system of the fish.
* water changes
- I did not vacuum the sand as this would have just added more stress. I only performed light water changes using my sump during the course of the treatment. (lightly stocked 180 gallon, lots of filtration)
* "cleaner" animals
- added cleaner shrimp. I feel that it wasn't neccesary, but it provides the fish with some temporary relief.
The entire treatment took 3 weeks to complete and I DID NOT LOSE A SINGLE FISH. All fish are fat and happy and the tank has been ich free for more than 3 weeks now. I take comfort in knowing that they are stronger now having used thier natural immunity to fight off ich. The best thing of all is that my fish cured themselves, but NLS was a key factor in allowing this. I don't think I could have achieved sucess using any other type of food.
Conclusion
NLS is an excellent line of fish food I can recommend that actually lives up to its own claims (it's reputation is something else to be discussed). I believe it is indeed highly nutritious and worth every penny (it's not *that* expensive as you might have heard). Even after reading about my experience with it, the only way to know for sure is to try it out for yourself.
What I have just provided is called "anecdotal evidence" to support this product and my treatment of ich. Like most things in this hobby, by no means was there any real science or empirical testing involved so keep that in mind before you post back with the intent to flame me on why it works/doesn't work, etc. If you want references to information in this post, Google is your friend. Thanks for reading.