"We are not prepared to compromise"

Fish can't speak, at any rate not in a language that we understand and a fish wouldn't necessarily refuse what is served up to it, resulting in many aquarists feeding their fish on the cheapest food. However, according to Dieter Untergasser, inferior food is highly detrimental to fish health. He has been working as a researcher for Sera since 1995 and, based on his experience, gives regular presentations to retailers and consumers at seminars and training courses. He has also written books on the subject of diseases in ornamental fish.
High-quality fish food strengthens the mucous membranes, reduces susceptibility to infection and promotes healing processes by rebuilding a disrupted resorption capacity of the gut. At the same time, good food helps to activate intestinal movement and create a healthy and complete digestive process. The result is lower water loading due to a reduction in faeces, which has a positive impact in turn on the biological equilibrium in the aquarium.

Sera states that it only uses high-grade fish meal for its food. The fish can utilise 96 per cent of this, while they can only utilise 60 per cent of soya meal. The fish meal Sera uses is obtained by processing whole fish and is thus not just composed of so-called fish by-products. Sera uses no soya meal at all; the amino acid composition of this does not satisfy the needs of the fish, which soon begin to display symptoms of deficiency. Soya meal also contains a high concentration of phytic acid, which reduces the uptake of calcium, magnesium and other essential minerals, resulting in interrupted growth and deformities. Phytoestrogens are present in soya meal too, which can make male fish sterile.
Sera states that it studies trends in fish nutrition carefully, analysing whether new products that appear are actually innovations beneficial to fish or just clever marketing ploys.  When the company develops a new product, it wants to be able to give it its full backing and sell it with a clear conscience. It cites the new "sera Probiotic" line, which has been scientifically proven to have a positive effect on fish health, as an example of this.

As well as the considered selection of high-grade natural raw materials, which are obtained in an environmentally…