Garlic!?

Edit - At first I felt that garlic did nothing for fish, now I feel that it may do something, it just needs more testing. And while garlic alone in the journal articles I have been shown haven't showed much in favor of it as being a remedy to disease, it seems it helps maybe.

 

I agree, it doesn nothing BUT it does make them eat. The smell of it i beleive is what does the trick.

 

were the fish not eating before though? I wonder if it is a thing that they prefer garlic food after awhile because they have become accustomed to it. I have had a lot of French Angels, and if you present an assortment of algae and sponges they eat an assortment. If you keep them (as I did) on a diet of strictly fern caulerpa they only eat fern caulerpa and skip the variety. I wonder if it is the same thing.

 

Hi John

it may be complete coincedence I would be prepared to accept that, if science tells me Garlic was not the reason

but I have had fish with various spot/ parasitic infections and by doing nothing other than using garlic extract in the foods I have fed those fish, the parasite has cleared up

when I did this 12 years ago, I was convinced by urban myth that garlic permeates through the fish and creates a flavour that the parasite does not like and thus will not feed on said fish

Nowdays I dont believe that anymore , but I do believe that a healthy well fed fish, is very cabable of fighting of these infections , and Garlic being a good appetite stimulator helps to generate that healthy well fed fish we need to beat the parasite

as I said, it could be coincedence and that those fish would have fought of the parasite without the foods coated in garlic gaurd

but even if its nothing more than a placebo for reef keepers and gives them a feeling of positive action in the battle against parasites, and prevents then doing other more extreme measures to combat infections, its a good thing IMO

Steve

 

That makes sense to me, just to have the feeling you are doing more than just feeding the same thing without garlic. Placebos are very powerful in a way, I can agree with that. Also agree that well fed fish are going to be much healthier and able to fight infection better.

 

Lol well I believe garlic helps said diseases when they do get them. It acts as a stimlant but also a boost in immune system well at least what ive been told by crazy goofy reefers I trust. Lol but if it makes me feel better at night and lets me sleep sound then ima keep doing it!

 

I agree here. I go with the "if it's not broke don't fix it" philosophy. I have used garlic many times and it "seems" to work. Placebo?? maybe but I really don't wanna know

 

As far as I'm concerned, all garlic does (MAYBE) is stimulate appetite. Since a well fed fish is able to fight off infections better than a starving fish, I suppose that it can help in that respect. That being said, I don't feed garlic to my fish.

 

opinions are great! they're just like ....


anyone have an actual article/study they can link to about what is scientifically proven?

I'd rather form my opinions on that... not on other opinions...


oh i lie... so many things i do are based on other folks opinions


when I started adding garlic to my homemade fish-food, the difference was night and day. Immediately the fish quit being lethargic and the colors have deepened considerably and I haven't looked back... I've yet to have any fish sickness in my tank... <knock on wood>

I can't prove it was the garlic extract... (or that it wasn't)

 

I don't think it's a appetite stimulant. My fish have equally gone crazy for food since day 1. Well before I started using garlic. I can easily say they do not eat better since I've been using garlic... they get the same amount of food in the same intervals as always...