What IS garlic supplement? Can I make it from fresh garlic?

[Newreeflady]

Hi guys,

I was told I might entice my puffer to eat by soaking his food in a garlic supplement. I don't have this on hand, but do have fresh garlic. Is this supplement just garlic extract concentrated down? ie, can I crush garlic, boil it, strain it, and then boil it down to get a concentrate and get the same thing?

Thanks!
Angela

 

[talon4x4]

No need to boil. I've been told to crush the garlic and use it just like that and use it immediately. The good part of the garlic is released as soon as its crushed and the longer it sits around the less potent it becomes. So every once in awhile I will crush up a small clove and mix it in with the frozen food. I've read that garlic supplements out there don't even come close to a freshly crushed garlic clove.

 

[Newreeflady]

Thanks, perfectly simple.

Angela

 

[talon4x4]

Its always nice to find something that is simple for our tanks!!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

what was DD feeding that toby?

 

[Newreeflady]

Lotsa stuff as per them (they pretty much listed everything: krill, silversides, raw shrimp, mysis, +++). They suggested to try garlic soaking the food and said that sometimes after shipping they might not eat prepared food right away. I put in some live black worms earlier and I saw him moving around a bit in the back so maybe he was hunting them. I was unable to find live brine in Ithaca nor Elmira. I realize the worms may have parasites, but I'm treating with Prazipro so figure that will catch them if they do. ??

I saw the puffer poop this morning, so he's eating something. Also, the seaweed was missing from the clip- can't be sure it didn't just detach and fly away, though. I put another piece of seaweed on there and a tiny chunk of krill. I can't put stuff on the sand or the hermits get it before the puffer. Maybe I should take them out??

I'm probably worried needlessly, but I'm concerned nonetheless. Tomorrow I will try a raw shrimp tail soaked in garlic.

Thanks, guys!
-A

 

[tmz]

Maybe the prazi suppressed his appetite.
I have a blue chin trigger( Xanthichthys auromarginatus) in qt now with prazi which is reacting in a similar way. Healthy but not hungry and was feeding heavily at the lfs. The garlic concentrate isn't helping.
As for garlic. Fresh is much better than the concentrates as the theory goes.. The theory on garlic's healing powers centers on allicin a substance garlic produces when bruised or cut . Allicin has antibiotic properties which protect the clove. Allicin is thought to be active for only a few hours after it is produced. So fresh may be better if garlic cures anything at all in marine fish which is a dubious hypothesis, imo.
Generally fish do seem to react to the scent of it and feed more aggressively when a garlic flavor is mixed with the food.

 

[Newreeflady]

Thanks, Tom. I was going to wait on the Prazi, but started it today. I've had him since Thursday, so the lack of zest for feeding wasn't the Prazipro since I just started it today.

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

I'm glad you put that straight Tom. The veterinarian's in our household professional opinion is, that in order for garlic to work medicinally one would probably have to feed an animal enough it would likely kill it. But what they hey, if it stimulates a fish to eat, then crush away!

 

[tmz]

Too much even as an appetite enhancer may cause some intestinal problems though. Allcin is known to do that in humans.
Another dubious theory is that the garlic in the water makes it harder for the cryptocaryon parasite to find it's host although there is no further explaination as to how this might occur.
All in all garlic has been in use for quite some time and I would expect serious evidence of medicinal properties for marine fish by now if there were any to be had.
I do use it sparingly form time to time as the fish seem to like it but then maybe I just think they do.

 

[mike73367336]

extreme garlic is good i soak froozen in it twicea week for my fish they love it.

 

[Newreeflady]

Puffer Update and Prazipro question

Puffer Update and Prazipro question

This morning I tossed in some mysis and live blackworms together and he amazing went for it right way. He was hunting his way through the water column then the sand and rocks. Yay!! I didn't even have to use the garlic.


The water is cloudy today after having dosed the Prazipro yesterday... not getting an ammonia reading and this is an established tank. Also, I forgot to remove the carbon I guess I should do a water change, wait a week and start Prazi again after actually removing the carbon since there is no way to tell how much has been removed by the carbon, right?

Thanks! Guess I should have titled the thread: General help for Angela and her pufferfish.

Angela

 

[tmz]

Glad he's eating.

 

[Newreeflady]

Me, too Tom. Really funny, he's a different fish today- guess he's just a slow acclimator.

The tank cleared up from this morning, not cloudy anymore. I went ahead and stopped the carbon, but probably it's too late?? Do you think the carbon removed all of the Prazipro?

Thanks!
Angela

 

[tmz]

I don't know, it probably removed enough to make it useless.