frozed food question

[JVH]

I have been buying different variety of frozen food and every few days I melt 2 or 3 different cubes and put the thawed out food in clean little viles so I have read tube of fresh food to feed.
I started doing this when I went away so my sitter could easly feed the frozen food and I just make up like 6 tubes of frozen thawed refrigerated food. I only make 2 to 3 days worth and its always keep cold.
Anyone see the reason I should not be doing this? Seems reasonable and an easy way to give the variety but if its not good to pre thaw I don't want to do!
Thought or suggestions?

 

[redfishbluefish]

I see no issues at all. It sounds like what you do for people food.....and that works!

 

[JVH]

I see no issues at all. It sounds like what you do for people food.....and that works!

Yes, I thought that as well but I didn't know if thawing and not serving right away could be an issue since these guys are so sensitive! I add garlic just prior to feeding I wonder if I can add garlic and then store it/ It will definitely be soaked in then LOL

 

[Reefrookie220]

I wouldn't do garlic every time. If I'm not mistaken ,constant use has been know to be bad for their liver, ultimately shortening lifespans. I use it about every 3rd or 5th feeding or for new fish to make them eat.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[JVH]

I wouldn't do garlic every time. If I'm not mistaken ,constant use has been know to be bad for their liver, ultimately shortening lifespans. I use it about every 3rd or 5th feeding or for new fish to make them eat.

I didn't know that about the garlic! Thanks! I usually add it only a few times a week anyway because don't have it out where I see it so I actually forget to add it every time which I now know is good!

 

[trio91]

i usually thaw/rinse...just in case the frozen food is a little "dirty".....im only doing this about once per week when i feed the nems a day in advance

 

[oldsaint]

Shouldn't have any issue as long as you're not letting the food get warm. I use eggrate to shape the food into cubes.

 

[JVH]

Shouldn't have any issue as long as you're not letting the food get warm. I use eggrate to shape the food into cubes.

That is an AWESOME idea! Thank you for that! No I don't let the food get warm. I thaw in a tiny bit of DI water then pour into a little test tube (purchased new extra tubes API) test and refrigerate immediately!However, I like the egg crate very much! Can't wait to try it!

That is an AWESOME idea! Thank you for that! No I don't let the food get warm. I thaw in a tiny bit of DI water then pour into a little test tube (purchased new extra tubes API) test and refrigerate immediately!However, I like the egg crate very much! Can't wait to try it!
BTW, what is that mix of food?

 

[oldsaint]

BTW, what is that mix of food?

That was Rod's food. But, I've used LRS also. I just let it thaw until it's soft enough to work with. Press it into the squares then wrap in foil and place it in a freezer zip lock.

 

[cloak]

Frozen foods kind of scare me. I would like to think that the smaller particles are being consumed, but that's not always the case. There's a fine line between feeding & overfeeding IME. If I can feed each and everyone one chunk at a time, so be it.. (I have the time) JMO, GL.

 

[ReefFrenzy]

I don't recommend thawing and refreezing LRS foods or storing them for more than 12 hours in the fridge. Every time foods are thawed and refrozen physical changes take place at the cellular level, especially as ice crystals form due to the slow freeze rate found in residential freezers. You can google "protein denaturation" to learn more.

Feeding our foods immediately upon thawing is the safest way to minimize any breakdowns of the proteins or fats.

Sorry can't go into further details from the floor of MACNA but I wanted to comment since I was tagged on Facebook regarding the subject.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don't recommend thawing and refreezing LRS foods or storing them for more than 12 hours in the fridge. Every time foods are thawed and refrozen physical changes take place at the cellular level, especially as ice crystals form due to the slow freeze rate found in residential freezers. You can google "protein denaturation" to learn more.

Feeding our foods immediately upon thawing is the safest way to minimize any breakdowns of the proteins or fats.
.

While I don't doubt ice crystals do certain kinds of damage (especially to things like membranes of cells that you want to live), I'm having a hard time understanding why it would matter if a protein gets denatured in the food a fish or other organism eats.

After all, proteins are ripped right down to individual amino acids prior to being taken up by organisms from their digestive tracts. The exact 3-dimensional form that the protein takes shouldn't matter. In fact, it doesn't matter what the protein is in a 2-dimensional sense, only that it contain the right amino acids.

 

[JVH]

Frozen foods kind of scare me. I would like to think that the smaller particles are being consumed, but that's not always the case. There's a fine line between feeding & overfeeding IME. If I can feed each and everyone one chunk at a time, so be it.. (I have the time) JMO, GL.

I know what you mean. But I have so many snails and hermit crabs and emerald crabs and shrimp that I feel certain that even though it looks like I am overfeeding because there was so many particles floating around that all the inverts are enjoying all that excess!

 

[JVH]

I don't recommend thawing and refreezing LRS foods or storing them for more than 12 hours in the fridge. Every time foods are thawed and refrozen physical changes take place at the cellular level, especially as ice crystals form due to the slow freeze rate found in residential freezers. You can google "protein denaturation" to learn more.

Feeding our foods immediately upon thawing is the safest way to minimize any breakdowns of the proteins or fats.

Sorry can't go into further details from the floor of MACNA but I wanted to comment since I was tagged on Facebook regarding the subject.

Thank you I appreciate your comments and don't know enough about it to agree or disagree but it is certainly something to think about and look into!

 

[ReefFrenzy]

While I don't doubt ice crystals do certain kinds of damage (especially to things like membranes of cells that you want to live), I'm having a hard time understanding why it would matter if a protein gets denatured in the food a fish or other organism eats.

Randy, thanks for the input. Is thawing and freezing one time going to be the end of the world? No, but I always strive to encourage best practices when handing frozen foods when the end goal is optimal nutrition.

My advice also has to do with maintaining the original consistency and texture of the food. Each time seafood ingredients are thawed and re-frozen they become "mushy" and end up loosing the flakey consistency we strive for while processing. The foods actually end up turning to a mushy goo if thawed and frozen too many times. I have seen it happen and even done it on purpose in our kitchen as an experiment. It is for this reason we don't bring food samples to shows like MACNA.

Consumers often carry the food around permitting it to thaw out in as little as 30 minutes before getting it upstairs into the inadequate hotel freezer. It would sit in that freezer overnight, barely achieving a full freeze before the consumer would remove it for the drive home the next day. By the time the food gets home it has thawed/froze again and is now a drastically different consistency than when originally produced, frozen and shipped with dry ice to the retail store. First impressions are everything with a food and the above scenario is not one we are comfortable with.

I would suggest that a much better way to make "cubes" is to simply chop the frozen sheet into squares as many of our service companies do for their clients.

I hope this helps clarify.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy, thanks for the input. Is thawing and freezing one time going to be the end of the world? No, but I always strive to encourage best practices when handing frozen foods when the end goal is optimal nutrition.

My advice also has to do with maintaining the original consistency and texture of the food. Each time seafood ingredients are thawed and re-frozen they become "mushy" and end up loosing the flakey consistency we strive for while processing. The foods actually end up turning to a mushy goo if thawed and frozen too many times. I have seen it happen and even done it on purpose in our kitchen as an experiment. It is for this reason we don't bring food samples to shows like MACNA.

Consumers often carry the food around permitting it to thaw out in as little as 30 minutes before getting it upstairs into the inadequate hotel freezer. It would sit in that freezer overnight, barely achieving a full freeze before the consumer would remove it for the drive home the next day. By the time the food gets home it has thawed/froze again and is now a drastically different consistency than when originally produced, frozen and shipped with dry ice to the retail store. First impressions are everything with a food and the above scenario is not one we are comfortable with.

I would suggest that a much better way to make "cubes" is to simply chop the frozen sheet into squares as many of our service companies do for their clients.

I hope this helps clarify.

FWIW, I don't disagree with any of that.

 

[ReefFrenzy]

BTW-I was hanging out all weekend with your buddy Boomer. Love that guy and he is coming to visit me soon. Between firearms, horses, R/C airplanes and the fact that we both own Dodge SRT's he cant stay away any longer he said.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

BTW-I was hanging out all weekend with your buddy Boomer. Love that guy and he is coming to visit me soon. Between firearms, horses, R/C airplanes and the fact that we both own Dodge SRT's he cant stay away any longer he said.

lol

Have fun, but remember, he's really old so don't tax his heart too much.

 

[JVH]

Shouldn't have any issue as long as you're not letting the food get warm. I use eggrate to shape the food into cubes.

Oldsaint, what is this red mix you are using? I need good suggestions for fat healthy fish! I add garlic a few times a week and add Vit c to the water after a WC and try to feed a mix of frozen, & pellets or good flakes but still looking for good ideas!

 

[JVH]

Ok just when you thought was done...
What are your feeding schedules?
How much do you feed when it comes to the basic cube size?
My 68g has the following:

Midas Blenny
small yellow Tang
PJ Cardnial
Red hawk
Mandarin (who eats frozen also)
YWG/pistil

Fire shrimp (that eats like a pig!)
4 or 5 crabs
15 + snails.

1 cube 2xs a day? too much? or once a day?
Sometimes I give a cube or a mix of brine, Mysis and plankton in about a cube size and then pellets or flake in the evening but they don't seem to like that and I feel like it floats around forever! Then I feel bad since they don't seem to like it and I give a little extra frozen.. I feel like im over feeding!
I want to get them fat! LOL overeating works for me! LOL Some people say feed 3xs a day! Others say 1x and I even heard every other day..
What do all you guys do?