[A&A]

I have found being as consistent as possible is key. I started to use a measuring spoon to make sure they are eating the same amount every week.

 

[ProudPapa]

I don't think any rigid plan is really that important (I don't have one), as long as you aren't overfeeding things like frozen blood worms, or overfeeding in general.

 

[minorhero]

The problem with having so many foods at the same time is that I would be willing to bet most of them are quite old. And by quite old, I mean more then 2 months.

You can solve most food problems with fish if you buy new food every month or 2 at the most. If you want to feed a variety, then every time you go to buy new food, buy a different one. Feed that new one for a month, then switch etc.

Why?

Well as it turns out fish need vitamins and minerals in their diet. All fish foods that are considered staple diets (as opposed to treats) will have added vitamins and minerals to keep fish healthy. But those vitamins and minerals are volatile, some more then others. Certainly within a month the levels of those vitamins have dropped dramatically and will no longer be giving enough nutrition to the fish. Within 2 months some of them will essentially be gone from the food entirely. This volatility can be slowed by a freezer but not stopped. So the best thing to do is buy the small bottle of food, and replace it every month. I have noticed far fewer 'mysterious' fish deaths since I switched to feeding new food every month.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Certainly within a month the levels of those vitamins have dropped dramatically and will no longer be giving enough nutrition to the fish. Within 2 months some of them will essentially be gone from the food entirely.

As someone who makes their own food and feeds a lot of critters, I don't find this to be the case most of the time.

Most commercial flake foods can last for at least 3-4 years. At that point, it's not that vitamins or minerals have oxidized but that they've become too brittle to be useful. Available nutrient and mineral content remain, just as they would in human-grade dehydrated foods. Most pelletized foods have an even longer shelf life if one avoids heat and humidity. Omega, Cobalt, Hikari, Sera, et al, produce products that will last for easily 5-6 years, if not longer. Fortunately, most people go through containers of food much more quickly than a year and there's never any issue.

Some cheaper/low-end foods can even be a couple years old by the time they're packaged and arrive on store shelves. Some large brands buy from OEMs in massive bulk and it can take months to get things processed and packaged into smaller containers. But even those shouldn't go bad within a few months once opened.

The only common issues I see are with moist or oily foods. Many of them need to be tossed after 5-6 months and some after just a few weeks, circumstances depending.

Freezing some types of foods can lead to quicker breakdown if temperatures aren't kept constant and humidity levels controlled. Once ice crystals form in a dry food, they tend to go bad within a week or two of being thawed. Freezing in portions you'd use in a few days or a week can help on that front.

Moisture, humidity and warmth are the enemy when it comes to food storage. As long as you keep your dry foods in a dark, cool-ish area with no/low humidity, there should rarely be a problem. But if you want to be extra-safe, it's often a good idea to use food-grade silica packs to help mitigate moisture issues.