Frozen vs. Flakes/Pellets/etc.

[x19]

I didn't want to hijack another thread, but I wondered what everyone's thoughts are regarding feeding frozen vs pelletized/flake food. I've read that the flake/pellet food is better because there is less waste and fewer phosphates and the like. But I've read the same regarding frozen food... Flakes/pellets have the advantage of not needing to thaw and when asking family to feed the fish while I'm out of town there is less effort needed to get them over the gross factor ;)

I've read about successful tanks that go either way (rimlessreef.com only feeds frozen once a week and uses flakes the rest of the time, MelevsReef.com use a custom frozen concoction), but was wondering what everyone thoughts were.

 

[d2mini]

I alternate between all of them. Frozen Rod's Food, Dianichi Pellets, and Forumula 1 & 2 Flakes. Plus nori sheets.

 

[Toolman]

variety is the spice of life :bounce:

 

[Northstar24]

Agreed, variety is a good thing. I rotate through all of the following, plus I constantly have nori in the tank

Limpits Reef Buffet (food made locally by a fellow reefer), Formula I and II flake, New Life Spectrum pellets, Formula II pellets, Nutramar Ova, mysis shrimp, and frozen sprulina

 

[little_fish]

I only feed frozen, not really a fan of the dried preserved stuff, but there are some good flaked brands out there if you want to go that route.

 

[fastrd400]

I feed mainly frozen Rods Food, Emerald Entree, Carnivore Cuisine, Frozen (Fresh) Flying Fish Roe, and Nori

 

[Waddi]

I wash frozen in RODI water before i feed, just to get rid of some phosphates so on, and also use Spectrum pellets.

 

[Amba]

Flakes in the morning, and a mixture of mysis/brine shrimp and bloodworms at night. Eel eats krill and silversides, occasional live ghost shrimp.

 

[wontonflip]

I've read that the flake/pellet food is better because there is less waste and fewer phosphates and the like.

I always rinse my frozen food before feeding. The few times I didn't rinse cuz I was lazy I noticed the food seemed dirtier.

I also alternate -- frozen mysis, spirulina, a little cyclopeeze, and formula 1 pellets....and of course algae sheets.

 

[BCReefer]

can you explain how you rinse frozen food? i just take a cup of tank water and plop a quarter cube of brine or mysis shrimp in and dump it in once its thawed. When i dont have time in the morning i just give em a few flakes too, which most of the fish actually seem to prefer. seems like mcdonalds over prime rib to me.

 

[wontonflip]

Frozen foods can have phosphates in them, so I prefer to rinse. I take a cube, put it in a container, and then pour rodi on it. I leave it until it thaws, then pour it into a fine-mesh net...pour a little more rodi, then just dunk the net in the tank.

I've thawed unrinsed food in my tank before, and there's a slight cloudiness to it. But when I rinse, no cloudiness. Plus spirulina turns the water blue. While of course it's safe to not rinse, it doesn't hurt to do the rinse food for a tank that you've invested time/money in.