Feeding and storing defrosted frozen foods

[Ento-Reefer]

I have recently become aware of a practice that I personally have never done. I have seen that many hobbyists defrost large amounts of fish food and store it in the refrigerator to feed their fish through out the week. I have always held the belief that you should only defrost enough for a feeding as the food could spoil. I lost some fish a couple of months ago while I was out of town and my son had fed them food that he had defrosted and stored in the refrigerator.I don’t know that this is the reason they died, but it was the only thing I could come up with. I am wondering how many of you do this and never have problems. I posted a poll. Thank you.

 

[SPR1968]

It will be interesting to see what different people do

I feed frozen Gamma cubes, but these are frozen and just dropped frozen into the tank we’re they quickly defrost as they are ripped apart by the fish

I just use them as needed

 

[ca1ore]

I just defrost daily amounts. I can see no good reason, other than maybe convenience, to defrosting a weekly amount.

 

[declanisadog]

I defrost two days worth, and store it in the fridge at home. At work I only use one cube at a time, so it goes directly in to the tank.

 

[Radman73]

I only defrost what I need for that feeding, not even for the day.

 

[azbigjohn]

I have always defrosted just what I feed, but am restarting up, and am going to use @HotRocks QT protocol, where he discussed defrosting 72 hours worth of food, and mixing it with the medications; it can then be safely stored in the refrigerator for 72 hours...

A week seems a little long, but I guess if our food lasts a week in the refrigerator, our fish food should... Not sure I would leave a defrosted steak in the fridge for a week before cooking it...

 

[andrewkw]

If I am feeding fish I don't defrost anything. It goes into the tank frozen. If I am target feeding corals I have no choice but to defrost but once it's defrosted it goes into the tank (corals). Fish and corals are so small, buying them even the most expensive food should last a long time unless you have a massive fowlr, in which case you are probably buying grocery store food for them.

While food probably can last a day or 2 maybe more in the fridge, how badly do you need the 2 minutes it takes to defrost? If you can't spare that time you probably should get your fish on a dry diet and invest in an auto feeder.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

Thanks everyone for answering the poll.

I can’t believe I didn’t know this was something people do. My son showed me YouTube videos with instructions on how to rinse the food and store it in water bottles in clean salt water. I am uncomfortable with this because I have always been taught to use what you defrost right away.

Maybe I would stretch it to a few hours in the frig, but not longer.

 

[elic173]

I was told to put it in a net run it under a tap till it defrosts. Then add it to the tank. They say you should t introduce the frozen water into your system. Is this true?

 

[Lunger50]

I defrost and slightly rinse 2 or 3 cubes.

I then add about 5ml RO/DI water and suck it up in a 10ml syringe. I feed about 2.5ml worth of that daily. Store in fridge, lasts 3-4 days. No issues

 

[shred5]

It is like any other raw food or especially seafood. Cooked food supposedly last longer.
I would only take a few days out personally if stored in the fridge.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

I never rinse my food as I feed a lot of LRS and Rods reef foods. If you rinse it you are losing all of the tiny foods and it defeats the purpose.

 

[Geebs19]

I defrost a cube which last me 3 days.

 

[kashman100]

I use a small container with rodi water to store defrosted food in the fridge a week at a time. I use LRS and been doing it for years with no I'll effects

 

[elic173]

I never rinse my food as I feed a lot of LRS and Rods reef foods. If you rinse it you are losing all of the tiny foods and it defeats the purpose.

I agree but was concerned the frozen water isn't good for your tank

 

[MaryL]

I defrost a cube in the morning and feed half right away and save the rest in the fridge for that night or the next morning. Just my experience, but of I keep it more than 24 hours it consistently gives my flame angel and my male lyretail tummy troubles. Just them though. So weird.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

I defrost a cube in the morning and feed half right away and save the rest in the fridge for that night or the next morning. Just my experience, but of I keep it more than 24 hours it consistently gives my flame angel and my male lyretail tummy troubles. Just them though. So weird.

I lost 3 lyretail anthias and my PBT after my son fed them frozen food that had been in the frig for 2-3 days. I was out of town at the time, but I know they were perfectly fine when I left. I can’t say for sure it was bad food, but they definitely didn’t have any parasites, or at least didn’t display any signs or symptoms of anything.

 

[nereefpat]

My small fish don't eat an entire cube of mysis or marine cuisine at a time.

I defrost a cube in a cup with RODI and feed over a couple days.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

It isn't actually the frozen water that is a problem for your tank. Frozen food should be rinsed in RO/DI water prior to feeding because of the phosphate preservatives used in many frozen foods. It is just another way of reducing the phosphate in your tank.
Some of the better frozen food makers do not use phosphate based preservatives so there is no reason to rinse their food and for people trying to actually raise their phosphates there would be no reason either.

 

[elic173]

It isn't actually the frozen water that is a problem for your tank. Frozen food should be rinsed in RO/DI water prior to feeding because of the phosphate preservatives used in many frozen foods. It is just another way of reducing the phosphate in your tank.
Some of the better frozen food makers do not use phosphate based preservatives so there is no reason to rinse their food and for people trying to actually raise their phosphates there would be no reason either.

Thanks for clarifying