If you are looking for flake food for your fish, then one of the best selling options available is the TetraMin Tropical Flakes.
So, is this brand worth getting? You can find out in this review at Aquarium Blueprints.
Ingredients and Guaranteed Analysis
The TetraMin Tropical Flakes contain a combination of many ingredients, including vital minerals and vitamins for your fish. You can find the full list below:
- A-Tocopherol Acetate
- Algae Meal
- Ascorbic Acid
- Beta-Carotene
- Biotin
- Cholecalciferol
- Citric Acid (Preservative)
- Cobalt Acetate
- D-Calcium Pantothenate
- Dehulled Soybean Meal
- Dried Yeast
- Dried Fish Protein Digest
- FD&C Blue #2 Lake
- FD&C Red #3
- FD&C Yellow #5 Lake
- FD&C Yellow #6 Lake
- Feeding Oat Meal
- Ferrous Sulfate
- Fish Meal
- Fish Oil
- Freshwater Shrimp
- Ground Brown Rice
- Inositol
- Inulin
- L-Ascorbyl 2 Polyphosphate (Stabilized Vitamin C)
- Lecithin
- Manganese Sulfate
- Menadiune Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Source of Vitamin C Activity)
- Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative)
- Monocalcium Phosphate
- Niacin
- Paprika Oleoresin
- Potato Protein
- Propyl Gallate (Preservative)
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
- Niacin
- Riboflavin-5-Phosphate
- Rosemary Extract
- Shrimp Meal
- Soybean Oil
- Sorbitol
- Spirulina
- Thiamine Mononitrate
- Wheat Gluten
- Yeast Extract
- Vitamin A Palmitate
- Vitamin B12 Supplement
- Zinc Sulfate
- Guaranteed Analysis
You can also take a look at the guaranteed analysis for the TetraMin Flakes below:
- Crude Protein: 47.0% min
- Crude Fat: 10.0% min
- Crude Fiber: 3.0% max
- Moisture: 6.0% max
- Phosphorus: 1.0% min
- Vitamin A: 15,000 IU/KG min
- Vitamin B12: 110 μg/kg min
- Ascorbic Acid: 390 mg/kg min
- Vitamin D3: 1,400 IU/kg min
- Vitamin E: 140 IU/kg min
- Niacin: 700 mg/kg min
- Inositol: 1,400 mg/kg min
- Choline: 2,100 mg/kg min
- Biotin: 1 mg/kg min
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids: 8,000 mg/kg min
Size Options
This food product comes in several different sizes: 0.42 ounce, 1 ounce, 2.2 ounce, 7.6 ounce, 2.2 pounds and 4.52 pounds.
Expiration Date
The expiration date for this food product can be found at the bottom side of the package. We also recommend feeding all of its content before the 6 month mark after breaking the seal of the container. You should also keep the container tightly shut when not in use as prolonged exposure to oxygen will degrade the food. Last but not least, you should keep the flakes away from high temperature, high humidity and direct sunlight.
What fish will eat TetraMin Tropical Flakes?
All kind of fish will eat this brand of fish food. In our experience, our Albino Corydoras, Guppies, Harlequin Rasbora, Kuhli Loaches, Platies and White Cloud Minnows all enjoy eating the multi-colored tropical flakes.
Pros
What we liked the most in regards to the TetraMin Tropical Flakes is that food is really healthy for our aquatic pets. In addition to the aforementioned minerals and vitamins, the flakes also include antioxidants (to promote healthy cell growth), proteins (to encourage growth) and prebiotics (to improve digestive health).
Another benefit about this food is that the flakes won’t cloud your tank. If left uneaten, the pieces will eventually degenerate into the water column.
The tropical flakes also make great food for fry. The pieces can be easily grinded down into smaller particles. To do so, you can hold a pinch of the flakes between your thumb and index finger. You can then grind the food back and forward to create smaller versions of the portions.
Cons
One small issue we have with the TetraMin Tropical Flakes is that it is very easy to overfeed your fish in the beginning. Even a little pinch of the food contain a lot as the flakes will quickly spread out across the water in your aquarium.
If you do overfeed, the food is pretty hard to remove from your water due to how easy it is for the flake to break apart. Keep in mind just because the food degenerated into the fish tank doesn’t mean that it is gone from the water column. The uneaten flakes will eventually end up as ammonia, which is a toxic compound for your aquatic pets.
Instead of trying to painstakingly removing the tropical flakes, we recommend doing a partial water change and dosing Seachem Prime to reduce the ammonia levels in your tank if you are afraid the decomposing food will lead to ammonia spikes.
Feeding Directions
The directions of the package suggest that you feed 2 to 3 times a day. TetraMin recommend feeding as much as your fish can consume over several minutes.
We recommend giving a pinch if you are feeding your fish this food for the first time. You should then observe your tank closely to see if they are eating every piece you dropped over the next two minutes.
If they ate everything up, then you can add another pinch. If there are a lot of leftovers, then you might want to consider feeding less amount during the next meal time.
Recap
In terms of flakes, we find that the TetraMin brand is the best option based on our experience. All of our fish seem to love eating the food, which has been formulated to provide healthy nutrients.
If you are interested, you can purchase the TetraMin Tropical Flakes with this link (#CommissionsEarned) on Amazon.