Is it ok to feed fish flake food?

[Anonymous]

I've been feeding my fish frozen foods, like Formula 1, etc., frozen brine shrimp, the larger ones frozen krill, etc.

After getting what I suspect was a bad batch of frozen food that killed a couple of fish and an anemone about 6 months ago, I have been a bit nervous about the quality of frozen foods. This was only made worse when I was at a LFS a week ago and noticed their frozen food freezer was at about 65 F, and so were the contents. The same foods were being sold out of a different freezer yesterday; needless to say I didn't want to buy them.

At $5 for a little tray of food, I can see why they didn't want to chuck several hundred dollars worth of fish foods, but I don't want the risk of contaminated food passed on to me. It also made me realize I have no idea whether this stuff is shipped frozen, or what if any quality controls are used either in production or in transport once it has left the factory.

So I have been feeding with food I "know" to be ok (it hasn't killed my fish yet) and with Formula 1 flake food and Prime Reef flake food. The fish scarf it up, but I worry that it isn't as good for them. They look as good as ever, and I soak it with selcon sometimes, etc.

Still, I worry...

 

[jdeets]

AOTS--flake food is fine, but IMO they need more than that. One alternative you might consider is to make your own frozen food. You can start with all kinds of fresh seafood from the market, blend it up and freeze it into little cubes. EmilyB on the board has a good recipe that I'm sure she would share with you. At least doing it yourself you'd know that the foods were properly stored, etc., and you can get the variety back in your fishies' diets too. It's also a lot cheaper than buying it from the LFS.

HTH

 

[Acropora]

Sounds good.You haven't told us what kind of fish you have.I think,flakes,pellets etc are great.Especially when you occasionally supplement with selcon.Freeze dried krill and plankton are also good. I have mostly herbivores,so I predominantly feed seaweed from products like Sea veggies,sea weed selects or nori.I occasionally feed some pellets and flakes to the fish and at night to feed the sand bed..I have a harlequin tusk who eats the above items and an occasional frozen shrimp. Anthony

 

[acecool]

Does flake food go bad? I have several flake food containers from my old tank from 3 years ago and wondering if is still good? I figured flakes are dead anyway so it should be still good but...? Any thoughts?

 

[Anonymous]

In the tank I am most concerned about, I have a purple and a blue tang and a pair of maroons. I know the tangs need greens too, but I have a continual stock of macroalgae from my refugium.

 

[Bobzarry]

I have been feeding flake 98% of the time for 2 years and the fish look great. I think if your gonna feed flake defenately feed a high grade of flake. As for it going bad, yes it can go bad if moisture gets into it and like anything else(including us

) it will eventualy brake down with age.


Bob

 

[davelin315]

I feed primarily OSI flake foods and marine pellets. The fish love it, and I once in a while supplement with some live brine or some shrimp or seafood. Everyone is doing great, no skinny bodies, and I've never had a problem with getting bad flake, although the fresh seafood can be a problem.

 

[DKKA]

My 10 year old clown has done well on just a pinch or two of flake each day with only an occasional treat of something meaty.
Dan

 

[monkeyboy]

The frozen foods are shipped frozen, when they defrost and get liquidy you'll be able to tell because the packaging isn't exactly water tight, scummy stuff will be all over the outside too... well atleast thats what happened when our Ocean Nutrition and SFBB foods defrosted. I'm pretty happy w/ the quality of my frozen foods although you never know what they can do to them, but i guess it isn't much different from flake (they can put anything in there, just ground up!).

The best thing you can do with flake is refrigerate it and never grab a pinch with wet fingers. Other than that it should keep for a long time.

I feed 5 or 6 different flakes, a different kind every other day or so when i feed. I feed frozen at least once a week.

"Does flake food go bad? I have several flake food containers from my old tank from 3 years ago and wondering if is still good? I figured flakes are dead anyway so it should be still good but...? Any thoughts? "

3 years is a bit much IMO but technically if it doesnt smell musty and doesn't have mold on it it should be fine but still, 3 years! I dont get the logic behind if it's dead it shouldn't go bad, what about roadkill?

 

[RUaBatfish2]

I also questioned the shelf life of flake food. From Fenner's book The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: (referring to dry foods): "One of the first considerations is freshness, which is a major factor in a fish food's palatability and nutritiousness." and "Consider dry fish foods as similar to freshly baked bread or corn flakes. Would you eat rolls or breakfast cereals that had been sitting around, exposed to air, light, mold spores, and insects for who knows how long?"

 

[Anonymous]

Many fish would consider the insects an extra treat.

 

[DK]

I have been alternating between flake (or pellet) and frozen for a long time. Variety is the spice of (any) life!

 

[XXX]

I feed with OSI flake daily. It is the only flake my tang will eat. He likes it so much he bought the company.

I believe most high grade flake foods are good for our fish.