Hikari lionhead or new life spectrum?

[gto1605]

Which is better inbetween those two? Personally hikari lionhead make more red colour into my goldfish? I think...

Anyone?

Thank you

[mjfromga]

Aren't Hikari Lion head floating pellets? You should avoid floating pellets if at all possible. It is said to encourage the bad habit of surface grazing and also can cause fish to gulp air while eating, which can upset their buoyancy. In addition, I find the New Life Spectrum pellets have better looking ingredients. That's just my opinion, though.

[Chai]

I honestly would feed both. I love a good mix of food, variety is the spice of life and it even applies to our kiddos. My guys get NLS Algaemax, NLS Thera A, Hikari, and Southern Delight mixed into 1. Also, it is the Oranda variety that is floating. Lionhead is a sinking pellet and very nutrient dense.

[shakaho]

Hikari lionhead is a sinking pellet.  However, a number of people suspect -- rightly or wrongly -- that Hikari foods may contribute to floatiness. 

 

I have been surveying complaints on this forum of floatiness in fish that were not sick  to see what people were feeding.  So far the leaders are NLS, Hikari, and gel foods.  I think this means nothing more than that these are the most common foods used by forum members.  (I need much more data, so I won't draw conclusions yet.)

 

I wish people would either present evidence that floating pellets cause floating or stop saying it.  They are the least likely foods to cause surface "gulping" which is usually, if not  always, feeding on the protein-rich surface film.  This film comes from materials leached from food.  Soft foods leach the most.  Floating pellets have the least contact with the water and are the easiest food to find.  I don't believe I have ever seen a complaint about gulping in a fish that had received floating foods.

[jmetzger72]

Aren't Hikari Lion head floating pellets? You should avoid floating pellets if at all possible. It is said to encourage the bad habit of surface grazing and also can cause fish to gulp air while eating, which can upset their buoyancy. In addition, I find the New Life Spectrum pellets have better looking ingredients. That's just my opinion, though.

No, they are sinking pellets.

[jmetzger72]

I mix Hikari Lionhead with NLS Thera-A (50/50) and my fish thrive on it.  I have been feeding my goldfish Hikari Lionhead for many years and have never had fish that were floaty on it.  In fact, it has been one of the least problematic foods that I have tried (and I've tried a lot ).

[jmetzger72]

Hikari lionhead is a sinking pellet.  However, a number of people suspect -- rightly or wrongly -- that Hikari foods may contribute to floatiness. 

 

I have been surveying complaints on this forum of floatiness in fish that were not sick  to see what people were feeding.  So far the leaders are NLS, Hikari, and gel foods.  I think this means nothing more than that these are the most common foods used by forum members.  (I need much more data, so I won't draw conclusions yet.)

 

I wish people would either present evidence that floating pellets cause floating or stop saying it.  They are the least likely foods to cause surface "gulping" which is usually, if not  always, feeding on the protein-rich surface film.  This film comes from materials leached from food.  Soft foods leach the most.  Floating pellets have the least contact with the water and are the easiest food to find.  I don't believe I have ever seen a complaint about gulping in a fish that had received floating foods.

Right!  If that myth were true, all pond people would have floaty fish because they all feed floating pellets

Edited June 4, 2016 by Jared

[mjfromga]

Interesting! I had one fish float that had absolutely nothing to do with the food I fed her. I have another that seems mildly floaty with pellets that contain wheat. She does not float at all on gel food or pellets low on wheat.

BTW - after trying several foods... My fish all collectively seem to do the best on Omega One goldfish. Some don't like Repashy or the odd smelling NLS Thera A, but everyone smoothly eats Omega One with no problems whatsoever. Costs less than both those foods.

Edited June 4, 2016 by mjfromga

[jmetzger72]

Interesting! I had one fish float that had absolutely nothing to do with the food I fed her. I have another that seems mildly floaty with pellets that contain wheat. She does not float at all on gel food or pellets low on wheat.

BTW - after trying several foods... My fish all collectively seem to do the best on Omega One goldfish. Some don't like Repashy or the odd smelling NLS Thera A, but everyone smoothly eats Omega One with no problems whatsoever. Costs less than both those foods.

Omega One is good food for the price

[DawnMichele]

When I had goldfish I gave them NLS.

[shelbysfish]

I have never tried the Hikari, so I can't speak from that... but I use the NLS and they love it! My babies are still pretty blind though so I have to hand feed them these. lol

[DieselPlower]

I think both of those foods are excellent. Omega One seems to have the better ingredient list.

[FishyMandy]

I tend to switch it up between Hikari and NLS. I do find that the NLS Bought out the red in my goldies more.

 

 

Hikari lionhead is a sinking pellet.  However, a number of people suspect -- rightly or wrongly -- that Hikari foods may contribute to floatiness. 

 

I have been surveying complaints on this forum of floatiness in fish that were not sick  to see what people were feeding.  So far the leaders are NLS, Hikari, and gel foods.  I think this means nothing more than that these are the most common foods used by forum members.  (I need much more data, so I won't draw conclusions yet.)

 

I wish people would either present evidence that floating pellets cause floating or stop saying it.  They are the least likely foods to cause surface "gulping" which is usually, if not  always, feeding on the protein-rich surface film.  This film comes from materials leached from food.  Soft foods leach the most.  Floating pellets have the least contact with the water and are the easiest food to find.  I don't believe I have ever seen a complaint about gulping in a fish that had received floating foods.

 

This makes me feel a lot better! I was only feeding sinking foods for ages because I was so worried it would harm my fish to feed floating, but started feeding floating to my pond fish since it was easy for them to find and also bought them up close to me so I could examine them for any signs of illness or injury. I was worried I was going to end up making them floaty or something!

[Arctic Mama]

My fish have gotten floaty and it has nothing to do with the food. They like surface gulping. I've tried any variety of quality foods with zero difference in floatiness. The fish like the NLS pellets better than Hikari, but Paradigm Herbivore and Omnivore are still massive faves. They like Repashy Super Green as well, but Paradigm still wins the taste test.

[gto1605]

Thanks for the advices guys...anyone use garlic guard? Sorry out of topic...thinking using it but not sure how much hikari lionhead contain garlic inside the food...

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[Hidr]

I feed  New Life Spectrum for goldfish right  now.  Along with brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, blood worms, zucchini and even human grade shrimp. And even flake food from time to time.

[Chai]

My fish food blend has both floating and sinking pellets, which has never caused any problems. It makes them have to look for their food a little harder, too.

I have never used Garlic Guard because Thera A has plenty of it...Noticeably.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Chai

[mj23dream]

Is Hikari Lionhead ok to feed for dark colored fishies? I have white, gold and red fishies but I also have a black oranda and blue ranchu. 

[jmetzger72]

Is Hikari Lionhead ok to feed for dark colored fishies? I have white, gold and red fishies but I also have a black oranda and blue ranchu. 

yes.

[Distaff]

I fed Tetra flakes for years.  After ordering some "fancy" fish, and reading more about fish care, I switched to Omega1, 3mm size, thinking they were sinking pellets.  Mostly, they float, so, I started soaking the pellets for several minutes before feeding.  Some sources seem to emph. the digestibility of a soft food more than concern over floating from ingested air, so I have continued soaking, even though the floating issue has been more or less debunked.  My fish like this food, but I never know how much to feed.   Everyone gets three pellets each in the morning, and again in the evening.   The big Wakin gets five.   I also toss in some duckweed (if I have it) and always chop some lettuce and spinach into confetti size (all of which floats).  Everything disappears immediately.   For all I know, they are starving, even though informed sources say that is not possible.

 

My understanding from Amazon reviews is that while Hikari used to be the gold standard (unintended pun), they are now using fillers.  I don't have a bag of it, so can't confirm.

Edited June 18, 2016 by Distaff

[DieselPlower]

I fed Tetra flakes for years.  After ordering some "fancy" fish, and reading more about fish care, I switched to Omega1, 3mm size, thinking they were sinking pellets.  Mostly, they float, so, I started soaking the pellets for several minutes before feeding.  Some sources seem to emph. the digestibility of a soft food more than concern over floating from ingested air, so I have continued soaking, even though the floating issue has been more or less debunked.  My fish like this food, but I never know how much to feed.   Everyone gets three pellets each in the morning, and again in the evening.   The big Wakin gets five.   I also toss in some duckweed (if I have it) and always chop some lettuce and spinach into confetti size (all of which floats).  Everything disappears immediately.   For all I know, they are starving, even though informed sources say that is not possible.

 

My understanding from Amazon reviews is that while Hikari used to be the gold standard (unintended pun), they are now using fillers.  I don't have a bag of it, so can't confirm.

A good way to decide how much to feed is to weigh the fish and then make sure they are getting 1% or more of their body weight per day with pellets or more like 3% per day if it is vegetables.