beware of expired fish food.

caril · Post by **caril** » 18 Jan 2003, 13:00

i went to the LFS to get some hikari sinking pellets for my plecos.
when i was about to pay for the merchandise, i saw the expiry date 05/02.
the owner claimed that its new and it should be fine to consume.

this will be my last time going there...

Post by **Silurus** » 18 Jan 2003, 13:31

Just wondering if anyone really had any trouble feeding expired fish food. AFAIK, dried food should be able to last a long time. Hikari also seals their packages, so I suppose the wafers may still be good beyond the stated expiry.
Not that I'm asking you to experiment feeding expired fish food to your fish...

polkadot · Post by **polkadot** » 18 Jan 2003, 18:00

Hi Caril,

Which lfs is that??

Post by **Dinyar** » 18 Jan 2003, 21:55

I'm not sure that expired algae wafers would kill your fish (even if they probably would do them little or no good), but be very careful about the quality of the frozen food you feed. We once lost close to 50 Corydoras adolfoi to one batch of spoiled frozen brine shrimp! Now we buy frozen food in bulk from a reputable dealer. It's safe and cheap! About 20% of the store bought retail price. Hard to beat that combination.

Dinyar

oneoddfish · Post by **oneoddfish** » 19 Jan 2003, 01:06

I don't believe expired food will kill you'r fish. but it is also probably of alot less nutritional value.so if used long enough could probably stunt growth of young fish and if you'r using it for chiclids their color won't be the best it could be.that's my thought's anyway.......

caril · Post by **caril** » 19 Jan 2003, 09:13

as most had said, it is still safe for ur fish.
i wouldn't put my fish in such risk.
furthermore as a paying customer, i'm entitled to better quailty products.

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 23 Jan 2003, 11:45

Dinyar wrote:I'm not sure that expired algae wafers would kill your fish (even if they probably would do them little or no good

As long as the packaging is unopened, there should be no problem with using foods that are slightly past their expiry date, although they should obviously only be used in conjunction with other foods.
However, if they have been opened any foods should be discarded once past their expiry date. There is strong evidence that once exposed to air the lipids in fish food can oxidise very quickly, becoming rancid. This can cause severe nutrional problems, including liver denegeration. Personally I discard any foods which have been opened for more than a couple of months, whether they are past their expiry date or not. This is why purchasing dry food in bulk is not always a good idea.

Dave Rinaldo · Post by **Dave Rinaldo** » 23 Jan 2003, 22:53

Hi!

I buy bulk and keep it frozen. Bad idea?

Dave

Post by **Dinyar** » 24 Jan 2003, 01:35

Dave Rinaldo wrote:I buy bulk and keep it frozen. Bad idea?

I do the same. Jehmco. (Great resource!) Prices for thngs like frozen Mysis, Krill, etc. are 20% of retail Hikari, Sally's and what not, plus it looks and smells a whole lot fresher and free of freezer burn. Only downsides are (1) having to buy a couple of kgs at a time, and (2) chopping the damn bricks up into weekly rations upon arrival. I'm sure I don't have as many fish as you do, Dave, and I manage to go through my orders in a couple of months, which doesn't seem too long, so I'm sure you should have even less of a problem.

Dave Rinaldo · Post by **Dave Rinaldo** » 24 Jan 2003, 01:48

Hi!

I didn't say I was refering to dry foods, Aquatrol spirulina and Tetra Bits

coelacanth · Post by **coelacanth** » 24 Jan 2003, 11:58

Dave Rinaldo wrote:I didn't say I was refering to dry foods, Aquatrol spirulina and Tetra Bits

I should imagine that this is the best way to store dry foods if you are purchasing them in bulk. It keeps them dry and slows down any deterioration.