Fish Food - Possible Garlic Alternative?

Would I be able to dissolve some garlic powder or garlic salt in some water and then soak the fish food in that? Would it have the same effect as the commercial garlic additives?

 

I used a bit of garlic powder till I got some extract at local health food store. Fish seemed to like it.

Ummm, don't have any idea about garlic salt. :-/

 

i believe garlic salt is what we should use when we do water changes..... see where im going
with this?

 

Hey chap!

Yup. I use garlic salt and my percula clowns just love it! However, if you perform medical treatment I would strongly advice using garlic extract. It contains cycloallicin that has got very strong antibiotic activity.

Cheers!

 

I soak my food in this before I feed.
H2O Life V2H Coral Food Soak 2oz (Saltwater Aquarium Supplies > Food > Liquid )

 

Hey Camilsky, wouldn't you want to use something with strong antibiotic activity when "performing medical treatment?" If not, can you explain why? Thanks!

 

I add a few drops of garlic extract and vitamin c to food before feeding. Not only is it a good preventive measure it also helps with the healing process of a sick fish. It has been proven several times in our tanks...I guess it depends on the garlic salt, if you look at the ingredients of most garlic salts it is mostly salt and little garlic...

 

Garlic salt will work as good as any additive if the food you are soaking it in is in water, however if the salt is added directly to the food, the not only with the garlic absorb, but the salt was well. Most salt in garlic salt is not quite the same salt being added to the aquarium. Most salts have trace substances like iodine. Iodine is often added to tank for rediculous reasons such as "helping shrimp molt". Shrimp actually molt to get rid of iodine in their system by leaving high concentrations of iodine in their molted shell. Trace elements like iodine are actually bad for fish and invertebrates. Most elements in the 17th column of the periodic table enjoy making salts with metals. These metals are harmful to fish (and people for that matter). So although garlic salt would do the trick, make sure that you have some form of liquid there to keep those traces in solution. Mostly this is a small rant because levels of iodine that you are soaking it in are not usually high enough to effect your fish. So just ensure that there is water present to keep those trace elements in solution and not in your food! Mostly your fish should be ok from garlic salt.