I received a huge 6.8 oz can of flake food from a relative. It's Wardley's Tropical Flakes, purchased from Meijer. I have no idea how old it is. It is almost full. The LFS sold me a 1 oz can of TetraMin. They look pretty much the same. Does it matter what kind I give the fish? Does the old food go bad (it looks okay)? Is one kind of flake food better than another?
Flake food - does it matter?
- Thread starter elmonty
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
QTOFFER
Aquarium Advice Addict
If the can is unopened, it's probably OK. I would toss it if it is open, tho.
Opened dry fish food does not go bad per se, but it does lose nutritional value in as little as several weeks. That's because certain vitamins have a tendency to become oxidized after the container is open.
Stress and disease is strongly linked to nutritional deficiencies, so it's best to use foods that are fresh as possible.
Even though the smaller containers are more expensive per unit weight, they are much better because they ensure that the food your fish eat will be relatively fresh.
Opened dry fish food does not go bad per se, but it does lose nutritional value in as little as several weeks. That's because certain vitamins have a tendency to become oxidized after the container is open.
Stress and disease is strongly linked to nutritional deficiencies, so it's best to use foods that are fresh as possible.
Even though the smaller containers are more expensive per unit weight, they are much better because they ensure that the food your fish eat will be relatively fresh.
Some flake foods ARE better then other. I prefer to feed my guys OmegaOne Freshwater Flake, although I do have a number of other flake foods that I will feed them occasionally (just for a change; just as they get a lot of varied foods: flake, pellet, frozen, etc etc). If you look at the ingredients of most brand name flake foods, theres a lot of filler foods (wheat for example). Omega one has fresh seafood as its major components, no fish meal and very little grains or yeast.
The other thing to consider is what your fish eat normally. I'm not 100% sure all your guys are carnivore (I *think* the gourami may be an omnivore); so a good algae based flake may also be important.
The other thing to consider is what your fish eat normally. I'm not 100% sure all your guys are carnivore (I *think* the gourami may be an omnivore); so a good algae based flake may also be important.
G
Guest
Guest
Sorry to dissapoint but IME's Wardly makes the worst food on the market. I'd chuck it either way... JMHO though.
AdamsZoological
Aquarium Advice Freak
Agreed, Wardley food is horrible, fish have a very hard time properly digesting it, and thery also produce alot more waste with such a low grade food. Also, fish get very little nutrition from this food. Would be fine to use short term, but I personally wouldnt feed anything Wardley brand for very long
G
Guest
Guest
smart fish..lol
fishfriends05
Aquarium Advice Regular
Very true, but I'd like to add a couple of points on this. The next time your in buying food take a look at the ingredients on the bottles. You'll notice that the very first ingredient on most foods (excluding freeze dried and frozen) is fish meal. This includes pellets, flakes etc. even in goldfish flakes, betta bites, cichlid flake and pellets, tropical, color enhancers, etc. even different manufactures. Now don't get me wrong here. I am NOT saying that they are the same. I am just saying that there is not as big a difference between them as some might make you believe. And how 'fresh' can the seafood really be in a flake. To me that would not seem very fresh.
Allivymar has a very good point that some manufactures use more fillers than others, but even the best still use fillers. I like to run frozen and fresh seafood from the meat department in the store and dried seaweed with an occasional romaine lettuce for my vegetarians. And yes I do live on a budget (a very tight one at that
) so I do supplement them with flakes but I try to stick to the flakes and pellets with the least ingredients. Just my humble opinions, take them as you will.Ahh good points fishfriends; I really should clarify some of the things I said - thanx!
When I say OmegaOne uses fresh seafood, I mean they use non processed fish in the making of the product, not the stuff left over from food production for human consumption (which is what most fish meal basically is). The first bunch of ingredients in Omega One are: Whole Salmon, Halibut, Black Cod, Seafood Mix (including Krill, Rockfish, Shrimp, Squid, Clams, and Octopus). Theres less starches in the product to hold it together and that means theres more digestible stuff in it. Better quality fish foods means less waste coming out of the fish too. Heh, it isn't fresh by the time WE get it tho...could be messy and definitely stinky!
When I say OmegaOne uses fresh seafood, I mean they use non processed fish in the making of the product, not the stuff left over from food production for human consumption (which is what most fish meal basically is). The first bunch of ingredients in Omega One are: Whole Salmon, Halibut, Black Cod, Seafood Mix (including Krill, Rockfish, Shrimp, Squid, Clams, and Octopus). Theres less starches in the product to hold it together and that means theres more digestible stuff in it. Better quality fish foods means less waste coming out of the fish too. Heh, it isn't fresh by the time WE get it tho...could be messy and definitely stinky!
We have three tanks. The 20 gallon tank inhabitants tend to prefer Tetramin products. I've tried others, they just don't seem to like it. I did buy those nasty Tubiflex Worm Cubes and they totally ignored them (plus they NEVER stayed stuck to the glass like they were supposed to).
The beta's eat those little Betta Pellets...I have no idea who makes them, but that's all they want. I've tried other betta food, they won't eat it.
We use some sort of micropellets in the 5 gallon, I don't know who makes them. That tank has five neons and two catfish, and the micropellets sink really fast so the cats get enough to eat.
We do sometimes throw in a few fast sinking Tetramin pellets for the bottom feeders, but only about once a week or so.
The beta's eat those little Betta Pellets...I have no idea who makes them, but that's all they want. I've tried other betta food, they won't eat it.
We use some sort of micropellets in the 5 gallon, I don't know who makes them. That tank has five neons and two catfish, and the micropellets sink really fast so the cats get enough to eat.
We do sometimes throw in a few fast sinking Tetramin pellets for the bottom feeders, but only about once a week or so.
Menagerie
Aquarium Advice Addict
Is it just me, or does anyone else keep their fish food in the fridge (except frozens)? My fiancé has always done this, so I followed his lead.
Christmasfish
Aquarium Advice Addict
I keep many of the foods in sealed containers in the frigde except dry flake, especially the fresh stuff and moist krill. I also keep meds in the fridge
deli_conker
Aquarium Advice Addict
I keep the frozen stuff in the freezer and the dry stuff on a shelf in the stand. I figure it's been stored like that the whole time before I got it. I just make sure I put the cap on tight and keep it away from moisture.
I feed my africans spirulina flakes. They love 'em real good.
They also get emerald entree (frozen brine shrimp, spirulina, krill etc.) and frozen blood worms.
I feed my africans spirulina flakes. They love 'em real good.
They also get emerald entree (frozen brine shrimp, spirulina, krill etc.) and frozen blood worms.
ChileRelleno
Aquarium Advice Addict
Chile agrees with the rest and says "Chuck it!"
Ady1397
Aquarium Advice Regular
I feed my goldfish four types of food every day.
its all mixed
3 types of pellets and sticks in one container
Satori Koi and Goldfish Food
Growth (small pellets)
Hikari Gold Koi Specialists' Fish food
(Red Orange Yellow bag)
(mini pellets)
Tetra Pond Variety Sticks
Vitamin Enriched
soften quickly on contact with water
2 or 3 types of flakes in a different container
Wardley
Tertra Flakes
Troplcal punch out flakes
I think this is enough variety for my fish
its all mixed
3 types of pellets and sticks in one container
Satori Koi and Goldfish Food
Growth (small pellets)
Hikari Gold Koi Specialists' Fish food
(Red Orange Yellow bag)
(mini pellets)
Tetra Pond Variety Sticks
Vitamin Enriched
soften quickly on contact with water
2 or 3 types of flakes in a different container
Wardley
Tertra Flakes
Troplcal punch out flakes
I think this is enough variety for my fish
Similar threads
