Way to go.... You definitely have a new Lifetime Customer. I have several friends in the hobby as well, I've already told them about ya'll.

Keep up the good work, & the prices LOW :-)

From: Betsy
Date: 05/24/07
Food reviewed: Freshwater flakes

50 gal tropical freshwater tank

Tank Occupants:
• 1 breeding colony endler's livebearers
• 1 breeding colony red wag platy
• 5 panda cories
• 1 mixed school of danios including zebra, leopard, and roseus
• 1 glass shrimp
• 1 African dwarf frog
• 1 female betta
• Nerite snails
• Tiger nerite snails
• pond snails
• ramshorn snails

Trial Time: 2 weeks

For the span of this trial, the normal diet of the fish which consists of a variety of frozen, freeze dried, and commercial flake products (Omega brand), was suspended. Algae tablets, sinking bottom feeder tablets by Hikari, and shrimp pellets were fed in conjunction with the sample product for the bottom feeding fish and the frog.

When I first received the test sample, I was somewhat dismayed at the packaging. While the vacuum sealed bag kept it fresh, I was concerned about long term storage. Upon reading the instructions through the vacuum bag, I did see that the food was within a sealable sandwich bag inside the vacuum bag. Although this isn't the most professional looking approach, it is an effective way to store the food. Upon opening the package, there was no heavy or stale odor. It was very fresh, dry, and not clumpy. While colorful, the flakes did not appear to be loaded with dye as some commercial flake products are. There was color, but it wasn't extreme. The majority of the flakes were too big to feed my small mouthed fish. Some were bigger than the fish themselves. This problem is easily resolved by squishing the food, but it does tend to make a mess, especially when “squished” and fed by young children. Most of the fish readily accepted the product and fed on it eagerly. It was ignored by the panda cories, frog, and betta fish. This was an expected result, as the food is not intended for bottom feeders such as the pandas, and the frog and betta have been eating live fish fry. During the entire two week trial period, the pandas and the frog continued to ignore the flake. The betta did begin to eat the flake near the end of the second week when the supply of fry was exhausted. After the first week, the lone shrimp in the tank began waiting at the top of the tank around feeding time and appeared to prefer the flake to the sinking pellets.
The fish did not experience any bloating or perceived ill effects from the food. No change was noted in the condition of the red wag platy fish. While they ate eagerly, their coloration and size remained the same. No increase in growth rate was noted in the younger fish. However, two weeks is not a long enough period of time to study the growth rate of this fish compared to a change in food. The platy fish did ignore the sinking foods while the flake was present in the tank. Previously, they were equally divided between commercially prepared flake and the sinking foods. There was also no change in coloration of the betta fish. However, this fish ate mostly fry during the trial instead of the flake.
The most dramatic change noticed in this tank was the condition of the endler's livebearers. The coloration of both males and females improved dramatically. The greenish-grey color of the females was greatly enhanced, and the overall shine/sheen increased. The males also experienced increased sheen/shine. The two week trial was not long enough to make a definitive growth rate or fry count analysis. However, the fish did appear to be in greater health after the trial than they did before the trial, as evidenced by the dramatic increase in coloration. br>The water quality within the tank was unaffected by this trial. No excess ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate was noted. The fish appeared to produce the same amount of waste that was produced by their previous diet. The snails in the tank were unaffected by the trial, as the fish ate the food before it sank to the bottom of the tank. br>Based on these results, I believe that I will use/purchase this product in the future. However, I will be returning the fish to their regular diet. I intend to use this product instead of commercially prepared flake within my normal feeding rotation. The improved condition of the endler's livebearers justifies the change to me.

From: Tom
Date: 06/01/07
Food reviewed: Freshwater flakes

55 Gallon Freshwater Dual Filtration

Tank Occupants:
• 2 Paradise Gourami’s
• 3 Gold Gourami’s
• A breeding pair of Honduran Red Point Cichlids
• 1 Red Finned Shark
• 4 Tiger Barbs
• 2 Albino Coryadoras

Tank Occupants:
• 10 assorted Live bearing Platys and Swordtails
• 1 Paradise Gourami
• 2 Paleatu Coryadoras

Trial Time: 3 weeks

Okay, First and foremost I’d like to Thank Pat for the opportunity to test a new fish food product and Ed at Almost Natural for allowing the selected members and our finned friends to be the guinea pigs.

The new flake feeding regimen began just over 3 weeks ago and went like this.

My strategy in feeding my fish consisted of storing my existing flake foods away the whole time this test process was going on and only feeding the Almost Natural flake in place of what the fish were currently feeding on flake food only.

I did not alter my fish feeding regimen or schedule when it came time to feed frozen foods (bloodworms, mysis, Daphnia, Krill), veggie matters, shrimp, cichlid pellets, etc. I continued my practice of 6 days feeding with one day fasting in addition to weekly 50/60% water change outs.

After receiving my test trial fish flakes I examined the product for freshness and quality. Wonderful colors and smells overtook me as I opened the sealed baggie. The flakes felt fresh to the touch.

Now for the fun part. After a week or so, I noticed as I had stated previously that all my tropicals seemed to color up and have pretty much stayed that way as I write this summation. In addition to the beautifully enhanced colors and hues, I’ve also began noticing that they have grown somewhat as well. All fish took to this flake food instantly and never looked back.

After week one, I also noticed my breeding pair of HRP’s were guarding a new clutch of eggs. Can I contribute this to the new flake food regimen, maybe, maybe not but I will not discount it either.

There was no noticeable change in my water quality and parameters after each week of testing but then again, I keep to a strict clean water and tank regimen.

• Pro’s: No byproducts; Dyes or fillers; All Natural ingredients; Seafood like smell; nice texture and easily crumples.
• Con’s: None to speak of with the product I tested.

Overall I am quite pleased with Ed’s product and would recommend the flakes I tested to fellow hobbyists and will be ordering the additional food that Almost Natural offers.

Oh and last but not least, my feathered friends enjoy the flakes as well as whatever I dropped feeding the fish, my Cockatiels quickly devoured.