# Color enrichment foods?



## chenzo (Mar 14, 2005)

I currently feed my 3 year old red bellies talapia, shrimp, catfish, and sometimes salmon if they are lucky. They have lost almost all of their red coloring. Are there any foods that will bring the red back or is there another reason they are losing the red coloring.


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

shrimp is bout good as anythang i guess


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## blazednosferatu (Feb 27, 2006)

krill


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

Food items that are high in carotien will help with their color. As stated above, Krill and raw shrimp with the shells on help with color. The shells on raw shrimp is what really helps with color. Pellets are also high in caroteins if you can get them to accept them.


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## xxwhookiddxx (Jan 10, 2007)

squid works really good with my red bellys


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

One of the best commercial foods that is readily available on the market for colour enhancement is New Life Spectrum. But I would do is get some of the pellets and try stuffing them into pieces of other food that they eat. It's normally quit ehard to stuff fish. But you can try with shrimp and krill and such. Also be sure you're leaving the shells on the shrimp and krill. That's also important.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

What I'm not sure about is are the frozen krill that ya get at the petstore (Sally's brand) a color enhancing benefit?
They're cooked.
Does cooking destroy their color enhancing ability?
Does anybody know?


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## cueball (May 24, 2005)

it probly dont help it none,, you shure thay arnt like sun dryed???what you mean cooked.?


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## eiji (Sep 16, 2006)

when cooked, a lot of foods lose their nutrients...so its better to have it as raw


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## skubasteve! (Feb 14, 2007)

Piranha_man said:


> What I'm not sure about is are the frozen krill that ya get at the petstore (Sally's brand) a color enhancing benefit?
> They're cooked.
> Does cooking destroy their color enhancing ability?
> Does anybody know?


I have some in my freezer and I took a pic for you, it says "color enhancing" right on the bag.









Hope this helps!


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

Piranah Man, you are probably thinking about freeze dried. It looks cook (bright orange). You can get krill both freeze dried and frozen.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

The Sally's Krill like the one that pictured, is the one to which I'm refering.
They're cooked.

I know it says "Color enhancing" right on the bag... but ya can't always go by what something says on the bag.

I'm sure that even when it is cooked it probably still has some color enhancing properties, but I was just wondering if anybody knew how much of it is lost in the cooking process, if any.

I feed mine Sally's all the time, and my Ps love it... I just figure that raw is probably better.


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

Update:

I just got off the phone with San Francisco Bay Brand... the makers of Sally's Krill, they claim to "Blanch" the krill (Flash boil) them to release more of the color enhancing properties of the krill so that they can be more readily absorbed by the fish.

I have a feeling that the blanching process has a multitude of purposes... one being that a nice, bright orange product is more attractive to the buyer, and also helps it to keep longer in the refrigerator... (Cooked meats keep better than raw)... and hopefully I got the straight scoop about it releasing more enhancement properties for the fish as well.

Anyway, there's the word from the product representative.


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## chenzo (Mar 14, 2005)

thanks guys. I have always taken the shell off of the shrimp. I guess i pamper my p's too much. I will leave the shell on and put some pellets into pieces of talapia because they love that stuff more that anything. I was also only feeding once or twice a week. Daily will be the new agenda. I will try krill as well. thanks again for all the help.


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## KISS (Feb 2, 2007)

chenzo said:


> .....I will leave the shell on ....


Right! Shrimp with shell on.

BTW, how long is your light on everyday?


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## PaNo617 (Jan 31, 2005)

Mettle said:


> One of the best commercial foods that is readily available on the market for colour enhancement is New Life Spectrum. But I would do is get some of the pellets and try stuffing them into pieces of other food that they eat. It's normally quit ehard to stuff fish. But you can try with shrimp and krill and such. Also be sure you're leaving the shells on the shrimp and krill. That's also important.


That's exactly what i do. I got some large New Life Spectrum pellets and i stuff a bunch into the shrimp. I usually cut the shrimp into bite size chunks so my comp eats it in one bite and it keeps the pellets from falling out.


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## chenzo (Mar 14, 2005)

actually i have not been keeping my light on very often. sometimes i don't turn it on all day.

are there certain lights that provide essential vitamins for the fish? I need to buy a new light for my tank anyways. What bulbs are good?


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