Is it better to use frozen or thawed ingredients?

[wandg]

When it comes to feeding our fish frozen brine shrimp, Daphnia, etc., I've always wondered if thawing them first is necessary. Some folks swear by thawing, while others just toss the frozen stuff in. What's the best approach here?

[sSjey]

My first experience with fish was with goldfish, won by my sons at the fair. The biggest one would patiently wait for half a frozen cube to thaw, then gobble up the rest in one swift motion. This behavior stuck with me, and ever since, I've made it a point to thaw frozen foods before serving them to my fish.

[kokomo]

I thaw frozen brine shrimp and Daphnia before feeding, then rinse them in a strainer to remove excess water.

[graye]

When you thaw brine shrimp, you quickly understand its limitations as a frozen food source. It essentially disintegrates when lightly rinsed, leaving behind very little substance. In contrast, bloodworms can be thawed and lightly rinsed without significant loss.

[kokomo]

Brine shrimp are tiny, so the nutrients are mainly in their bodies. As long as you don't overdo it with the rinsing, it's fine by me. A little rinse goes a long way in preventing nutrient buildup when you're using a lot of frozen food - that's my main concern, really.

[coltin]

The approach to feeding frozen foods largely depends on the type of fish you're dealing with. For tropical fish, there's a slight risk of lowering their body temperature if they swallow a frozen block or cube whole, although this is rare. On the other hand, coldwater fish in a coldwater tank are generally fine with consuming frozen food blocks.

If you have smaller fish, you can try letting the cube float on the surface, allowing them to pick at it. However, there's a risk of uneaten food sinking to the bottom, which can negatively impact water quality. If you're unsure whether your fish will consume the entire cube while it's frozen, consider defrosting it first and offering a few bits at a time until everyone has eaten their fill.

For smaller fish, cutting frozen foods into smaller pieces with scissors can be a viable option.