Washing off frozen foods before they go into your tank

[njstillwell]

I was made aware of this but just making it for everyone to hear I'm sure most of you are already doing this but after talking to a marine biologist about a month ago he told me to rinse the frozen food in RO/DI water before putting it into your thank because of the high levels of phosphates and other nastys in the products from the distributor just letting everyone know this because phosphates could be a big problem in anyones tank and i just wanted to let the more newer reefers know about a little help that was thrown my way and for those of you who might wonder how to do this just mix the frozen in a cup of rodi water and then pour/strain it through a fish net to let the particles drain out and then dip the net into the tank that's it

 

[fishrdp]

Very good advice. ;D

 

[mnat]

That maybe the longest yet most informed run on sentance.

 

[JohnS_323]

That maybe the longest yet most informed run on sentance.

That's really funny. I was just wondering what in the heck happened to punctuation on this board! There seems to be an epidemic of keyboards out there without periods or commas!

 

[njstillwell]

I was made aware of this, but just making it for everyone to hear. I'm sure most of you are already doing this. After talking to a marine biologist about a month ago he told me to rinse the frozen food in RO/DI water before putting it into your thank, because of the high levels of phosphates and other nastys in the products from the distributor. Just letting everyone know this, because phosphates could be a big problem in anyones tank ,and i just wanted to let the more newer reefers know about a little help that was thrown my way. For those of you who might wonder how to do this. Mix the frozen in a cup of rodi water. Then pour/strain it through a fish net to let the particles drain out dip the net into the tank that's it.
Sorry for the first post, I was being criticized by my punctuation here a punctuation that maybe you have never seen (__*__)

 

[mnat]

How about these (.)(.)

 

[njstillwell]

to small

 

[qwik]

Never have rinsed and never will . I just put the frozen food against the vortech grate and let it chop it up and distribute it . Some foods ,as in Rods, Have some really good small items in it that rinsing will remove . I also believe that the filter feeders benefit from the "cloudy" part of the cubes . But then again he is a marine biologist :

 

[njstillwell]

not trying to argue here just saying that about big frozen foods like mysis or krill something along those lines that there would be a way of trying to eliminate those unwanted phosphates. Of course you wouldn't rinse roti's or any frozen coral food that just wouldn't make sense now would it :

 

[JohnS_323]

No harm, no foul on the punctuations. I was just busting!

I agree about the Rod's food. It's great stuff. No need to defrost or rinse. I just break off a chuck and hold it in the water. I grind it down with my thumb at a rate that the fish can keep up with and it works really well. Other foods (like those mentioned) may leach phosphates, though, so the advice is sound for some of them.

 

[Inquisitive]

hmmm..that's an interesting way of doing it, John....I break off a chunck...toss it in a fruit glass....add tank water and mix it up with the tip of the turkey baster...and once defrosted, just squirt it in the tank....I may try the thumb trick....would certainly be quicker...and would be interesting to see who in my tank will hand feed

 

[blange3]

I don't rinse any frozen foods. Most, if not all, commercial frozen foods have some sort of beneficial additive.

If your phosphate levels are problematic, look to flow, skimming and water changes first.

I don't run phosban either.

Well fed corals and fish do better than underfed organisms in phosphate free environments.

 

[JerseyWendy]

Well fed corals and fish do better than underfed organisms in phosphate free environments.

Well said, Bill. Couldn't agree with you more. ;D

I've never rinsed any of my foods either. Considered it for a while - but then decided why bother.

 

[MadReefer]

I never rinse either. Usuaully dissolve the food in a cup and poor a little at time in. A pain but at least I can control what does or doesn't get lost. If I am in a hurry I just drop a cube in.

 

[mgonz]

I've always thawd out my food and drained the water out before adding it to my tank. now ive gotten lazy and have been pouring it in to the tank.

 

[beerfish]

I don't like to have to rinse every cube, so if I have time, I'll quickly thaw rinse and re-freeze the pack in RO/DI. This gives me the added bonus of letting me recreate the size I want. I'm sure this has some effect on them, but it's never caused me any issues and saves me the trouble of added garbage in the tank.

 

[harlequinreef]

But then again he is a marine biologist :

right....... :-X

 

[njstillwell]

Thank you

 

[surfishjoe]

Heres my method. I pop two cubes into a small plastic cup and let it thaw out. I then use a small pipette and suck out the juice from the thawed cubes. Next .25 ml selcon and some forzen cyclopeze gets mixed in with a few squirts of tank water. Feed the tank with the pipette, its a great little tool. I keep the cup in the fridge with a plastic bag over it for a few days untill it is used up, feeding lightly every day. When the cup is used up it gets rinsed and then i give the tank a break for a few days with occasional dry food feeding and repeat. This is a small for a small tank.

 

[panmanmatt]

Heres my method. I pop two cubes into a small plastic cup and let it thaw out. I then use a small pipette and suck out the juice from the thawed cubes. Next .25 ml selcon and some forzen cyclopeze gets mixed in with a few squirts of tank water. Feed the tank with the pipette, its a great little tool. I keep the cup in the fridge with a plastic bag over it for a few days untill it is used up, feeding lightly every day. When the cup is used up it gets rinsed and then i give the tank a break for a few days with occasional dry food feeding and repeat. This is a small for a small tank.

Once you thaw out frozen foods they start to break down in a matter of hours, even in the fridge. After a day it should be used or thrown out. A few days in the fridge is pushing the limits on it being spoiled.