Food And Feeding
By Graham Quick & Terry White
A diet for the healthy Sturgeon
In a healthy diet there is a mixture of protein for growth, carbohydrates and fats for energy, mineral salts, water (not an issue for a fish!) and last but not least vitamins. For a diet to be balanced the correct proportions are needed to give the body the ability to grow at a sustainable rate and with the correct proportions. A balanced diet will not necessarily prevent illness but will help to defend against all but the most virulent diseases. Any group left out or in insufficient quantities will lead to malnutrition or under nutrition. Too much will lead to over nutrition (being fat!) It is also possible to overdose the fat-soluble vitamins, as many farmers have known for years. New research has shown that overdosing on some vitamins can be bad for humans! So remember if it is bad for you there is a good chance it will be bad for animals as well.
Rather than write a long and rather unexciting article on the various elements of a diet I have created a table with a bit about each.
| Element | Function | What it is found in |
|---|---|---|
| Carbohydrate | A source of energy. | Cereal crops. |
| Fat/Oil | A source of energy. | Vegetable oil, fish oil. |
| Protein | Provides the building blocks for the body to create tissue i.e. skin, muscle etc. | Meat and fish 'first class protein' or vegetable 'low class protein'. |
| Mineral salts | Used in the construction of bones, cells and various maintenance reactions carried out buy the body. | There are a larger number of minerals required and hence I have not mentioned them in detail. |
| Vitamins (Fat soluble) | ||
| A - Retinol (Also Retinal) | Supports vision, skin, bone and tooth growth, immunity and reproduction | Liver, and fish liver oil. |
| D - Calciferol | Promotes bone mineralization. Helps absorb calcium and phosphorus | Cod-liver oil, salmon, sardines and other oily fish. |
| E - Tocophenol | Antioxidant, regulation of oxidation reactions, supports cell membrane stabilization. | Soya beans, vegetable oil. |
| K - Phylloquinone | Synthesis of blood-clotting proteins, regulates blood calcium | Liver. |
| Vitamins (Water soluble) | ||
| B1 - Thiamin | Supports energy metabolism and nerve function. | Yeast, liver. |
| B2 - Riboflavin | Supports energy metabolism, normal vision and skin health. | Liver, fish. |
| B6 - Pyridoxine | Amino acid and fatty acid metabolism, red blood cell production. | Fish. |
| B5 - Pantothenic acid | Supports energy metabolism. | In most foods. |
| B3 - niacin (Nicotinic acid) | Supports energy metabolism, skin health, nervous system and digestive system. | Meat, liver, yeast extract. |
| B12 - Cyanocobalamin | Used in new cell synthesis, helps break down fatty acids and amino acids, supports nerve cell maintenance. | Fish, liver. |
| H - Biotin | Energy metabolism, fat synthesis, amino acid metabolism. | Yeast, liver, also made by intestinal bacteria. |
| C - Ascorbic acid | Collagen synthesis, amino acid metabolism, helps iron absorption and immune system. Antioxidant. | Fruit and vegetables. |
| M or Bc - Folic acid | Formation of red blood corpuscles. | Liver, yeast. |
What's in a good quality Sturgeon food?
Sturgeon cannot digest most plant proteins or carbohydrates (the bacteria and enzymes to do so are not present within their stomach) so their food needs a high fish meal / shrimp meal content. Avoid foods made from mainly soya and wheat, the fish may well eat it but it will not do them any good. The fish will become skinny and bent, as they live off their own muscle tissue and liver for a while before they die of starvation. Recent studies have shown that a small percentage of the required protein can be obtained from soya but it cannot replace fishmeal altogether.
Sturgeon need:
Protein (mostly fish meal) - minimum 40%, Oil, vitamins and minerals
Under ideal conditions in at summer temperatures sturgeon require between 2 - 3 % of their body weight per day depending on their size to grow at their correct natural rate.
Not all Sturgeon food is created equal
Some manufacturers, who care more about profits than the welfare of the fish, use mostly, or all, vegetable protein because it is cheaper to produce than animal protein. They are not fish farmers, they are not making their money from growing fish. They make their profits from the food.
Read the label. If it doesn't say what kind of protein is in it, beware! Ask yourself why they don't say. Is it because it contains only cheap vegetable protein and is therefore of no use whatsoever to your Sturgeon?
Orchard Fisheries Sturgeon Food
The most common question I am asked is why Orchard Fisheries Sturgeon food is the best choice for you sturgeon.
All our Sturgeon food is made and used by one of the largest Sturgeon farms in Europe. Obviously it has to be said that they growing the fish to increase the value (a Sturgeon farm is a business). The most important objective to get the best growth rate and least wastage for the least cost and in the quickest time.
Sturgeon Starter Food 2mm sinking pellets and 3mm sinking pellets
Formulated as complete food for small sturgeons. Also makes good treat for carp, koi, tench, barbel, loach and other bottom feeding pond and tropical fish.
Typical analysis: 44%(min) protein, 20% oil, 8.5% ash, 1.7% fibre Vitamins A, C, D3, E.
Ingredients: fish meal, fish oil, toasted soybean meal, maize gluten, wheat as binding agent, vitamin and mineral premix.
Vitamins: A 15000iu/kg, C 200mg/kg, D3 2000iu/kg, E 300mg/kg.
Sturgeon Food 6mm & 8mm sinking pellets
This food has been formulated especially for sturgeons but is great food for other bottom feeding fish without using vegetable proteins, which sturgeon can't digest.
Typical analysis: 42%(min) protein, 18% oil, 9% ash, 1.7% fibre. Vitamins A, C, D3, E.
Ingredients: fish meal, fish oil, toasted soybean meal, maize gluten, wheat as binding agent, vitamin and mineral premix.
Vitamins: A 15000iu/kg, C 1000iu/kg, D3 2000iu/kg, E 200mg/kg.
Orchard Fisheries Sturgeon / Sterlet Food Pellets for sale. Buy online or by phone.
Pellet to Sturgeon size
- 2mm pellet Starter Diet Sturgeon 10-20cm (4-8in)
- 3mm pellet Sturgeon 20-36cm (8-14in)
- 6mm pellet Sturgeon 36-61cm (14-24in)
- 8mm pellet Sturgeon over 61cm (24in)
except Stellatus; use 6mm until 76cm (30in)
Also available: Koi Premium Food, Koi Premium Colour and Pond Sticks