Fish Food *How Does NorthFin Compare to the Best Selling Brands?*

If you want to feed your fish the best, watch this video! In it I do a side-by-side detailed comparison between some of the most popular fish foods including: Xtreme, Sera, Hikari and Dainichi. How did they stack up and where does NorthFin fit in the mix? This is my Honest Product Review of NorthFin fish food and I hope it helps you to gain a little insight into what makes a good quality fish food and helps you to provide your fish with the best nutrition!
Thank you to NorthFin for sending out the food for evaluation and to John Hudson at KGTropicals for pointing them my way!
Check out the NorthFin food line here: keepfishkeeping.com/collectio...
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[@BenOchart]

Check out the NorthFin food line here: keepfishkeeping.com/collections/cichlid-food/products/northfin-cichlid-formula

[@rootsnwhiskers8351]

Ya it was really nice of John to give Northfin your info to send you all the free products 🙂

[@BenOchart]

Yes. A win-win for all of us. NF is a smaller operation and is looking for content creators to help with promoting their product.

[@cichlid_kings]

Great fish food. I use Northfin & Xtreme. Looking forward to that interview 😀

[@rymaccichlids5999]

Northfin all day every day in my opinion

[@petercooper5777]

North fin all the way it's the best food I found

[@BENfromSUNDIAL]

I'm in a small Ontario town with no LFS, and NorthFin seems like the best deal I can get on Amazon, from the foods I see used most on KZbin. It's good to see you approve. I'm only just setting up my tank, but I'll be stocking the pantry soon with NorthFin!

[@theherdwaveaquatics6309]

Love how you explained nutrition in a really easy to follow way. I feed all my African Cichlids NorthFin, I find it keeps them happy and healthy. Right up my alley, great video. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@BenOchart]

Thank you!

[@peasandhapsforever110]

I use northfin cichlid , Northfin Krill gold and xtreme for my African cichlids and they love it. Been using Northfin for about 3 years now. I’m Canadian so I like to support our industry

[@BenOchart]

Watch for my upcoming interview with Jeff at NorthFin. Should be a lot of fun and very enlightening. I'm going to ask him to clarify what each ingredient is and what it means, like the ash, phosphates, fat, wheat, etc.

[@jeffmountjoy5212]

Thank you for your support of NorthFin, Peas and haps forever!

[@jerrysfishroom3579]

NorthFin Krill is a part of my mix.

[@Jerry-lj3cf]

Ben I am in love with all your tanks and beautiful fish. I like the fact that you never try to sway anyone from what you are talking about, you always tell your opinion about the food or product you are showing you are a fine upstanding gentleman and we all Thank You for your honesty. ❤😊

[@BenOchart]

Thank you Jerry, very kind of you

[@DjPosey3]

Thanks for the info Uncle Ben.. I have Xtreme,Rons,Cichlid Shef,Omega 1, Hakari But I really like the Northfin Veggie, I use it Very heavily with all of my Africans cichlids and i also give them Northfin krill sometimes

[@TheSalient1]

Ben my main food is Xtreme , I also like to alternate with new life spectrum , check out new life spectrum it has good garlic in it which Xtreme lacks ,it’s a high end food as well and has the Antarctic krill and other good ingredients, they also make a betta food and a probiotic mix u can sprinkle in , I keep omega one and cobalt , along with bug bites on the side but I think I’m going to get down to just Xtreme and NLS, I don’t see where Xtreme has pro biotics either but not sure if pro biotics really does anything as with human 🤷🏼‍♂️….check nls out let me know your thoughts would love to see a video on it from you my fish love the garlic in it which is good for alot of things for the fish

[@Eden_Rivers]

I do like Northfin. I use their pellets for my goldfish and bettas. I do really like Repashy as well.

[@will_au34]

I use the Community pellets and the Kelp Wafers. Both are big hits. I also use a few products from Hikari and Xtreme.

[@jammingontheone1666]

Thanks Ben. I always learn a lot from your reviews. I am a big Northfin and Xtreme fan. I have been moving more to Xtreme, but your analysis has renewed my faith in Nortfin. Keep up the great work!

[@BenOchart]

Thank you. Watch for the upcoming NF interview. Should be out his coming week.

[@srf6161]

I use Northfin veggie for my mbunas...Sera is good also....

[@markfranklin8831]

Very cool video great comparison. Thanks for sharing

[@miked6335]

I was having a cloudy water problem with my admittingly overstocked (with corydoras) low 20. I had been feeding them Hikari wafers for a number of years. There wasn't a problem until a few batches of fry grew to adulthood. I figured fry meant decent food. But with more fish came the cloudy water. After watching an old Prime Time Aquatic video on Northfin, I compared the ingredients. Hikari went from Fish Meal staright to Wheat flour with Northfin offering Kelp, Krill, Herring and Sardine meals before Wheat flour. There is a noticable difference in the clarity of the water. I'm not sure if your 'Fish Test' proved if Northfin is a good qualilty fish food. If you handed out free donuts at Disney World, you'd get the same reaction. You did prove that the fish will eat it which I guess was the point..

[@marcusmcclung7330]

Great video. I almost added this on your last addiction to fish tanks video. When - I am particular and calculating on my fish's food while my kids eat pizza processed chicken tenders.

[@BenOchart]

OMG, so true for so many fish keeping parents, LOL!

[@fs2740]

I think you'll find that the ash content is indicative of the amount of minerals in the food. Ash in the analysis isn't a bad thing.

[@jbravo7505]

Ben I use NEW LIFE SPECTRUM , and my cichlids love it and the ingredients are very similar to NORTHFIN

[@BenOchart]

I stopped using NLS years ago because of cloudy water issues, but I understand that they have improved the formula since then.

[@AQUAFUNK]

I do a mix as well but as I see it from what you just went over I feel like the north fin wills by a mile. At one time I was all about north fin but like you I drifted away but after this I think 8m going to use it as my base food in my mix

[@BenOchart]

Let me know how your fish respond to it.

[@crystalc9036]

Thank you for doing this. I’ve been going in circles about what food is good for fish. Like you said I know dog food, I don’t know what makes a good fish food. I gathered all the foods I have and after your discussion I am tossing 2 of them. Not sure about the shrimp pellets. All the fish love it as long as I break it up but shrimp meal is first followed by wheat flour which makes me uncomfortable. I bought the northfin kelp wafers a while ago but stopped using them. My cories, otos and pleco were ignoring them and it was clouding the water. Recently I gave them another shot by grinding them up and sprinkling it in as they eat it which has worked out much better. The cories now go straight for it. And my tetras enjoy them as well. Having kelp, krill, herring, and sardine I am thinking it is ok for all my fish. I look forward to you interviewing the companies you mentioned.

[@BenOchart]

Crystal, you're grinding up their kelp wafers ... you're spoiling those fish, LOL! Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@deedeewass3047]

Thank you for going over different fish food. I feed Omega One, Northfin and Bug Bites to my blood parrot cichlids. I also saw that amazing fish farm and was considering switching out my Northfin food for Xtreme. With Xtreme being a bit more expensive then the foods I buy now I was wondering if it really was the better of them all. Now I know that there is not a whole lot of difference so I can rest my mind and save money!

[@Brrraaad]

I’ve been using NorthFin for years, i mix up the Cichlid, Veggie and Krill blends, it’s been my staple. However, I recently started adding in New Life Spectrum, Ron’s and feed them frozen krill and freeze dried krill once a week as a treat. Thank you for the information, I enjoy your content.

[@BenOchart]

Thank you. I’m big on feeding variety.

[@0101german]

I've tried several different brands of food. Northfin and Dainichi are ones I go back to, my fish look a little skinnier then with other foods but with something like extreme my frontosa just don't like it and the colors don't pop as much. My fish like things like hikari and omega brands better so they get it from time to time but northfin I think is a solid product

[@robertjohnston25]

I prefer feeding frozen foods, but Northfin is my go-to for Dry foods all the time. I love that they sink very easily and don’t end up in my overflows then down to my sump. One question I’d love to have answered from a rep if you haven’t done the interview yet, is: Why does the Veggie and Kelp recipe still only contain 5% fiber? Wouldn’t being a plant based food give it more fiber?

[@BenOchart]

Here is a link to their page on Facebook: facebook.com/groups/469068847977778/

[@jeffmountjoy5212]

The Kelp we use at NorthFin actually has a low to moderate level of fiber. Digestible carbohydrates (of marine origin) make up a more significant portion of this natural “seaweed”. For grazing-type herbivore fish this marine sourced ingredient is easily digested and metabolized by these fishes. Any excess minerals (and kelp is rich in minerals which is good!) and any indigestible fiber is pooped out by the fish just like in nature. Some ingredients have high to very high fiber levels such as brans, alfalfa and certain types of wheat products. Their use can increase fiber to undesirable levels causing quicker pass through of the food in the fish increasing solid waste and affecting optimum nutrient absorption.

[@robertjohnston25]

@@jeffmountjoy5212 wow that’s awesome. I’ve had this question on my mind for a long time as I’ve been a big fan of northfin for years :)

[@underthebus5801]

I’m close to opening a bag of PE Mysis pellets for freshwater fish in anticipation of getting more red color from my Blood Parrots (mostly pink in color). Currently feeding New Life Spectrum Ultra Red with little color change but good ingredients. This video has me thinking of combining brands. Thank you.

[@BenOchart]

I think combining fills in the gaps or shortcomings of each brand. PE is an excellent company. I did an interview with the owner and was very impressed. You can see that interview here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bKPOdn2Xm7qCjq8

[@robertsowinski164]

I always look at the ingredient labels on the foods I've always looked for the Ash content and the protein level, but unless you have some of them like you are doing side by side you really get an idea of the difference. My fish love the extreme, I have not tried the Sera yet. Nor the North fin. But I would like to try them both.

[@henrybowman7887]

I use a combination of Ron's Mbuna mix/North Fin veggie formula/ Xtreme Nice... They seem to be doing well with this blend...

[@jlmm3968]

I use north fin and Ron’s cichlid one thing I like about north fin water doesn’t get cloudy after I soak pellets like other foods

[@len6482]

I fed Northin for years. I switched over to Xtreme and have never looked back. I'd recommend not mixing the food. Seems like it makes sense but when I did it it really hindered the results I'm getting now exclusively on Xtreme.

[@davec1294]

Hey Ben I just recently switched to Cobalt spirulina and cichlid flakes for my African cichlids and loaches and they all seem to love it and far les waste when I do vacuum maintenance.

[@BenOchart]

That's a great outcome

[@j.t.cooper2963]

👍🏻😎Dainichi and Hikari are a big let down, especially the Dainichi since it's touted as such a high quality fish food and costs a fortune compared to other brands. My fish don't like it either compared to the Northfin and Xtreme. I prefer the Northfin and Xtreme and I also like the Fluval bug bites fish food. Those are the only 3 foods I will buy now and my fish all love it.

[@jhuckobey]

I tend to like different foods from different brands. Xtreme krill flake, hikari frozen foods, sera bottom feeder tabs, and the occasional repashy. I feel like each company has something they excel at making.

[@BenOchart]

My exact same feelings.

[@sea9850]

I like to mix different kinds of food then grind with a pepper grinder. I have had less fish bloating since

[@toddmarr1400]

Ben, I’ve was in the hobby 20 yrs, just now getting back in. I’m keeping Africans as always! Lol. I bought a small can of omega pellets. After feeding my water clouds up bad. Is this possible junk food? My tank is clear as long as I feed other foods. But my fish eat it very good! Thanks, enjoy your content.

[@aturney0337]

Seems almost a 1:1 between NorthFin and Xtreme. I'm a fish food hoarder, so i have a bit of everything including Vitalis ( weird labeling, made in Germany I believe). All my fish like everything between NorthFin and Xtreme, which are the 2 brands I'd recommend, except the community pellets. Xtreme seemed noticeably more popular.

[@TuggerrrNutzz]

I feed my African cichlids (peacocks/ 14:35 haps) daily: 1.) Sera Color Flakes (breakfast) 2.) Sera Cichlid Granured x Fluval Bug Bites Cichlid formula mix together (dinner) This has given me great results couldn’t be happier… Fish are lively and colorful. I’ve used both Northfin and Xtreme, NLS and Ron’s Cichlids. Yet this is best result I’ve seen transformation wise. I’m 5 months in with this mix.

[@BenOchart]

Sera is legit!

[@carlwagers9829]

Ben, It is 9:41 pm you have grand kids! You need all the sleep you can get so go to bed! 😂

[@BenOchart]

LOL! You're right Carl, goodnight, LOL!!!

[@awakenedanarchism4202]

I feed Bug Bites to my black nasties, cubans, dovii, jaguar and flowerhorns

[@hardybryan]

For my money, New Life Spectrum still has the best ingredients list.

[@aquariumhacksbymarcus5653]

Hikari vibra bites bug bites and Extreme are my basic fish food that I use besides occasional feeding of Frozen brine shrimp or dry brine shrimp and sometimes even the Tetra Brand the reason why I don't use Northfin or New Life spectrum anymore because the food seem to be hard at least harder than the food's I've described my smaller lake Tanganyika cichlids seem to take these other foods more readily. With Northfin and NLS the fish try to eat it they chew on it and then give uo. Softer foods in my opinion are better

[@jeffmountjoy5212]

Live foods and soft-moist foods of course are and can be excellent and natural choices for feeding our fishes. However this is not possible or practical for many hobbyists and this is why we offer dry extruded fish food formulas which have a good shelf life and can be formed into many different sizes or shapes. Great care is taken by quality fish food manufacturers to produce a pellet that has good physical characteristics and a hardness/ density level that is ideal for feeding most aquarium fishes.

[@Rick-xy4bt]

Ben, when you do your interview with Jeff, could you maybe ask about distribution and product availability. I live in Canada so one would think it would be easily available. It has improved, but their flakes for example, are very difficult to find. I can only get the big tubs of flakes which is too much for the average hobbyist. They do have smaller packages now being produced, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. Would love to support them more but product availability is an issue.

[@BenOchart]

I will ask him about that.

[@NorthLVLowRoller]

This was really interesting. I'm growing out 3 younger Oranda right now and this made me want to compare the 3 Pellets I'm feeding them. Hikari Lionhead had most fillers like your Hikari. This one is nuts I bought Hulx Super Red for a Male Oranda I want his dark orange to redden as much as possible, Hulx is used in Thailand for the purpose I'm using it now, #1 show winner food. Here's some numbers: Crude Protein 60% Crude fat 10% Moisture 6% Ash 6% Fish meal?, Shrimp meal, Whey Protein, Fish oil, Mussel powder, Honey bee, Squid powder, egg powder, it doesn't get to the 1 filler until #9 soybean & wheat. This is like body builder fish food, lol It also turns the fish's poo white and my tank water white but I do 2 water changes a day for the grow out process for constant fresh water for grow out process.

[@BenOchart]

I really like the low moisture and ash (6%) in that brand. I wonder if some ingredient could be swapped out to stop the clouding of the water? I know that New Life Spectrum had a clouding issue before but they fixed it. If it's working for you, don't change a thing :)

[@NorthLVLowRoller]

@@BenOchart I did a similar video today for my Goldfish foods, I'm going to tag you in it because this video inspired me to look and compare ingredients. This video was really helpful and made me stop feeding one food that was 15% ash.

[@JPReptilesCanada]

I tried North Fin for a short period but it made all the water in my tanks absolutely stink!! Couldn’t deal with it so I went to Xtreme. Fish love it and doesn’t affect the water smell at all.

[@BenOchart]

JP, that's odd that it would do that??? I'll monitor closely.

[@jeffmountjoy5212]

There should be no reason why our NorthFin product would cause a “stinky” water issue if the food was fed properly and the aquarium water quality well managed. I believe that some other factor(s) may have contributed to this unfortunate situation.

[@JPReptilesCanada]

@@jeffmountjoy5212 I can promise you there are no other factors. My tanks are absolutely crystal clear like glass, water changes are done twice a week, you won’t even find a single spec of algae anywhere. I am incredibly thorough and OCD! Something about North Fin would make my water stink, as soon as I stop using it everything went back to normal. I’ve had 0 issues with water smell on Xtreme or any other fish food. Granted I was having this issue specifically with my mbuna on the veggie formula. But that experienced turned me off from trying the other types of North Fin foods. I’ve tried it multiple times and it’s the same result. Ends up with me throwing out the food as I don’t use it. I’m not trying to bash the brand, it’s a great formula but there’s something in the veggie formula that stank up my water after a few days of using it.

[@GSP-76]

I used Northfin before but i prefer Xtreme now...i find Xtreme to be the best overall food.

[@ace03cobra67]

I wish extreme have garlic

[@HalfManHalfCichlid]

I bought Northfin recently because I wanted a larger sinking pellet. My fish have been spoiled with Xtreme and ignored the Northfin. It does appear that Northfin has scaled back their marketing too, while Xtreme has increased their marketing.

[@BenOchart]

Interesting outcome.

[@michaelhaines3451]

I think whitefish is a specific species of fish.

[@BenOchart]

You might be right.

[@akhileshthapa_fishbro86]

No Northfin, Dainichi, NLS here in India... Hikari is available. What to do? 🤔

[@BenOchart]

You should write to the companies. Maybe they’d make you a local distributor?

[@akhileshthapa_fishbro86]

@@BenOchart There are distributors here but there's been some policy changes with importing fish food hence there's no stock here.

[@petrl.]

jen by ty peletky mohli dělat ve dvou velikostech,ty co prodávajía třeba 5 mm pro velký civhlidy, ty 2mm moc malý, jinak pěkný video, jen tak dál ať se daří.

[@jeffmountjoy5212]

At NorthFin we offer 4mm and 6mm pellet sizes in our Jumbo formula. We also have 3mm Tropical sticks and a 10mm Carnivore pellet for larger cichlids and other exotic “monsterfish”.

[@petrl.]

Thank you for your reply, unfortunately some feeds are not commonly available in our country, maybe only through amazon. I'm from the Czech Republic, but I've been watching you for more than a year and a half, and some of your videos helped me make a decision.@@jeffmountjoy5212

[@dannyhoogenboom885]

Hey Ben , Why dont you try getting Origin Aquatic nutrition from the UK new food and its fantastic to try it out

[@BenOchart]

I'll keep an eye out. I haven't see it here in the US.

[@dannyhoogenboom885]

@@BenOchart great food , i live in europe i used to feed them northfin and Xtreme but its hard to get now and really expensive to ship , for now im using origin aquatic nutrition really awesome food and my fish looks amazing, great video btw sharing your food experience. Would be awesome if you get some and make a video of it the experience from the food

[@zanebass5171]

What about Ron’s cichlids food. Can you do a review on that one?

[@mickeysr5817]

It has been a long day 😂

[@aheimsvensson1573]

Cover your bottom with leafs and grow a microfauna to create a natural food source for your fish and just complement with water polluting fishfood from time to time That´s what a serious fishkeeper do

[@roderodeo123]

NLS. The best fish food ever. Period.