Feeding frozen fish food can be a hassle. If you are like most people, you go to the freezer, pop out a few cubes or break off a section of frozen fish food; you place the food on a lid or a plate and go check FaceBook, watch TV or get involved in some work as you wait for it to thaw. After a considerable amount of time - maybe even the next day – you remember, "Oh, NO!" You find thawed, foul-smelling food on the counter or, you wonder why you have an aquarium full of skinny fish!
Thus begs the question: can you simply feed the fish frozen food? Many years ago, I attended a Fish Health Management course at the University of Georgia by Dr. Gratzek. He took frozen food from the freezer and dropped it directly into his saltwater fish aquarium. He claimed it did not make any difference whether the food was frozen or thawed.
To be honest, most people have fed their fish frozen or partially thawed food at least some of the time. This happens when we either are in a hurry or remember right at bedtime. I know I would not be thrilled to eat steak and vegetables in their frozen form! It still seems logical that the best and least stressful way to feed our finned friends is to let their food thaw before dropping it in the tank!
The Easiest Way to Feed Frozen Fish Foods
Here is an easy method to thaw frozen fish food that will not cause your kitchen to stink: Take a small plastic container with a lid that fits. Place frozen food into the container - enough for about a week of feeding. Let the food sit out and thaw. Feed you fish. Place the remainder in the refrigerator. The next time you feed your fish, simply go to the fridge grab the food and feed your fish. The fish food will stay fresh and easy to use all week! Wash the contained periodically, preferably once a week.
Many foods will leave a strong smell on your fingers even after washing them with soap and water. To keep your fingers smelling fresh and clean, use a pair of forceps or large tweezers to move the food from the container to the tank so you do not have to touch the food.
You can even make your food healthier by adding a few drops of liquid fish vitamins to the thawed food. There are several companies making both freshwater and saltwater fish vitamins.
