How do you store thawed, frozen foods?

[Uzidaisies]

I have a pair of small clowns that I’m currently feeding NLS pellets and Hikari Bio Pure, Mega Marine. I’ve been thawing a whole cube at a time, in about 50/50 mix of tank water an RO or distilled water, and storing it in the coldest part of my fridge. I’ll use the whole cube in about a week and a half. Is it common or practice to store thawed foods in water? What kind of water?

 

[blaxsun]

I let my cubes thaw in a small sealed container in the fridge without any water. I'll typically use
each container up within 4 days.

 

[atomos]

I've seen both camps doing either. For me, I prefer adding the cube into the tank directly but I use the Innovative Marine Gourmet Gadget Defroster PRO. The cube defrosts at a good pace and my fishes are used to it enough that they go nuts when the frozen food trickles through

 

[blaxsun]

I've seen both camps doing either. For me, I prefer adding the cube into the tank directly but I use the Innovative Marine Gourmet Gadget Defroster PRO. The cube defrosts at a good pace and my fishes are used to it enough that they go nuts when the frozen food trickles through

I would do this, but some of my 'pigs' take the whole dang cube and disappear into a cave with it - leaving the other fish looking around bewildered.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I never store already defrosted food.

 

[Uzidaisies]

I've seen both camps doing either. For me, I prefer adding the cube into the tank directly but I use the Innovative Marine Gourmet Gadget Defroster PRO. The cube defrosts at a good pace and my fishes are used to it enough that they go nuts when the frozen food trickles through

In my freshwater planted tank I just throw the frozen cube right in. Never had an issue. That would be too much for two clowns though.

 

[Uzidaisies]

I would add that I always smell check the food before I use it.

 

[moz71]

I have several times taken frozen food and put in small jar with RO water for individual feedings over four days when I go out on vacation so my tank sitter can just take out of fridge and dump in. I never had a problem I use ro water because I believe tank water has bacteria that can excelerate decay and spoil (just my theory). I never trusted the thawed and refrigerated food more than 4 days though.

 

[Karen00]

I have tiny fish so I unthaw a cube in distilled water in those little plastic condiment cups they sometimes bring ketchup, etc with your food. I do this for both my freshwater and saltwater tanks although I could use saltwater for the saltwater tanks I guess. I feed mainly frozen bloodworms and mysis. I refreeze the cups after each use. It takes awhile for me to use up a cube and I'm afraid it will go bad if left in the fridge. I keep them in water because I'm concerned about freezer burn if refrozen without water. So far I have had no problems refreezing. If I knew for sure these cubes would last about a week in the fridge unthawed I would just leave them in the fridge.

 

[Jedi1199]

For me, I defrost 2 rows of Saltwater Multi-pack (2 cubes of each food) 3 cubes each of Mysis, Brine, and plankton, and about 2 tablespoons of dried marine flake food.. plus I also add 1/4 tsp of Benipets (don't know how much the corals get, but its just a suppliment to the direct feedings I give them).

This feeds my 3 tanks for about 2 1/2 days (I feed twice daily).

Defrost it all in a small mason jar with enough tank water to submerge it completely and store in the fridge. Works just fine for me.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I never feed a whole cube either.... a single frozen cube would last me several days.... plus I like to vary my foods with every meal... so I just cut up all my frozen foods, into much smaller pcs than cubes. I will typically cut a cube into at least quarters... then throw them all in a ziplock bag. so I have ziplock bags full of little frozen chunks, sized for one meal. Grab a different one for each meal. So I never thaw out more than I'm feeding that meal.

a sharp chefs knife can cut frozen cubes into smaller chunks no problem. just do it quickly, before the chunks thaw.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I like to keep it simple, and maybe doing a modified version of what I do might help someone else...

I like to give my fish variety, but I also have to rein in my overfeeding. By once every 1-2 weeks cutting up food cubes and repackaging into empty food cube tray (little less than a whole cube, because that is what my bioload gets each meal) and then I keep frozen. Dinner & Lunch (I work from home) I take out, pop a pre-mixed partial cube, thaw in tiny cup of tank water, turn off return pumps, stir with my finger to separate, then pour around tank.

After all this, they also get live black worms, but that is because of CBB (who laughs at me because in my tank, CBB has only eaten THREE spirulina mysis shrimp I saw it eat at LFS before I bought it... false advertising eating... LOL - months later its fat & happy... but still only eating live black worms)

 

[DaneGer21]

I thaw my food under water using a small strainer, which helps to remove the small particles and rinse any preservatives.

If I don’t use everything I thawed, I add a small bit of RODI to it and just refreeze

 

[Malcontent]

Cheek pouch like a rodent.

 

[Karen00]

I like to keep it simple, and maybe doing a modified version of what I do might help someone else...

I like to give my fish variety, but I also have to rein in my overfeeding. By once every 1-2 weeks cutting up food cubes and repackaging into empty food cube tray (little less than a whole cube, because that is what my bioload gets each meal) and then I keep frozen. Dinner & Lunch (I work from home) I take out, pop a pre-mixed partial cube, thaw in tiny cup of tank water, turn off return pumps, stir with my finger to separate, then pour around tank.

After all this, they also get live black worms, but that is because of CBB (who laughs at me because in my tank, CBB has only eaten THREE spirulina mysis shrimp I saw it eat at LFS before I bought it... false advertising eating... LOL - months later its fat & happy... but still only eating live black worms)

Your fish ear better than I do. Haha. Great variety! Some of The ones you buy are what I get. I should pickup some marine specific food for my guys like you have.

 

[workhz]

1 cube + tank water. feed 1/3 in the am, into the fridge it goes, feed 1/3rd pm, then fridge, feed 1/3 next am. Figure 24 hours isn't too bad.

 

[Karen00]

I never feed a whole cube either.... a single frozen cube would last me several days.... plus I like to vary my foods with every meal... so I just cut up all my frozen foods, into much smaller pcs than cubes. I will typically cut a cube into at least quarters... then throw them all in a ziplock bag. so I have ziplock bags full of little frozen chunks, sized for one meal. Grab a different one for each meal. So I never thaw out more than I'm feeding that meal.

a sharp chefs knife can cut frozen cubes into smaller chunks no problem. just do it quickly, before the chunks thaw.

I was just about to ask how people cut frozen cubes into smaller chunks. I tried this and they shattered. I guess my knife isn't sharp enough. Thanks for mentioning that!

 

[Joe31415]

I would add that I always smell check the food before I use it.

Most of that food doesn't smell so hot to begin with.

In any case, I thaw out a cube of mysis, bloodworms and some [something]Frenzy along with a few drops of selcon or VitaChem and some RODI water. That lasts me about a week and, so far, never had a any problems. I do keep it in the fridge and I'll throw it out if I leave it out by accident for more than a few hours. Especially since 'leave it out' typically means on top of the tank with the lights blazing.

 

[Joe31415]

I was just about to ask how people cut frozen cubes into smaller chunks. I tried this and they shattered. I guess my knife isn't sharp enough. Thanks for mentioning that!

You could try letting it sit out for a while. If you try cutting it in an hour or so it might be a lot easier to cut while still remaining mostly frozen. If it works, I'd suggest doing the whole package at once and tossing them back in the freezer.

 

[G Santana]

I just thaw daily the micro cubes of homemade food.