does flake food go bad?

LISound · 10-30-2006, 11:56 AM

I've had it for about 2 years but really only feed mysis...now i'm starting to mix it up a bit.
I opened it 2 years ago so it's not new.

avalanche wolf · 10-30-2006, 12:07 PM

Been wondering this the past few days my self.

Twitterbait · 10-30-2006, 12:25 PM

if it is kept dry then it will last forever IMO. you can tell when/if it goes bad.

LISound · 10-30-2006, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twitterbait

if it is kept dry then it will last forever IMO. you can tell when/if it goes bad.

How?
Mold--
the death smell---make you gag it's so bad?

Wiskey · 10-30-2006, 01:08 PM

I've been told it goes bad remarkably quickly actually, something about vitamins leaving the flakes.

I don't think it really gets bad in a way that it can hurt the fish, just it's not as nutritious after a while. I wouldn't use it over a year old personally.

Whiskey

avalanche wolf · 10-30-2006, 02:00 PM

so 3 years would need a toss then lol. Time to buy some more. That is what i get for buying the econo size :P

Geoff · 10-30-2006, 02:12 PM

do phosphates ever go bad?

G~

LISound · 10-30-2006, 02:15 PM

that was my next thought!

I hate flake food anyway.

avalanche wolf · 10-30-2006, 04:18 PM

main reason i go with flake for now is so that i can controll the portions. Even with the small cubes of frozen i see a lot of un eaten food going around and without a clean up crew yet i dont want it just sitting on the bottom of the tank in a rock crack.

LISound · 10-30-2006, 04:25 PM

that's how i feel about the flake food.
it just blows around...aptasia are best at getting it.

I only target feed mysis with a turkey baster.
once it's all gone, i'll give another squirt of shrimp.

I wanted to vary their diet a bit...and hate blender mush too.

avalanche wolf · 10-30-2006, 04:29 PM

This ?

LISound · 10-30-2006, 05:12 PM

that's them...
they are great for nutrient export as long as you uv the water returning to the display tank.
i've heard some good things about keeping a refugium full of them.

Twitterbait · 10-30-2006, 05:21 PM

someone tell me where the vitamins go? Detroit?

avalanche wolf · 10-30-2006, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LISound

that's them...
they are great for nutrient export as long as you uv the water returning to the display tank.
i've heard some good things about keeping a refugium full of them.

Off topic a bit but can you run a UV on the back of the tank like a HOB or something for those that dont have a sump ? So you can have those critters ?

Ray B · 10-30-2006, 05:33 PM

I think the UV on the return is to kill any that might try to get into the display, you DO NOT want them in your main tank thus a HOB UV would not work.