Best vitamin supplement

[Woodstock]

I will be making a new batch of homemade mush in a few weeks. What is the best vitamin supplement to use? What do you folks use?

Thanks in advance!

 

[mps9506]

I've never put vitamins in mine. I figure they should be getting plenty from the fresh seafood anyways.
The mush we made ad the NC aquarium contained regular multivitamins. I don't remember the exact receipe though. I'm more of a buy as much fresh stuff as I can for $15 and blend it all togther kind of person. I'm gagging at the thought of it right now though.. excuse me... I'll be back...

 

[Craig Manoukian]

I use Zoe vitamins once or twice per week as an adder to my already fortified mysis shrimp I feed. As Mike pointed out, probably overkill.

 

[Witfull]

all you people that feed your fish....makes me wonder,,,should i be doing this too??

im always leary of aditives,,they always lead to algae /me thinks

 

[Craig Manoukian]

No algea in my once/twice per week regimen. I thaw and drain the water off the mysis, add Zoe, then mix and wait ten minutes before it goes in the tank

 

[Woodstock]

Thanks for the replies! Anyone else??

 

[Icebox]

I have added Zoe and or a bit of zoecon in the past. I did not notice a difference in the algae level of my tank.

 

[Emerald]

Zoe, Selcon, Garlic and Beta Glucan are all I can think of. I do usually add a few drops of Zoe and garlic to my mash. With the raw seafood, the selcon is probably not necessary. I have yet to add beta glucan to mash, but I think I will in the next batch. It is an excellent immune stimulant.
HTH!

 

[Woodstock]

Thanks! Beta glucan? explain plz

 

[Craig Manoukian]

"Beta Glucan is primarily cultured extract of Baker's Yeast cell wall. It is used as an immunostimulant. Beta glucans are sugar molecules (polysaccharides). They are found bound together as a sugar/protein complex. Certain plants and microorganisms are naturally high in this polysaccharide compound. The richest concentrated source is baker's yeast cell walls. (Because there is basically no yeast left in the products and they have low protein levels, it is considered hypoallergenic.) It is present in lesser amounts in mushroom extracts and Lentinen, Barley, Oat, etc. Sodium alginate is also an excellent source, but the high sodium content is a major drawback in the processing for supplemental use. An expensive research extract called Zymosan™ has been used for doing research for over 45 years. Much of the research has been in combining it with conventional approaches, such as chemotherapy, but it has been found to work well on its own.

What glucans seem to do is to stimulate/irritate your white blood cells called Macrophages into action. There is actually beta glucan receptors displayed by immune cells that the lectin fits right into like a lock and key and switches on or activates the macrophage to do it's job...clean up. Increased macrophage activity triggers a whole cascade of immune events, which basically boost immune response, which improves Natural Host Resistance. It also stimulates the production of immune cells."

From the Cancer Cure Foundation

 

[Craig Manoukian]

I'm assuming the last pragraph applies to fish as well.

 

[ScottT1980]

Hey Craig, your not a science guy right? You did a great job of explaining lectin/macrophage interaction! Thats pretty advanced stuff...

Or was the entire post from the cancer webpage? Either way, good info

 

[fugazi]

i add selcon and garlic extreme to my mush. I also use only fresh seafood for the mush. not sure if it makes a difference but everybody seems to be happy!!

 

[Woodstock]

Thanks! Very interesting! I did a search and found a few interesting threads:

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/1,1525,10166,00.html

http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q...ozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=ff&oi=froogler

 

[Craig Manoukian]

I stole it fair and square Scott, thus the quotes and reference.

 

[ScottT1980]

Cool deal, thats what I thought but that second paragraph looked unique from the first...

However, I don't neccesarily buy their efficacy of this in the diet, and here is why. We eat food all the time, and our immune system does not respond to our food (unless you have an allergy). Therefore, a dietary suppliment used to activate macrophages seems a bit suspect to me. However, fish aren't humans and I am no immunologist nor am I an icthyologist/zoologist, so I too am just a layman. What I do remember vaguely is that the mechanisms involved in the attenuation of an immune repsonse in regards to food is not well understood. So, perhaps it could work through some mechanism that has yet to be discovered...

Take er easy
Scott T.

Edit: Of course there are oral vaccines these days, so who knows :columbo:

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Thanks Scott!

 

[Emerald]

Thanks Craig for posting that info here. This is an article by Terry Bartelme that covers more info on its use in fish: http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/beta_glucan_biological_defense_modulator.html

Woodstock, the froogle link you posted was an excellent price for the best B-G I have found. (Source Naturals)
This supplement is "relatively" new to the fish world, but most definately has some positive attributes to it. Small amounts on a regular basis would be an ideal supplement IMO. I would add the Zoe as well though, that is a whole other group of vits.

 

[Woodstock]

I don't mind spoiling my fishes and giving them the best I only put the freshest ingredients in the mush. I will research this B-G further.