Frozen Food OK?

M

Murphster

AC Members
Nov 28, 2004
26
0
0
Will feeding my oscar and barbs chunks of frozen bloodworm lower their body temperatures to a point they may me harmed? If I allow the bloodworm to thaw, it just goes all over the tank and the big fish can't eat it. What's the best way to get the frozen food to my fish?

Thanks
 
I prefer not to feed anything frozen--while it's not a problem for some larger fish, I just prefer to have the foods thawed before the fish get them. There are a variety of frozen foods available that won't come apart--try switching to one of the prepared foods that remain intact when thawed.
 
Prepared foods?

Wow! Thanks for the quick reply. I'm fairly new to fishkeeping. I had small tanks when I was a kid and have had a 10g set up for a few years for my kids but have recently set up a 90 and currently have one 8" Oscar, one 6" Pleco (no, I'm not superstitious), (knock on wood - ha ha), three 4" Tinfoil Barbs, one 3" Bala Shark and two Corycats left over from the 10g. (I'm hoping the corys don't get eaten, but....)

I normally will cut up the frozen bloodworm so the fish aren't ingesting too large a chunk of ice. This morming I just plunked a large cube into the tank as I have read others do. The Oscar ate the whole thing in one gulp and that caused me to wonder about the affect on his health of his body temp being lowerd so quickly.

I'm not familiar with what you mean by other "prepared foods" that may hold together longer after thawing. Can you give me some examples the fish listed above might like. Thanks Lots - Murphster
 
There are several types of foods that are frozen. Most will be better as a primary food source than blood worms--Jack Watley offers a community formula, as does Koenig. They are in the same style cubes, but don't fall apart when thawed, though they can be broken up into smaller pieces easily.
 
For Oscars I would recommend live foods such as Feeder guppies or comets. They are a little more expensive but will keep your Oscars healthy and in good shape. Plus its much more like in the wild. But frozen bloodworms are fine I personally use them as a main food source for many of my fish. there are things like freeze-dried shrimp block and tubifex blocks that are good as-well. and relatively cheap.
 
Thanks for advice

I'll check out all of your very kind suggestions. I really value the resource this site provides.
 
Please research this very, very well. Live foods are not required for oscars, and are not as nutritious as many of the other options--particularly feeder goldies. They can be a disease vector and inhibit absorption of B vitamins. Feeder comets are totally not like anything they would encounter in the wild.
 
Thanks, again OGirl for the advice on feeder fish. It would probably be interseting to watch a large Oscor eat smaller fish (in a morbid sort of way) but I only feed live foods such as grasshoppers, flys and beetles I find here where I live - and sometimes earthworms. But mostly he eats cichlid pellets. Is this an ok diet for an Oscar? I've only had him a few months and would like to see him get big.
 
I don't know if this method is best for you, but as far as my fish go... I use one large cube of brine or multi-pack cubes.

I hold the cube halfway in the water letting the water defrost the bottom half. My larger puffers are fed first I let them nip on the thawed half until they get their share. Then I move on to my smaller puffer tank and just mush a bit off with my fingers for them. The rest I feed to my goldfish (the calico fantail eats from my hand) so unless you have time and friendly fish I guess my method is not of much help.

Once my cubes are defrosted they fall apart, so I can't fully defrost them before feeding, plus I handfeed most of my fish. I also hold my Tubifex worm cubes and do the same method of dividing between the tanks.

I'm never of any help, gee. hehe
 
Yes I realize comets and guppies may not be the exact fish Oscars would meet in the wild but they do provide nearly all the nutrition a Oscar would need. Since the Oscar does need some plant matter in its diet pellets are required as well. But we have to remember that Oscars in the wild are mainly carniverous and eat mainly small fish and insects and will munch gravel and small bits of plant matter to make up for minerals and vitamins they dont get from their main food source. Oriongirl is right in being careful because many gold fish and guppy feeders can come in to stores with diseases but this has never been a problem in my experience. Another benefit to live foods are the need to hunt. Any and all predatory fish have the urge to hunt. Feeding them live food will fill that urge as-well as keeping your fish fit. It is very possible for fish to get out of shape. Which makes them more susceptable to stress. Just like humans and all animals it is good for fish to get excersize. However Pellets are a very common food used for Oscars and will defanetaly keep them alive. I guess you just have to listen to the many different opinions and choose one for yourself.

P.S. Tetra Doromin is the best substitute for live foods

P.S.P.S. sorry about the long post
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom