NLS Pellets Weird Smell?

[H]-[H]

A few years back, I bought some New Life Spectrum pellets and I can still remember vividly the fragrant garlicky smell of the pellets the first time I opened one of the containers..
Long story short, yesterday I bought a new NLS container (Thera+A 2mm sinking type) and after removing the seal, that first whiff of the pellets felt weird.. I don't really know how to describe the smell but it is definitely far from being appetizing..
Is this normal?
The pellets are not expired (expiration date is Dec 2017) and the seal was intact when I opened it..
I'm not sure how long it has been sitting on the shelf but the seller reassured me that it is a new batch..
The weird thing is that I've some leftover pellets from a few years ago and they smelled the same as this new one.. so I'm guessing it has been stored for too long and lost its aroma?
I've noticed that pellets smell different after a long time storing them which led me to this assumption..
Let me know what you all think especially the ones who have experience feeding NLS.. Thanks in advance..

 

[tlindsey]

Personally I would still offer a little to my fish, and let them be the judge on if the food is ok. If they refuse to eat it then I would take it back. I've used small NLS pellets even past the expiration date and they still ate it. Also I have smelled plenty of fish foods, and said it stinks but the fish loved it lol. NLS possibly changed the recipe.

 

[RD.]

TherA doesn't typically mellow with age, not even after 2-3 years - if sealed in the original container. If light, moisture, or air are allowed to enter the container then the food can deteriorate at a higher rate. Perhaps that container sat on a shelf, in the sun, in Malaysia, for the past year or more?

 

[H]-[H]

When I bought the NLS, it was stacked on the shelf where no sunlight can reach it.. Assuming the pellets have deteriorated, are they still safe for fish to eat even if they haven't expired?
Neil, can you tell me what the TherA is supposed to smell like? Perhaps my memory wasn't as clear (or I could have mistaken the fragrant smell for another brand) but isn't it supposed to smell garlicky?

 

[H]-[H]

By the way, my fish does eat the NLS pellets but the amount that it is able to consume is far less than what I used to feed (previously using other brands)..

 

[RD.]

Heavy krill/garlic smell. Hard to forget, the strongest smelling fish food that I have ever used, hands down.

 

[RD.]

Unless you see mold, should be fine for the fish. I recall many years back when a person here in Canada was feeding NLS that was 6+ yrs old. Seems that a supplier dumped some old stock that was originally distributed by Seachem, which is how I knew approx. how old it was. His fish still ate it, and there were no issues after months of feeding. No doubt the nutrient content had degraded, but his fish didn't seem to care. lol

 

[H]-[H]

Thanks for the info.. Good to know that it is safe for consumption.. I wish it smelled better, though.. The one I have definitely doesn't have that krill/garlic fragrant.. It has a strong smell, just not the pleasant type lol
On a side note, my fish doesn't seem to eat the NLS today.. It just spat them out which is weird considering it just ate a bunch of them yesterday..

 

[davao]

"my fish does eat the NLS pellets but the amount that it is able to consume is far less than what I used to feed (previouslyusing other brands)."
NLS is nutrient packed food you do not have to feed as much .
Starve you fish for 2 days or so and then try again.

 

[H]-[H]

Yeah, and also I heard NLS pellets are harder in texture compared to other pellets? Not too sure about this..
My fish looks hungry and keeps begging for food but I will starve him for a day then try feeding the NLS again..