Question about all these fish foods I hear around MFK.

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Steveo McNello

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2010
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SW Burbs of Chicago
Market shrimp, prawns, tilapia filet...

Are these all bought at a grocery store? Just thaw them out? Any special preparation?

I know dumb question.
 
Steveo McNello said:
Market shrimp, prawns, tilapia filet...

Are these all bought at a grocery store? Just thaw them out? Any special preparation?

I know dumb question.
Click to expand...

They're all bough from the grocery which makes them much cheaper than buying pellets. You just thaw and serve. Make sure the ones you get are raw and not cooked as well
 
Remove the 80-90% water content, then tell me how much cheaper by the pound fresh/frozen food is compared to pellets. lol




My advice when dealing with fresh fish products, buy fresh, freeze for 48 hrs at 0F (-18C) to destroy any potential parasites, and use up within 30 days or so. Freezing will not destroy all micro-organisms, so there is still some risk involved in feeding frozen products, but freezing certainly minimizes those risks.

Freezing tends to also increase the concentration of thiaminase in tissue, so the shorter the duration in the freezer, the better. Little is known as to how thiaminase affects various species, and according to various studies the amounts found (even within the same species of fish) tend to vary as well.


Most public aquariums tend to supplement to avoid deficiencies. (especially B1, vitamin E, and vitamin C - see link below) IMO fish kept in captivity require full vitamin & trace mineral supplementation to some degree or another, which is where a high quality pellet can become worth its weight in gold (even if it means stuffing some pellets into your frozen fish) or at the least presoak your seafood in a vitamin supplement such as Boyd Vitachem.

Also note that even frozen fish that have been unthawed under refrigeration , should be fed within 24 hrs. (or discarded)


A good read on this subject can be found in the following link.


FEEDING CAPTIVE PISCIVOROUS ANIMALS:
NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS OF FISH AS FOOD

http://www.nagonline.net/Technical%20Papers/NAGFS00597Fish-JONIFEB24,2002MODIFIED.pdf
​

HTH
 
You can, but raw is better.

I would also avoid any shrimp that has added salt, etc. (which many precooked shrimp do)
 
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