Wayne Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 No, that packet of flakes will not last forever! Once opened, any commercial fish food( pellets, flakes, freeze-dried etc) should b discarded within 3 mths.....I've explored all me friend's tanks, and always find 'old' food lying around...i'm sure most or us r guilty of this. over time, some vitamins, pigments n other compounds r likely to b deficient in the product due to reaction with moisture, air, light etc. If fed solely as the main diet, it can predispose your fish to various health problems even with perfect water parameters. what pisses me off is LFS selling 'home-made' packets of flakes or pellets in re-sealable transparent plastic bags. There is no expirary date, and the food has already been 'tampered' with. another problem is expired products...it's just not right to see these up for sale. anyway, i guess we should always 1) check the expirary date 2) pick the smallest or smaller sized product if possible( avoid getting a big tub for a cheaper price...u r likely to exceed the recommended 3 mth use-by date) 3) always check that the seal has not been broken. it's happened to me once..damn it... 4) stick to the 3 mth rule 5) feed a varied diet. use a variety of products...there is no testing standard with regards to fish foods...claims that the product is 'fully balanced etc' might not always b accurate. i guess there is safety going for more expensive and popular brands.. any other tips to share? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Bottom feeders need food too - not just the leftovers that sink from the remains of the upper inhabitants' meal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Not so easy to feed food to the bottom feeders when most of your other fish are top feeders, middle feeders, bottom feeders and dig around in the dirt looking for leftovers feeders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Not so easy to feed food to the bottom feeders when most of your other fish are top feeders, middle feeders Yes it is :-) I hold the flake in the water for about 5 seconds so it gets waterlogged and it sinks straight to the bottom /Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Try the shrimp pellets. All the fish love them, and even the neons nibble on them on the bottom... that's if the Pleco's don't get there first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 I was just contemplating my nitrates problem while feeding my cichlids. I'm thinking I might completely cut out the flakes for a while. The cheap crap flakes I've got just crumble and fill the tank with thousands of little pieces that the fish ignore and that just get sucked into the filter. (I need to clean the filters more often) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleatidium Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 What if one was to purchase a large container, keep it in the fridge or freezer and feed out of a small container that can be refilled every month or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Posted October 10, 2002 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Nah, u can't do that. once opened, should b used up within 3 mths. u might get away with it if u keep it in the fridge. avoid the freezer, cause some vitamins n other nutrients will b destroyed in the freezing/thawing process. keeping it in a vacuum container might prolong the shelf-life. i've got a real problem feeding my arowana. it's too slow compared to the cichlids, n the pellets r all gone even before she gets there. i've got a partition in the tank to seperate them, but it can't stay there permanently...any ideas? wonder how the LFS does it in their community tank... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajbroome Posted October 10, 2002 Report Share Posted October 10, 2002 Wayne said... > ... some vitamins n other nutrients will b destroyed in the > freezing/thawing process. I tend to disagree. If you've got a big container of flake then keeping it in the fridge (or even better, the freezer) will extend its useful life. By sub-sampling as needed, you're not going through multiple freeze/thaw cycles, just one, and the vitamin and other nutrients will most likely not be hugely affected. We do that with human food all the time and generally do OK. The best plan is to use a variety of foods, including some live and/or fresh foods, supplimented by commercially available good quality prepared foods. Andrew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted October 11, 2002 Report Share Posted October 11, 2002 AJ said, The best plan is to use a variety of foods, including some live and/or fresh foods, supplimented by commercially available good quality prepared foods. Good advice. Many tend to feed their fish with the same thing day in day out until it's gone. Would you like the same food for months on end. As AJ said, variety is what keeps the fish healthy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 11, 2002 Report Share Posted October 11, 2002 Would I like the same food for months on end? Hmm let's see... chocolate for breakfast, chocolate for lunch, chocolate for tea. Nope, can't see a problem :lol: Of course, I would break it first so all the calories fell out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted October 11, 2002 Report Share Posted October 11, 2002 I'd like some variety. How about chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch, pasta for dinner and chocolate sundaes for desert. That's enough variety to make me happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 Hi Got the same problem with my flakefood. Put a pinch in and within seconds the whole surface if full of flake, which half of it ends up either on the bottom or in the filter. Asked the LFS for a feeder ring. They looked at me stupid. So I made my own. A 6" airtube connected with a tube connector, to make a cirle. Tie it to a string and hang it into the tank. Put the flakes in and it stays inside that ring, which floats. The fish feed from inside the circle (ring) and very little hits the bottom. Simple but effective. Try it. Costs next to nothing. John PS. Noticed that I am a senior member now. I hope it reflects on the posts, not on my age. He He Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 Those airtube rings certainly work and are cheap and easy to make. I have one around here somewhere. As to you being a senior member, have a look under 'The NZ Fishroom website' thread under 'Ranks' and see what you think about the suggestions and ideas about whether we should have 'senior' etc. You make senior once you reach 100 posts (or once you feel 100, whichever comes first! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 12, 2002 Report Share Posted December 12, 2002 I don't think a feeder ring would work for my cichlids. I gave up on using feeder cones after I'd had them for a few months because I got sick of them knocking the suction cup off the side of the tank and sinking it. They're now about 5 times as big. I love my big fishies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted December 12, 2002 Report Share Posted December 12, 2002 Hi Ira Yes, you are right in a way. Not YOUR fish. But most fish would benefit. There are top feeders, middle feeders, and bottom feeders. Some true bottom feeders some not so frue. For my cories I had to use sinking tablets. They also ate food dropped to the bottom. At one stage I switched everything off at feeding time. So as not to disturb the surface. Now with powerheads, canisters, and even u/g filters the surface moves quite a lot. I put in a pinch of flakes. Within 10 seconds that little amount floated ALL over the surface. If not eaten immediately, I am talking about 30 seconds, the flakes big or small WILL sink to the bottom. If not eaten within lets say 1 min. the WHOLE bottom is covered by the "sunken" flakes. Even at hard to reach places. Will definately foul your tank quicker. A feeder ring, NOT a cone you mentioned, will keep most of the flakes where you put them. I also had a "feeder cone". But that's not for flakes. It is primarily intended for live food such as bloodworms etc. So they cannot sink to the bottom and dig themselves in and then die. And subsequently make your tank toxic. So after all that, I still think feeder rings, bought or home made, are a good idea. John (the lovable guy from OZ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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