FAQ
General
Can I set up an online account?
Yes, having an online account with the Skretting Zebrafish web-shop will make it easier than ever to buy Skretting's zebrafish diets. The web-shop will not only allow you to make purchases at your convenience, 24 hours a day, but it will also save a history so you can duplicate past orders with ease.
What are the available size fractions of GEMMA MICRO?
- GEMMA MICRO 75 (50-100 microns)
- GEMMA MICRO 150 (100-200 microns)
- GEMMA MICRO 300 (200-500 microns)
- GEMMA MICRO 500 (400-700 microns)
What is the nutrient profile of GEMMA MICRO?
Protein 59%; Lipids 14%; Fiber 0.2%; Ash 14%; Phosphorus 1.3%; Calcium 1.5%; Sodium 0.7%; Vitamin A 23000 IU/kg; Vitamin D3 2800 IU/kg; Vitamin C 1000mg/kg; Vitamin E 400mg/kg. For more specific nutritional information please contact your Skretting representative.
At what age can I begin feeding GEMMA MICRO 75, and how frequently do I feed it to the larvae?
GEMMA MICRO 75 can be used as a start feed for newly hatched zebrafish larvae. Feeding can begin on 5 days post-fertilization. Tanks with newly hatched larvae should be fed GEMMA MICRO 75 ad libitum a minimum of three times daily.
At what age can I begin feeding GEMMA MICRO 150, and how frequently do I feed it to juveniles?
Transition to GEMMA MICRO 150 can be done around 15 days post-fertilization. Feed ad libitum three times daily until transition to GEMMA MICRO 300.
At what age can I begin feeding GEMMA MICRO 300, and how frequently do I feed it to sub-adult and adult spawning fish?
Transition to GEMMA MICRO 300 can be done around 30 days post-fertilization. Feeding can be done twice daily for sub-adult fish, and once daily for adult spawning fish. GEMMA MICRO 300 is sufficient size to feed to adult fish, however, some programs transition to GEMMA MICRO 500 during adult stage depending on characteristics of the housing system.
What feeding rate should I use GEMMA MICRO 300 when feeding to adult fish?
Feeding rate can start at 5% body weight during sub-adult stage, and decrease to 3% during adult spawning phase.
Do I need to use paramecium or rotifers when feeding GEMMA MICRO 75/150?
It is not necessary to feed live feed when GEMMA MICRO is provided to zebrafish at all lifestages according to recommendation. For laboratories that prefer to use rotifers as a first feed to zebrafish, GEMMA MICRO 75 can be used as a cofeeding diet with eventual removal of rotifers at the transition to GEMMA MICRO 150.
Do I need to use Artemia when feeding GEMMA MICRO 300?
It is not necessary to feed Artemia to zebrafish. Feeding GEMMA MICRO 300 once daily has been proven to replace Artemia and provide as good or better results in spawning performance, fecundity, and egg quality.
What studies have been done to validate GEMMA MICRO as a complete diet for all life stages of zebrafish?
Lawrence, Best, James and Maloney. The effects of feeding frequency on growth and reproduction in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Aquaculture 368-369 (2012) 103-108. The Successful Elimination of Live Food from a High Throughput Zebrafish Facility. Carrie Barton, Sinnhuber Aquatic Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, USA. In preparation. (Presented at Aquaculture America 2015).
What is the effect of GEMMA MICRO on full life cycle survival?
When compared to control groups fed Artemia + dry diets, GEMMA MICRO program resulted in higher survival when measured at 30dpf and 90dpf (Barton 2015).
What is the effect of GEMMA MICRO on spawning success and fecundity when used as an Artemia replacement for adult fish?
When compared to control groups fed Artemia + dry diets, treatments fed solely GEMMA MICRO 300 resulted in higher breeding success, more embryos produced per spawn, and significantly greater lifetime embryo production.
Can GEMMA MICRO help me to simplify processes in my lab and reduce costs?
GEMMA MICRO can not only save on the direct cost of consumables (Artemia cysts and algae), but also on all the associated labor in maintaining these processes in the laboratory. No longer does the capacity of the live feed preparation room dictate the usable area for housing fish.
Where is GEMMA MICRO manufactured and according to what regulations/guidelines? What is the sanitary condition at the factory?
GEMMA MICRO is manufactured at Skretting France located on 24 Le Pont de Pierre in the town of Fontaine Les Vervins, FRANCE. Skretting France is certified by ISO 9001:2008, Global GAP, and AFNOR. Feed production at Skretting France adheres strictly to EU Regulations on Feed Production, and is licensed by French Ministry of Agriculture and Veterinarian Services.
The feed line for GEMMA MICRO is managed under strict sanitary guidelines. For example, after each batch production or maximum of 15 hours of operation, there is a phase mandatory cleaning and disinfection of the production line.
All raw materials for GEMMA MICRO production are kept in plastic bags or filmed big bags on pallets, separated by automatic closing system, and floor cleaned daily.
Upon export, Health Certificates are issued by government veterinarian of France in accordance with requirements by USDA APHIS. Feed batches are confirmed salmonella free and no risk of BSE.
GEMMA MICRO is imported to the USA and sold via Bio-Oregon (Westbrook, Maine). Bio-Oregon holds and maintains all necessary importation permits with USDA.
Is GEMMA MICRO sterilized?
While GEMMA MICRO is manufactured and packaged under strict hygienic controls, it is not irradiated or certified sterile.
What is the shelf life of GEMMA MICRO? How long can I use it once the bag is opened? Can I freeze GEMMA MICRO to extend the shelf life on opened bags? How about vacuum sealing smaller aliquots?
GEMMA MICRO is immediately packaged under nitrogen to remove oxygen from bags. Furthermore, specialized packaging for GEMMA MICRO prevents entry of oxygen on sealed bags. As a result of this packaging and confirmed nutritional analysis of hold-back samples, GEMMA MICRO has guaranteed composition for 2 year from production on un-opened bags.
Once the bag is opened, product should be used within 30 days under normal storage (refrigeration). Vacuum sealing can extend shelf life, but caution should be taken not to compress diet too tightly as to alter the physical properties. GEMMA MICRO can be put into freezer to extend shelf life close to expire date. Caution should be taken not to freeze with moisture in the bag, and during defrost when moisture can form from condensation.
Can I "wet" feed GEMMA MICRO, or does it need to be fed dry?
GEMMA MICRO can be fed to tanks in water using a squirt bottle. Duration of "wet" feeding should be kept short. For example, feeding only one rack side at a time, and then reload bottle. Do not shake bottle. Mix by inverting bottle several times before feeding tank. Do not store Gemma Micro in water.
Can I use GEMMA MICRO in hand feed dispensers or automatic feeding systems?
GEMMA MICRO has excellent free-flowing physical characteristics. The feed will remain free from clumping while in a properly closed container. This aspect is innovated into the diet which makes it exceptional for hand feeders, programmable feeders, feeding robots, and belt feeders.
What is the smallest size packaging for GEMMA MICRO?
GEMMA MICRO 75, 150 and 300 are available in 0.5kg bag units. GEMMA MICRO 500 is only sold in 2.5kg bag units.
Are there any discounts for purchasing GEMMA MICRO in larger quantity?
Yes. We offer a discount on whole case purchases of GEMMA MICRO 300 and 500. Cases are 20kg which includes 8 bags of 2.5kg each.
How do I order GEMMA MICRO? Can I order GEMMA MICRO using a purchase order?
GEMMA MICRO can be purchased from our webshop www.zebrafish.skrettingusa.com using a credit card. For whole case purchases and/or purchases using a PO, please contact Bio-Oregon directly (1-207-591-7077 or chris.shilale@bio-oregon.com).
Products
Are there other Skretting products available online?
Of the Skretting Marine Hatchery Feeds, only Ori-One and GEMMA Micro are available online.
If you are located in Europe, however, you can find Skretting's bait feed, carp/course feed, trout feed, ornamental feed, and zebrafish diets in the Skretting UK webshop.
Where can I buy the products that are not sold online?
More Skretting USA products can be found here. To purchase any of these products, please contact Skretting in Utah, USA at 800-521-9092.
Shipping
What is the estimated shipping time?
We endeavour to process all orders within two business days. The shipping times are given in the drop-down menu when you choose your shipping method, just before you purchase your product. The shipping time and price depend on your choice of shipping method and carrier.
What do I do if my feed arrives late?
You can track your shipment on the carriers' websites. However, if your shipment is very late, please send an email to zebrafishnorthamerica@skretting.com. Note that any issues that arise during transport must be settled with the carrier.
Can the web-shop be used to make international orders?
No, currently the web-shop is only available for orders with delivery locations within the USA. For product information outside the USA, please go to http://www.skretting.com and click on products for your global location or e-mail zebrafishnorthamerica@skretting.com. If you are located in Europe, please go to our Skretting UK web-shop to order our zebrafish diets.
Payment
What is the Skretting USA Cancellation Policy?
All purchases made via our web-shop are final. Order cancellations will only be accepted within 24 hours of purchase. To cancel an order fill in the form located in the "contact" page. Choose order cancellation in the drop-down menu and fill in your name, e-mail and the reason for cancellation. Note that we process cancellations only from Monday to Friday, 8.30 AM to 5 PM, EDT Time.
What is the Skretting Zebrafish Refund and Return policy?
Because fish feed is a perishable item, Skretting USA is not able to offer refunds or exchanges or accept returns for the feed purchased on this web-shop. All sales are final. You can find our Refund Policy here.
I did not receive my receipt (order confirmation), what do I do?
Send an e-mail to zebrafishnorthamerica@skretting.com and we will send the receipt to you.
What do I do if my payment does not go through?
If your payment does not go through, please try again. If this does not work, please notify us via e-mail zebrafishnorthamerica@skretting.com and we will assist you.
How secure is it to purchase products from the online store?
It is very secure to purchase from our store. When you use your credit card in our web-shop, the information is encrypted by using a secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored with an AES-256 encryption. To learn more, please check out our Privacy Policy.
If I am tax-exempt, how can I indicate this when I check out with your payment gateway?
Skretting USA is required to charge tax in the states in which we have a physical presence. Therefore, if you are located in the states of Utah, Idaho, Maine and Washington, we have to charge you a tax on our products. However, if you are tax-exempt and you are located within the four aforementioned states, you can buy our products in our Tax-Exempt Collection and thus avoid being charged tax. Please note that you have to send us a scan/copy or fax of your Certificate of Exemption in order to be eligible for the tax-exemption. These diets are clearly marked with "Tax Exemption" in the product name and can be found via a link in our frontpage or by clicking here.
You can send a scan of your certificate and fax it to 435.277.2101. You can also send it via post to the following address: Skretting USA, 712 East 2400 North, Utah, USA, 84074.
Do I have to pay taxes when I buy products from your store?
We are required to charge county, municipal, and state taxes for regions our business has a physical presence in. We are located in Idaho, Maine, Utah and Washington, so for these four states, we are required to charge taxes. If applicable, taxes will be added to the total amount on the checkout page.
Feed Quality
What do I do if something is wrong with my feed upon arrival?
In the unlikely event that something is wrong with your feed upon arrival, please contact Skretting at 207-591-7077 no more than 5 days after delivery of the feed.
How long can I store my feed?
The best-before-date of the feed is provided on the Skretting label on your feed.
Where should I store my feed?
Skretting feeds should be stored in a cool and dry place without direct sunlight. You do not need to freeze your feed.
Policies
To stay up-to-date on our policies, please read our Refund Policy, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy.