TetraMin Plus Tropical Flakes Review
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Introduction
Tetra is perhaps the largest aquarium company in the US today. Many new people to the hobby use their products because of their widespread availability. Some like there products and some dislike their products. Personally, I like some of the products and would pass on others. The TetraMin Plus is one product that I enjoy using myself.
One thing I find puzzling and aggravating is Tetra’s overwhelming amount of fish food options, specifically in the tropical flake food category. There are four different types of tropical flake foods distributed by Tetra. They sell TetraMin, TetraMin Plus, TetraColor, and TetraColor Plus.
My hope with this article is to not only talk about the TetraMin Plus fish food but also to discuss some of the differences between it and the other types of foods offered.
This review of the TetraMin Plus tropical flake food is from my personal experience as an aquarium hobbyist.
TetraMin vs. TetraMin Plus vs. TetraColor vs. TetraColor Plus
I figured I should start with this topic since it helps explain why I will cover the TetraMin Plus in the following review. As stated before, I find having four flake options to be a little excessive. Especially based on the fact that they all seem to be the same food.
I have spent entirely too much time standing in a pet store staring at the ingredients lists of these foods. The only major difference I can find is that the TetraMin Plus is the only one that contains krill in the ingredients. The other main difference I find with these is that the TetraColors may have a little more shrimp meal than the others.
In my opinion the krill alone makes the TetraMin Plus worth the buy over the others, but I don’t think there are any clear winners amongst the group. They all differ very little on price as well, which also doesn’t set one apart from the others.
Do Fish Like the Food?
I find that practically all of my tropical fish enjoy the TetraMin Plus flakes. This includes common fish like my guppies and platies, and even some others like my Apistogramma Cacatuoides. In fact, I find that compared to some of my other more expensive fish foods, my fish attack this one with a little more vigor. This is not always the best way of checking for a good food, but the fish need to eat it to get the nutrition needed.
Package Sizing and Pricing
Being one of the larger fish food brands out there, they are able to keep the prices down quite low. They come in multiple sizes with the 7.06oz costing about $14. This comes out to about $2 an ounce. If you want to buy in bulk, you can even get the standard flakes in a 4.52lb for about $40. Another reason the food is cheaper is because of the ingredients. See that section below for more information.
Flake Overview
The flakes are pretty standard as far as size and thickness go. They break up fairly easy and come in at a decent size upon opening. It can be annoying with some foods if they are all broken, and you end up with just a powdered food.
Ingredient Quality
TetraMin Plus tropical flakes have pretty standard ingredients as far as most lower cost fish foods go. Fish meal, shrimp meal, wheat gluten, and dried yeast are the primary sources of protein. These seem to be common in a lot of foods you will find because of their lower cost.
The other ingredients are binders to keep the food together and a bunch of vitamins to help make sure the proper nutrients are available.
The one ingredient I really like in this food is the krill. Krill is a good protein source and can be great to help with the coloration in your fish. This is because of the astaxanthin it contains. As stated in the beginning of the article, this helps separate it from the other flake foods available from Tetra.
Where to Buy TetraMin Plus
It’s hard to not find a store that carries the classic TetraMin flake food, even some grocery stores will carry it. However, it can be a little more difficult to find the TetraMin Plus fish food. You should still be able to find it in a shop near you, but if not, it is readily available online. I have a link to buy some from Amazon at the bottom of the article, if you would like to use it.
My Final Verdict
I am sure that there are many “smarter” hobbyists out there who will talk about the cheapness and poor quality of this food. However, the food contains all of the necessary ingredients to keep your fish alive and well. I personally think it is a great option for most tropical fish, and it helps with keeping cost low if you are on a tight budget.
I would also like to mention that foods with higher quality, more expensive ingredients, and less binders are good. They can help keep waste low in the aquarium and can be helpful for the fish. But, just like humans shouldn’t always eat the same thing, I would recommend using some other fish foods to help vary the diet. This can help the fish have a well-rounded and healthy diet.
Thanks for reading!
Click here to check out some more of my fish food reviews and leave a comment below if you have tried this food for yourself.
If you believe this food is something you would like to try, feel free to use the link below to purchase some for yourself.