frozen brine?

[StevieM]

I got some frozen brine shrimp the other day for my tank and I've never actually used the stuff before. I've got all kinds of dried foods and flake for them , but never the frozen stuff. Do you have to thaw it out before dropping it in there or do you just let it thaw in the water as they eat the cube?? Pardon my ignorance....and thanks for any replies!

steve

PS. Are LIVE shrimp better than frozen , is their any difference at all?? because I heard that freeze drying will make them lose their nutrients and wondered what would be better. Thanks again :)

[christopher1260]

you got it, you just drop in the frozen chunk and watch them go to town! they'll love ya for it!

[JamisonBWolsh]

Originally posted by christopher1260
you got it, you just drop in the frozen chunk and watch them go to town! they'll love ya for it!

Actually. I disagree. The BEST method would be to place a piece in a designated coffee mug and pour HOT water onto it. 30 minutes later, pour 1/2 of the excess water into the sink and the rest into the tank. This will give ALL the fish a chance to eat some.. not just the dominant. BTW, you can buy the frozen slabs instead of separate pieces and save lots of MONEY !

[JamisonBWolsh]

I got a question on frozen brine. Noramlly, it hardly smells when I defrost it. This slab I bought smells terrible and the shrimps are smaller then usual... what do you think? is this bad or something? Its a 32 oz slab I bought for 10.99 (mispriced :) )

[kbaker721]

I just put a chunk in my net and let it dissolve in the tank and then let it all out that way they all eat, its quick and easy...

[wetmanNY]

Why HOT? If it were a little hotter, with some braised celery, croutons and a splash of cream...

Elaine: "So essentially you chose soup over a woman!"

Jerry:" It was a bisque..."

* * *

Heat denatures proteins. Be patient and defrost the brine shrimp in cold water. Drain them in a brine shrimp net. The juice feeds plankton and bacteria, not fish.

I think that freeze-drying preserves all the nutrients. Anyone got some official information on this?

[moose1960]

I use frozen, brine,shrimp, plankton and bloodworms. I just drop in a chunk, the domanant fish attack and shred it to pieces then it is all over the tank and everyone gets to eat. Gone in 60 seconds...well maybe 2 minutes...lol

[JamisonBWolsh]

Originally posted by wetmanNY

Heat denatures proteins. Be patient and defrost the brine shrimp in cold water. Drain them in a brine shrimp net. The juice feeds plankton and bacteria, not fish.

I think that freeze-drying preserves all the nutrients. Anyone got some official information on this?

With hot water, it defrosts faster.... But I will try using cold water..when you say "brine shrimp net" do you mean a small net?

[Tyler718]

I defrost mine in a cup of cool tap water. then pour some of the excess water out. I have two tanks that I put it in. So I thaw 1 brine shrimp & 1 bloodworm together and mix it up. I then split between the two.

[RTR]

Agree with wetmanNY. Why boost the garbage in your tank? Thaw in cold water, rinse and capture in a brine shrimp net and feed the captured material only.

[Sumpin'fishy]

I say that the method in which you feed them should be determined by the type of fish you own and by the fish themselves. For instance, I have a tank with a Jack Dempsey, a Blackbelt Cichlid, a Sailfin Pleco, and a Blue Crawfish. I don't like to thaw the frozen stuff out for the same reason I don't feed flakes more than once a week. It's way too messy and I have a lot of waste. I notice that when I drop in cubes, my two cichlids both take turns tearing it up and most of it is eaten by them, but the small bit that does get torn free gets picked up by the pleco and crawfish. It's much better this way for me. I had a real messy tank putting in thawed food:( If you have a lot of smaller fish try putting in thawed stuff, if bigger cichlids are the main feature in your tank, feed 'em cubes. They seem to love tearing it apart anyways!:cool: There is still some scattered to feed the poor pups at the bottom.

[Cichlid Woman]

I use a small dixie-cup to dip out a bit of tank water, put a chunk of frozen brine shrimp in there, let it sit to thaw (about two minutes), swish it around, then pour it into the tank in two or three "doses." I trail the dixie cup a bit over the water as I pour, which disburses it nicely. As it floats down, everybody chows, and everybody gets some! (I reuse the dixie cup lots of times before I need a new one, too.)

By the way, JamesB, if that stuff smells bad I would not use it. Could be that's why it was ... er ... "mismarked."

-- Pat

[jafo]

I use the same method as Cichlid Woman with 1 exception. I use a dropper from an old test kit to feed with (only had water in it). That way I can get some of the food down to the bottom feeders and others that stay in caves or rockpiles. It's also good way to feed fry in caves.

[wetmanNY]

Yup. A brine shrimp net is small and has a tight weave. Even nauplii don't get through.

I guess the way we feed depends on the size of our fishes. In my tanks a Siamese Algae-eater or a Pearl Gourami is generally the largest fish.... apartment living, eh.

[Z Man]

First off, $10.99 is the price I have been paying for a few years now but I have seen the same 2# piece at lot higher prices. Secondly, I would NEVER recommend putting the frozen piece in a tank before thawing it out and RINSING it off!!!! If any of you do and own a testing device for TDS, I suggest you test the water from the thawed shrimp. It is loaded with SALT! If you have 'soft water' fish like I do, the TDS ppm (Total Dissolved Solids - parts per million) will double in a week. That is not good for any fish. Most times I just put the frozen piece in a small 'custard' cup and let it thaw out at room temperature. Then take it to a faucet and rinse it off in a very fine mesh net, not necessarily a brine shrimp net as the mesh may be to fine. Just look at the color of the water that runs out. You don't want that stuff in your tank. Another thing, that ice cold food is not good for your fish swallow.

[redwing]

I use the same method RTR and others are describing. Husband thought I was being ultra picky, glad to know I am right as usual.;)

[125gJoe]

Thaw the shrimp first.. I'd pour off the excess juice/water then feed the fish. I have heard that brine shrimp is good for young fish, not adult fish since it's very fatty.. I'm not sure if this is fact, but sounds right....

[Archer]

My technique is simiar to Cichlid Woman's also..using a dixie cup... I pour some in the middle of the tank for the more aggressive fish, and pour some near the filter outflow for the bottom feeders. The filter current carries some of the brine shrimp downward, conveniently near where my Zebra plec hides near a cave. Once the b/s has been poured, I usually turn off the HOB filter for a couple of minutes so the b/s doesn't get sucked in...

I will try wetmanNY's brine shrimp net method... the dixie cup method is less messy, but better safe/clean than sorry...

With regards to live vs frozen brine shrimp: I still feed my fish live b/s about twice a month. They really get a kick out of chasing some live food for a change...

[JamisonBWolsh]

When freezing the brine shrimp, it does not lose alot of the nutrients. Might as well stick to the frozen brand. Do you guys notice any consistency in some companies brine shrimp? I notice one package can contain large brine shrimp and another small ones. I use the San fransisco Brand. Though, my dad said there is another brand that is better. I forgot which though? I will find out.

[JamisonBWolsh]

Originally posted by Z Man
First off, $10.99 is the price I have been paying for a few years now but I have seen the same 2# piece at lot higher prices.

Hmmm.. you can get 32 oz of frozen bine shrimp for 10.99? I got it at that price because it was a mistake. normally it goes for 18.95.

[goldfish freak]

Your dad might be thinking if Hikari brand brine shrimp. I use it and think it is better than San Fransico Bay brand.

[JamisonBWolsh]

Could be.. It does come in slabs as well.. Not that EXPENSIVE pieces in some packages. I do notice the san fran. brand is MUCH more widely avaibale and less expensive. Yet the other brand (maybe hikari?) is slightly more $$$, but the quality is much better as well- (bigger shrimps and cleaner).

You can get GREAT deals if you mail order the frozen foods from www.Petwarehouse.com, but you do have to buy in bulk to save you the money spent for shipping. If you have LOTS of friends who have fish.. this would be the BEST route...

[Z Man]

It is the Hikari 2 pounders that I get and I find it much better than SF. If I had to pay $9.50 a pound instead of $5 I don't think I would be using as much. I go through a 2#'er every 3 or 4 weeks. What I do is unwrap the entire package and cut a score in it with a sharp serrated knife and just crack it on the edge of the sink and it comes in two pieces just like you would cut glass. I usually get 5 or 6 strips one way and then take each strip and do 4 or 5 more cuts and end up with 24 to 36 pieces depending on the size I want and then just put them in one of those 'slide top' freezer bags. I do have a LOT of tanks so it doesn't last long. Anybody in the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area contact me for store info.