2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21
Natural origin fresh frozen foods provide aquarium pets with access to the protein, fat and carbohydrates they need. Shock freezing will help keep the ingredients intact.
What foods are called frozen
They freeze mainly live food, sorting it by type and size. These are small species of crustaceans, worms and larvae. The advantage of this food is that it retains its nutritional properties and naturalness.
Popular types of frozen aquarium fish food:
Artemia
Gill-legged crustacean 1-2 cm long and weighing 10 mg. The color depends on its nutrition and is greenish or red. Artemia (including nauplii - its larvae) is one of the most highly nutritious fish food (protein content in it is up to 60%, fat - 20%). Feeding this species improves coloration, ensures growth and a high level of survival. Artemia promotes the natural behavior of aquarium fish.
Gammarus
Smallcrustacean size 5-25 mm (depending on habitat conditions and age). Color: grey-yellow and greenish.
Gammarus contains a large amount of protein (50%), while fats are only 6%, carbohydrates - 3%. Promotes proper digestion, active growth and enhancement of the natural color of fish. This food is alternated with low-calorie foods.
Daphnia
Branched crustacean kidney-shaped, up to 6 mm in size. It is a good herbal supplement for feeding fish, as it contains many plant components inside.
Daphnia contains a high percentage of protein - about 50%, while fat - only 15 - 25%. This type of crustacean is highly nutritious and improves intestinal motility.
Coretra
Coretra is a mosquito larva of an elongated shape, 1-2 cm long. Its body is translucent, has a greenish or sandy color.
This type of feed is low in calories (40% protein content); it is combined with high-calorie feeds. Coretra feeding is suitable for rearing young stock.
Motyl
This all-purpose food is the larva of the twitch mosquito and resembles a worm. Color bright red, body length 1-2 cm.
Moth has a high nutritional value, of which about 50% is protein, 10% is fat and 19% is carbohydrate. Due to the high calorie content, it is recommended to alternate the bloodworm with other types of feed.
Pipemaker
Small bristle worm with an elongated body 2-8 cm long. Color - pink or dirty red. It has a high digestibility and nutritional value. High in crude protein and suitable for feeding all kinds of fish.
Tubifex feeding is alternated with other fresh frozen food (low calorie) to avoid obesity.
Cyclops
Tiny copepod size 1-1.5 mm. The color of crustaceans depends on nutrition and can be red, yellow, gray, brown. They named him Cyclops because he has only one eye.
Cyclops is suitable for feeding fry and small fish species. It is a high-protein feed, in which protein is 60% and fat is up to 14%. The digestibility of this feed is high.
Industrial frozen food
The first fresh frozen food appeared in the 50s of the last century. Since then, the technology of their preparation has been improved: strong packaging has appeared, new types of fodder material disinfection have been invented.
For the convenience of feeding and storage, the food is portioned in small cubes or offered a whole layer. Industrial feed packages:
- blister (package with cells like an ice mold, sealed with foil);
- tile (solid briquette, like "chocolate", packed in a strong film and separated by break-off lines);
- sheet (thin single piece packed in polyethylene).
In one package there can be different types of feed collected according to the principle of species feeding. In addition, there is a division by age (for fry or adult fish). For herbivorous fish, mixes with spirulina and spinach are created.
Before you buy this or that species, you need to study the description of frozen food for aquarium fish in detail.
Reviews say that the most practical packaging is "chocolate", as it protects the feed from air and microbes. Another important point: if the food has been defrosted, it will remain invisible in the blister until the package is opened. The tile is deformed.
Major frozen food manufacturers use rigorous decontamination, which greatly improves the safety assurance for aquarium pets.
How to choose the right food?
To meet the nutritional needs of each type of fish, you need to use different types of feed. A varied diet will help you get the full range of essential vitamins and minerals for proper development and strong immunity.
Frozen Aquarium Fish Food Chart:
| Types of fish | Suitable frozen food |
| Medium size fish | coretra |
| Cyprinids, viviparous | wolfia |
| Viviparous, labyrinthine, cyprinids (medium size) | daphnia |
| Cichlids, catfish, large goldfish | gammarus |
| Sea and freshwater fish (medium and large) | brine shrimp |
| Cichlids, catfish, goldfish (and other medium-large) | big bloodworm |
| Cichlids, cyprinids, viviparous, labyrinths, catfish (medium and small) | bloodwormsmall |
| For small and medium fish (characins, labyrinths, cyprinids, viviparous, catfish) | pipemaker |
| Characin, carp, viviparous, labyrinth (small and medium) | moina |
| For small fish (especially characins and cyprinids) | Cyclops |
| For juveniles and small fish (marine and freshwater) | Artemia nauplii |
| For fry | rotifer |
| Cichlids, cyprinids, labyrinths, catfish (large and medium) | duo (large bloodworm + coretra) |
| Cichlids, cyprinids, labyrinths, catfish (large and medium) | trio (big bloodworm + gammarus + brine shrimp) |
| For fish of different sizes (including marine) | quartet (big bloodworm + gammarus + brine shrimp + daphnia) |
| Characins, labyrinths, viviparous and cichlids (medium-large sizes) | quintet (small bloodworm + moina + daphnia + brine shrimp + cyclops) |
| Small and medium fish (especially cyprinids) | sextet (small bloodworm + brine shrimp + cyclops + wolfia + moina + daphnia) |
Feeding fish with frozen food
To feed the fish, the required portion is separated from the briquette (the briquette is not defrosted entirely). After that, you can defrost it or put it in the feeder.
Most often, industrial feed is thawed by lowering the cube into a container of water and washing the thawed feed with running water. Howto feed frozen food to aquarium fish, everyone decides for himself, weighing all the risks.
Homemade food is often fed frozen as it is cleaner. Once in the water, the cube quickly defrosts. Excess uneaten food will lead to cloudy water and fish disease.
Cooking fresh frozen food at home
Reviews indicate: the advantage of homemade frosts is that they are cleaner, as the aquarist prepares them himself for his pets. The complexity of this method lies in the fact that it is necessary to be able to shock freeze.
For the preparation of frozen food for aquarium fish, pure, live raw materials are used. It is thoroughly washed and soaked overnight in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then spread in a layer in a plastic bag or film and subjected to deep freezing at a temperature of -36 degrees.
Where can I find food frosts?
Quality fish food can be purchased at a pet supply or aquarium store. You can also ask experienced aquarists for availability.
Photos of frozen food for aquarium fish will help you navigate when choosing a specific manufacturer.
How to store frozen food?
Not only the preservation of valuable nutrients, but also the safety of feed depends on proper storage. If during storage or transportation it has been defrosted and the packaging has been damaged, there isrisk of fish poisoning.
All types of frozen food for aquarium fish are stored at -18 degrees for no more than 3 months without re-freezing. It is allowed to store food next to human food.
If the freezer is accidentally defrosted, throw away the fish food.
What do aquarium fish owners say?
To find out what food you can trust, what quality a certain composition is famous for, ask the opinions of experienced aquarists. These people find the best food for their pets based on personal observations.
Most often pay attention to the cloudy water that remains after defrosting. Some feeds contain debris and dirt, foreign organisms.
In general, reviews of frozen food for aquarium fish are positive, as they allow you to diversify the diet and bring it as close as possible to natural nutrition.
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