Product review: Breeders Blend by AFA.

[Ben]

On the weekend I raced out to my LFS here in Melbourne to buy some of this new food! I have used Naturose Astaxanthin before and have been amazed not only the results in more vibrant colors in the fish, but also the better health they have after being fed with Astaxanthin.

When I opened the tin of “breeders blend” I took a smell of the food, yes this may seem strange to a lot of you but there is a lot of fish food out there that has that dead fish/sea weed smell! Breeders Blend has a very clean, fresh smell to it.

I have only used this food for the last few days but so far I am very impressed!
I have fed this food to many species of fish. When using new foods for the first time most fish if not all are very apprehensive and will only take “nibbles”. My observation was that all my fish immediately ate this new food!

The packaging is excellent on this product and its great to see that this product is proudly made here in Australia.

Breeders blend contains NO toxic anti oxidants, preservatives and most importantly it contains no Ethoxyquin.

I will be updating this thread over the coming weeks whilst I use this product and so far I give it the Ben’s big thumbs up!
:thumb

[goldenpigeon]

my fish are loving this product. im very happy with it! i have never fed flakes to my discus before but when i put these in hteir tanks the gobbled them up straight away :D very happy iwht this new australian product! would love to see your results ben!

[Nathan]

where did u get it ben, an how much?? im quite interested in giving it a go aswel!

looking forward to hearing more about it

[Ben]

TVS aquarium in Ferntree Gully sell it.

Cheers
Ben

[*Chris*]

awseome products and yes ben i did smell it as well i think that was the first thing i said to ladyred
that it smells nice
lol
anywyas the pellets float a little but the discus are getting the drift slowly
hopefully they colour up nicely soon
but a big thumbs up to MAC and his new product
EXAI

[Nathan]

is it suitable to feed cichlids aswel? as id be interested to see how they take to it, cant really feed it to my discus as all there tank mates gobble up any flake food before the discus even get a wiff of it!

[goldenpigeon]

nathan it is a blend to suit all fish. so yes you can feed it to cichlids etc. it isnt for marine htoagh ;) (i dont think)

[mistakes r crucial]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I'm glad your fish have taken to it. EXAI the next run of pellets will be floaters and sinkers so that the Geo's etc can get a feed, it's already been a topic of conversation.

Nathan, Breeders Blend is suitable for all fresh water fish as part of a balanced and varied diet.

We've already had quite a few requests for larger sizes so hopefully the next run will also include 1kg and either 2.5kg or 5kg lots.

Thanks again everyone.
Cheers
MAC

[*Chris*]

and it does contain copper so for a fish only marine tank it would be fine to fed in conjunction with other prepared foods it would act as a preventative to marine white spot.
BUT in a coral reef or a tank with invertabrates it would be no good
unfortunately
would bring out the already stunning colours of the marines :lol:

[Ben]

I am seriously very impressed with this product!

If I use a product wether old or new and it does not meet up to my expectation I don’t rubbish it, I simple don’t buy it and mention nothing.

But when a product comes out and it and I am more than impressed I will tell everyone!
I have only used breeder Blend for the last 5 days and not only do my fish like it I can see noticeable results. I have fish other than discus, which are eating it such as farlowella’s, geo’s and angels so it’s a great “all rounder” fresh water fish food.

I have nothing to gain only that my fish are better for it and that your fish will be as well. Give it a try and post what you think about breeders Blend.

Ben

[vince]

where can i get this food in QUeensland?

I mean Brisbane to Goldcoast?

any online store carry them?

many thx

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Vince,

There are quite a few stores that will be carrying our product range in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast but they won't have stock until next week. I will list them all once they are confirmed. Hopefully the range will be available on line very shortly.

MAC

[TomNS]

Hi Vince,

There are quite a few stores that will be carrying our product range in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast but they won't have stock until next week. I will list them all once they are confirmed. Hopefully the range will be available on line very shortly.

MAC

Can't wait MAC !

Tom

[Nathan]

ill be heading down to tvs in the next couple weeks to try an get my hands on some, im lookn forward to it!

[mistakes r crucial]

Thanks very much for the support gentlemen, it's appreciated.
Cheers
MAC

[vince]

thanx mac:

I am looking forward to it......cant wait to try it out actually^^

It will be my first time using Australian made fish food...

If it is good i will definitely stick to it.

vince

[phear]

any chance of getting some shipped to adelaide?

Cheers Jamie

[Davo]

I went to Auburn Aquarium a couple of days ago as I had read on another post that they stocked it but the guy at the shop said that they had never stocked it and did not intend stocking it.

Luckily APW stock it.

[Ben]

After many weeks of using BB flake food I am more than happy with it! Fish love it and are doing very well as part of their diet!

Something that has been brought to my attention and that everyone will find very interesting…..
Most of the dry type foods we purchase for our fish is made and imported off shore. This imported food maybe me 3+ months old before we get it, then it may sit opened for a while as we gradually feed it to out fish. In this time it looses its quality and vitamins it may contain.
As BB is made here down under we are getting this food much quicker and in a fresher state which gives further brownie points for BB foods!

Food for thought I believe!

[marg]

I am really impressed with this Food.

I have a Blue Turk who is a bit of a picky eater - he never used to eat much Flake - mainly tetra Bits, Beefheart and Bloodworms however he has taken to Breeders Blend straight away, no problems. All of my Fish are eating it quite readily so I will definitely be keeping it as a part of their daily diet.

I intend recommending it to all of my Fishy Friends. No more imported Flake for my Fish - Go Aussies!!.

Great work Mac. What's the next project in the pipeline?

marg.

[Nathan]

any before an after pics of ppls that have been using it, or any updated comments from you ben?

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Marg,

Glad you like BB and I hope those fish are going OK for you. We are looking at Spriulina flake and pellets laced with NatuRose, sinking/floating pellet mix and larger sizes of all right now. Unfortunately it all takes time so any of the above are a while away yet, dealing with Government departments is always a pleasure but rather time consuming.
MAC

[marg]

Going well Mac - eating like little Pigs. Soon as you put food into the tank the little Yellow one rushes to it, followed closely by the others.

Will keep you updated. Good luck with the Pellets.

marg.

[jim]

Hi Mac,

Can we get it in Sydney as well?? Please also give Sydney people an update of LFS that sell this product..Thanks

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Jim,

The closest to you right now would be Waterzoo in Baulkham Hills (02) 9639 9966, 49b/4 Seven Hills Rd, Baulkham Hills. If you want it home delivered APW also have it available on line. We have another 20 odd stores trialing it right now so hopefully alot more areas will be covered over the next few weeks. Thanks for the interest Jim.
MAC

[triumph1921]

Hi AFA


I would like to know if this food is suitable for goldfish ????? or are you going to come up with a seperate blend for them.

Thanks for you help.

Cheers

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Triumph,

Breeders Blend is fine for Gold Fish. Maybe one day we will consider a blend specifically for them but to be honest it would be a long way off. Thanks for the interest.
MAC

[Merrilyn]

I'm happy to add my support to Breeder's Blend.

The flake food is greedily consumed by everything, from young fry to adults. They all love it, and took to it straight away.

The floating pellets I found took them a bit longer to accept. They seem to be quite a hard pellet. I solved the problem by soaking the pellets in plain water for around 10 minutes before feeding, and no more problems. I'm even putting the pellets in a pepper grinder, and grinding them to a fine powder to feed them to a very young batch of angel fry from my wild peruvian parents.

Interesting to note that the fry are showing colour bars a lot earlier than the same fry fed on other flake and dry foods. I know this isn't discus fry, but they are a very similar fish, and the fry develop at a similar rate, so it's interesting to see colour developing so early. I do believe it would be the same with discus fry.

Another point of interest, is that my wild caught Betta macrostoma pair that arrived in the country just a bare few weeks ago, will eat only this pellet. Other dry food will be tasted and usually rejected, but this pellet met with their immediate approval. They also spawned within two weeks of arrival, which is remarkable for wild caught fish. At the time, Breeders Blend was the main part of their diet, as it is now. They naturally develop their red colouring from a small red freshwater shrimp that is found in their natural habitat. Breeder's Blend is maintaining that natural intense red colouring.

To sum it up. Flake food, 10/10 perfect just the way it is.

Pellets 9/10 I'd like to see them a bit softer, and of course some floating and some sinking would be ideal.

A good Aussie product, well worth buying :P

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi all,

Thanks for the support and feedback everyone, it is very much appreciated. We have trials going on with 7 breeders in the US right now and the initial feedback we have received is that our flake product is as good as the current best selling flake in America, a great pat on the back for our manufacturer and very pleasing for us.

The next run of pellets will be a mix of floating and sinking so that all fish in the tank are catered for. The subject of moisture (softer or harder pellets), according to our manufacturers, is a give and take situation because the more moisture you put in the product the greater the possibility of attracting bacteria. It's not that the bacteria are harmful but it does take a certain amount of freshness away from the product, a bit of a catch 22.

Thanks again.
MAC

[FishLover]

Hey, anytime you make it to USA, let me know so I can go out buy some!

Good luck.

[Ogre]

Hi MRC

Any 1 on the Gold Coast or Brisbane stocking this product yet?

I tried a few places in Brissie yesterday with no luck and havnt looked at the Gold Coast shops yet. Will do that today.

If you could give me a heads up that would be awesome

[flaggy]

Ogre, why not buy online if you cannot find it readily in the bricks and mortar shops? I think there are at least a couple online stores who stock it, and you may likely get it cheaper that way.

Cheers

[Davo]

MAC,

I bought the large container of pellets/granules on Sunday and you really have to soak them for at least 30 minutes before they sink. I don't know if my batch is a one off though.

My discus gulp them down once they sink and slowly float to the substrate.

If you could rectify the floating problem it would be great as the uneaten granules tend to keep floating and go off.

Thanks,
Dave.

[goldenpigeon]

Davo the granules are not sinking pellets, they are the floating variety.

[Davo]

GP,

Thanks for that. I did not know they were the floating type and by the way there is no mention re floating on the packaging.

MAC,

Are you going to supply just the sinking type of pellets as Discus prefer sinking types of foods?

Dave.

[Davo]

I was just purusing the XXX site and saw that they listed the BB pellets as floating.

When I bought the pellets from a LFS I did not know that they were the floating type. No dramas as I will just soak them before feeding time.

It would be great if AFA brings out a sinking pellet.

Dave.

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Davo,

The pellets will be sinking next batch. My apologies for any confusion. I have also sent you a PM.
MAC

[norto]

G'Day Mac,
I bought some of the pellets from SLS on Sunday and i am having the same trouble with the fish not eating them, do you think i should soak them first and then they may eat them or is there another way to get them use to it?
Norto

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Norto,

Soak them for 10-15 minutes and you will find that the majority will sink.
MAC

[norto]

Thanks MAC,
Norto :wink:

[biggie1985]

Hi guys

Just received my shipment of BB flake today from ASA.

I have to note that the flakes do smell alot better than others or even tetrabits.

My fish have taken to it very happily and can't gobble enough.

I will keep updating with the progress of the food.

But so far (after one day) a massive fumz up :lol:

Cheers

[mistakes r crucial]

Hi Biggie,

Breeders Blend is a damned good food and it has come from the heart not the pocket but I thank you for the feedback. It may never be one of the biggest sellers in the country and if it's not it will only because of marketing dollars and not quality. Fish food is no different to anything else, marketing dollars equals sales and that is just such a shame, this has come from a couple of blokes that believe in what they are doing, not the almighty dollar, however, the public still listen to all the hype. If only they knew what they were feeding to their fish!
MAC

[norto]

MAC,
I thought I would give you an update about the pellets I bought, I could not get my fish to eat them at all whether it was because they float i don't know but what I did was I crushed them up to feed some fry and found that if you get a pinch of the crushed up pellets hold it below the water line it sinks beautiful , they are starting to eat it only a little bit at a time but it is a start and i will keep doing it d**n it until they eat it all.
Norto :wink:

[mistakes r crucial]

Thanks for the feedback Norto. The next batch of pellets is being manufactured right now and they are sinkers. The remainder of the first batch will be mixed with them so that we can cater for mid to low swimmers as well as surface feeders.
MAC

[Merrilyn]

Well, MAC we'll offer you all the support we can. I think it's a great product. Everything is eating the flake, from wild caught Altums to new apisto fry. The pellets are still the only dry food that my wild betta macrostomas and wild betta unimaculata will eat.

If wild caught fish find it acceptable, then you guys must be doing something very right. :P