Feeding Cat Food to Fish?

[Wil]

So the other day I had finished feeding my cats and noticed a little wet food left in the can. I was already going to feed my fish next and thought, maybe they would like the cat food. So I added in some very small pieces one by one and they seemed to go crazy for it. My wife has done loads of research to make sure the cat food we use is clean high quality stuff. I am not worried about an ammonia spike as the tank is planted, understocked and seasoned. I think the ingredients should be fairly similar to fish food, at least the first few are. And the fish seem to like the new option. 

Has anyone else tried using a little canned cat food in their fish tank? Does anyone know right away that maybe a certain additive commonly used in cat food is deadly to fish?  

[Cory]

I don't think you'll run into many problems. Likely the only thing would be how clean it feeds out and if it leads to protein films on the top of the water. In moderation most things are fine.

[Torrey]

On 6/21/2022 at 9:47 PM, Wil said:

So the other day I had finished feeding my cats and noticed a little wet food left in the can. I was already going to feed my fish next and thought, maybe they would like the cat food. So I added in some very small pieces one by one and they seemed to go crazy for it. My wife has done loads of research to make sure the cat food we use is clean high quality stuff. I am not worried about an ammonia spike as the tank is planted, understocked and seasoned. I think the ingredients should be fairly similar to fish food, at least the first few are. And the fish seem to like the new option. 

Has anyone else tried using a little canned cat food in their fish tank? Does anyone know right away that maybe a certain additive commonly used in cat food is deadly to fish?  

We feed the turtle cat food occasionally, and have seen know negative affects on the fish. Too much will definitely lead to an oil film

[Brian]

I remember as a kid (old timers) talking about feeding dog foods to their fish.   Especially pond fish.  

[Its Hutch]

I've got cats too and the idea has never entered my head. Thanks for the food for thought.

[Gwallace]

A very interesting high protein option.  This would be a great long term experiment.

[Kristinn]

I know a lot of people who feed a high protein fish based cat food to their fish and they have a good experience, and its cheeper too. My fish didn't like it though. Protein film would be my only worry.

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/21/2022 at 8:47 PM, Wil said:

Does anyone know right away that maybe a certain additive commonly used in cat food is deadly to fish?  

I will just leave this here.  I sent an email to Xtreme asking them if they have looked into anything regarding their own fish meal they use.  I haven't heard back.  I'd highly recommend checking the movie out if you have amazon prime, it's short, amazing, and it's so well done.
 

 

[Wil]

On 7/12/2022 at 3:14 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

I will just leave this here.  I sent an email to Xtreme asking them if they have looked into anything regarding their own fish meal they use.  I haven't heard back.  I'd highly recommend checking the movie out if you have amazon prime, it's short, amazing, and it's so well done.
 

 

After watching Seaspiracy (on Netflix) we stopped buy fish based cat food for our cats. My wife and I were already almost completely vegan ourselves. Don't know if that changes anyone's answer to my question if I clarified it was chicken cat food I fed my fish. Luckily there are bug based foods for fish. 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/13/2022 at 2:26 PM, Wil said:

fter watching Seaspiracy (on Netflix) we stopped buy fish based cat food for our cats.

I'll have to give it a look.  Haven't heard of it.

It's definitely difficult these days, meaning, the struggle I go through daily as someone who prepares food for a group of people.... not having access to see the ingredients and having to "trust" or explain to others that necessarily won't care too much what is going into their body. 

I think it's a good step that we have so many people asking these kinds of questions, demanding, requesting, wanting to understand how things are processed for populations instead of just going to mcdonalds and going "mmm tasty"