New Life Spectrum fish food and copper
 

After reading fishytime's post regarding copper in NLS pellets, I checked my food, and sure enough, it has an ingredient called copper proteinate. A few minutes ago I sent NLS an email questioning the use of this ingredient in their food, and within minutes I received this response (kudos to them for their promptness!)

Hi Reid,
Copper is not added to the product. It's a natural ingredient already present.
Please read the following from our forum:
http://www.newlife.ipbhost.com/forum...ic=4&hl=copper
Hope that helps.
Regards,
Donna Landry
Office Manager
New Life International, Inc.
Got fish? Check out our website: www.nlsfishfood.com


Decide for yourselves, but I see know reason not to continue using NLS food as a part of my regular feeding routine.

there is also copper in your salt so dont stress

What would you expect the "NLS" forum to say?:mrgreen: There are plenty of other prepared fish foods that dont contain copper in any way shape or form. I dont see any reason to knowingly add it to my tank. Dont get me wrong...I fed NLS to all my fresh water fish and think it is a very good food for fresh water or fowlr.

Making a big deal out of the copper in NLS is kinda silly I think. You will find copper in your salt mix too, don't stop using that!! :eek: However, I do think it's a bit odd that they surfed around giving out the actual number amount present.

I've fed NLS pellets in my various tanks every other day since June of 2006 when the 10 gallon began my SW adventure. So, some of my rock is now 3 years with this "copper" and I have yet to see any ill effects. I don't have any plans on discontinuing it's use.

This "copper Proteinate" is probably chemically completely different then the copper everyone worries about in their tanks.

"Probably"?...The ingredient listed on the label is "copper sulfate" not "copper protienate" (at least on my label). What constitutes a trace amount, and what trace of copper is acceptable to add to your reef? That to me is like saying "here have some soup, there is only a trace amount of rat poison in it." Or "you dont need to wash that apple, it only has a trace of pesticides on it".

The copper that is contained in salt, I have no control over...but I do have control over what I put in as far as food goes.

Would you use a tank that has had copper meds in it?....How much copper can silicone absorb?.....cant be too much ....probably a "trace"....but we wouldnt do that, would we? Why not throw a penny in the sump? That would only leach a trace amount back in to the tank. My point is, why would you even want to risk knowingly adding a food that contains copper when there are other high quality dry foods that dont have copper listed as an ingredient? We spend thousands, on getting our tanks the way we want them, only to play Russian roulette with a $20 fish food. *wonders how many (if any) tank crashes that have been blamed on OTS, are really something like this*

You all can do what you want with your fish, but personally I wont be using NLS in my reef. I will continue to warn people about NLS so they can at the very least make an informed decision about weather or not they want to keep on feeding it to their fish.

It's not like rat poison though...that's a poor example. Copper is needed in the body's normal functions. Of course an overdose is detrimental. A better comparison would be to red wine. Sure, a glass a week is actually quite good for you, but you can kill yourself by ingesting it everyday.

Although I am interested in the OLS theory. I would just like NLS to confirm an actual amount of copper present.

So you didn't read the link then....

They don't provide a number because it's below the detection threshold.

Other things on my fish self that are labeled as containing copper:

Seachem Reef Trace
Seachem Reef Plus
Fauna Marin Ultra Organic
Salt (4 kinds)
Balance Blocks

It's a common trace element, nothing to see here.

Oh crap! I'm a goner! :biggrin:

:lol:, you and me both

See this is what Im getting at....a little bit here, a little bit there...a little bit in the food and suddenly its not such a little amount anymore.