# What do you think of Spectrum Thera +A by New Life?



## Chad Lane (Nov 12, 2008)

I've been feeding this food for awhile now. All of my African, and South American Cichlids seem to be doing great on it, colors are nice and bright. I noticed in my WC fish within a month or two their color, and condition seems much better.

What do you think of this product? Is their a better Pellet food?

Cheers,
Chad


----------



## yogurtpooh (Jul 28, 2005)

i think its very good quality and couldn't be happier with it... except i can't stand that smell!!!


----------



## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

I would say, you can't go too far wrong with it.... 

:lol:


----------



## CichlidLover2 (Jul 31, 2005)

yogurtpooh said:


> i think its very good quality and couldn't be happier with it... except i can't stand that smell!!!


Garlic :wink:

This stuff is especially good to feed any fish that have disease because the garlic entices their appetite and its anti-parasitic!


----------



## gymdog (May 24, 2007)

I have been feeding this to my africans every other day. but, on the other days i feed them dainichi veggie fx. it ready brings out the colors the the peacocks. they stay parasite free and colorful.


----------



## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I feed NLS pellets, but not the Thera +A. I'm not convinced there's any need to feed something like this 
on a regular basis in a healthy tank. The occurrence of parasitic infestations in long established tanks 
just isn't common enough to warrant something like this IMHO. I'd also question whether the claims 
made about garlic have come more from fish food marketers than any real scientific testing. Maybe 
it's out there and I just couldn't find it. If anyone has links, I'd be interested.


----------



## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

I'll be the odd man out.

I don't like it.

My tanks are bare bottom, and it's way to messy.


----------



## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

> I feed NLS pellets, but not the Thera +A. I'm not convinced there's any need to feed something like this on a regular basis in a healthy tank.


 :thumb: Absolutely.

But it won't do any harm in the meantime ie until you get regular pellets like the Cicihld Formula, or run out - personally I'd keep the Thera +A until you actually need to use it. :wink:


----------



## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

blairo1 said:


> personally I'd keep the Thera +A until you actually need to use it. :wink:


I agree. I think it's a good food to use when you suspect problems in a tank, or following treatment for known problems. I just think that if you use something preventatively on a regular basis, you might not get as much good out of it when you really do need it.


----------



## gymdog (May 24, 2007)

but it might keep a problem :wink: from every starting :wink:


----------



## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

The types of problems that these products are aimed at are the sort of problems that can be prevented in other ways, ways which do not require the use of preventative medication/etc.

Ie appropriate stocking, quarantine practices, diet and maintenance regimes.

Focus on running your tank right, that is preventative enough, there is no reason why a well maintained and structured tank set-up should need preventative dosing. So many issues come from poor husbandry or quarantine practices, negating that leaves you with very little room for issues _to_ arise.


----------



## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

It's just garlic powder, allium powder.

There's no antibiotics, anti parasite drug, or anything else that a disease, bacteria, virus, or parasite would build up a immunity to.


----------



## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> There's no antibiotics, anti parasite drug, or anything else that a disease, bacteria, virus, or parasite would build up a immunity to.


But is there anything that would be effective against parasites? From a practical standpoint, when 
would you use it to treat and should this really be your choice of treatment? Internal parasitic infestations 
are difficult to diagnose accurately. If you suspect a problem going on, them probably some fish aren't 
eating at that point. Feed this stuff to the rest in conjunction with some med? Why wouldn't the med 
just deal with it? Are internal parasitic infestations that common? I'm with blairo that they're more easily 
preventable than treatable with good husbandry techniques and would consider food with garlic either 
ineffective, unnecessary, or both.


----------



## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

blairo1 said:


> Focus on running your tank right, that is preventative enough, there is no reason why a well maintained and structured tank set-up should need preventative dosing. So many issues come from poor husbandry or quarantine practices, negating that leaves you with very little room for issues _to_ arise.


This is very true. We can feed them the best foods on the market, but if that's all we do and we don't pay close attention to the other factors in the tank, it isn't going to help much.

Garlic is _believed_ to boost the immune system. I think things like this are great to use in certain circumstances...New wild fish before introducing to your other fish...Fish that are just recovering from a treated (medicated) illness...Garlic can even be enticing when you have a fish that is being finicky about eating...Even if you suspect problems in a tank but can't confirm them just yet...

But to use it every day? I just don't see the need.

Honestly, for the colouration and conditioning of your fish, you just need a good quality food. There are several on the market that will work just fine.

To the OP, if you like NLS, just go with the regular pellets and use this Thera A when you feel you need it.


----------



## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

I don't know how you would prevent something
that most of the fish have when you buy them.


----------



## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

"Most" of the fish eh, I'd change my sources if that were the case. :wink:

I buy a lot of fish and the only issue I've ever had is whitespot with newly arrived neons, no surprise there then. The supplier I use nowadays quarantines fish for 1-2 weeks before they are released for sale and even then I go in usually a couple of weeks after they arrived (IMO a good supplier will hold stock for a regular).

I am quite aware of the make-up of the feeds offered by NLS, the point which seems to have been missed is that preventative use of products such as this can be negated by something as simple as good husbandry practices. Making the use of these products ideal for, as an example, high stress situations (when mating aggression/changes in hierarchy come into play), or in the instance of a recovering fish - using the product AFTER the effective use of medication, to help on the road to recovery, etc.

I am a big fan of NLS and often recommend the use of their products, although in this instance I recommend the use of _another_ of their products, one which is entirely adequate for normal, day-to-day use.


----------



## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

Can't do that.

It's not cost effective and sorta stupid for the farms to even treat outside ponds.
Then the fish go from farm to everywhere else.
Wild fish will have them too.

I don't think a most people would even recognize that their fish have flukes etc, and even then they are told that it's normal and won't hurt a healthy fish.

For some reason they can have a pretty good handle on white spot ick, and know what a parasite can do in a little bit of water with a lot of fish.
But then can't apply that same thinking to another parasite, flukes etc.


----------



## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

Right, what does this have to do with the food that we are discussing here!?

I think you're on another tangent regarding the use of antibiotics/medication as preventatives, that's another story that has been discussed repeatedly, at great length, but it isn't what we are discussing here and now.


----------



## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

LOL you are the one that brought it up.



> Most" of the fish eh, I'd change my sources if that were the case.
> 
> I buy a lot of fish and the only issue I've ever had is whitespot with newly arrived neons, no surprise there then. The supplier I use nowadays quarantines fish for 1-2 weeks before they are released for sale and even then I go in usually a couple of weeks after they arrived (IMO a good supplier will hold stock for a regular).


and since it's advertised as a "medicated" food, and since people were discussing using it as a preventative, or it loosing it's effectiveness "when you need it".

It's just garlic powder.


----------



## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

Um, that quotation of mine was in response to your earlier statement.

Nevermind dude, this is going nowhere. We're stating the same point but you seem to think we're arguing with you :?.


----------



## corrie22 (Oct 11, 2008)

well no, I didn't think anyone was arguing at all. Sorry that you felt that way.


----------



## gymdog (May 24, 2007)

Everyone remember we were talking about a fish food that boost the immune system of the fish. much like you and i taking vitamin C to fight off a common cold.


----------



## blairo1 (May 7, 2006)

No problem, probably just simple misunderstandings.


----------

