Do Fish Flakes and Pellets Expire?

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

Chrisk-K

Theodore P. Charles Fellow of AC
Dec 1, 2009
897
0
0
Maryland
I have a few different types of flakes and pellets that are more than 1 year old. They don't have an expiration date, but obviously they cannot last forever.

So, when should I discard them and buy new foods?
 

Rbishop

Administrator
Staff member
Dec 30, 2005
40,727
452
143
70
Real Name
Mr. Normal
Many come with a use before date on them from what I see.
 

Chrisk-K

Theodore P. Charles Fellow of AC
Dec 1, 2009
897
0
0
Maryland
None of mine have a use-before-date except Hikari bloodworms.
 

RDTigger

Newest member of F.A.R.T.
Jul 4, 2009
694
1
0
45
Pawleys Island, SC
Most food will go stale after a length of time. It depends on how well packaged and/or stored the food is.

Yea, my hikari wafers went stale recently... the fish don't seem to mind, they hit them HARD. Soaking pellets/wafers in a vitamin supplement does help restore nutritional values..
 

Lupin

Registered Member
Sep 21, 2006
21,430
13
0
Lupin Information Super Highway/Goldfish Informati
thegab.org
Real Name
Paul
I would advise against using stale foods to fish. They are one of the many reasons why fish suffer digestive problems. IMO, if a package has been opened several times beforehand and had lapsed two months, it's time to throw that in the bin. A month for flakes since flakes by this time have degraded rapidly. Vitamins are easily destroyed by air and light alone.
 

toddnbecka

AC Members
Dec 17, 2004
2,808
3
38
Cumberland, MD 21502
I buy flakes and NLS pellets by the pound, store them in the freezer, and refill old flake cans every 2-3 weeks.
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store