[oheresy]

I have frozen bloodworms and tubifex cubes that I feed my neon tetras about once a week or so. My question is how I should introduce the cubes to the aquarium? Do I thaw the cube in a cup of aquarium water, thaw them on a plate and put them in, or put the whole cube in there to thaw? Also, since they gobble these up, should I wait a day or two to feed them flake/freeze dried bloodworms so they aren't over fed?

 

[zzyzx85]

you're supposed to thaw them first so you won't temperature shock the fishes' system. I usually resume normal feeding the next day, so long as they don't look like fat pigs from gorging themselves.

 

[EdwardN]

Frozen bloodworms

I have frozen bloodworms and tubifex cubes that I feed my neon tetras about once a week or so. My question is how I should introduce the cubes to the aquarium? Do I thaw the cube in a cup of aquarium water, thaw them on a plate and put them in, or put the whole cube in there to thaw? Also, since they gobble these up, should I wait a day or two to feed them flake/freeze dried bloodworms so they aren't over fed?

I bought a pound of live bloodworms and froze them in water as ice cubes. After freezing them up, I removed cubes and placed them in a sealed plastic container in the freezer. For an immediate use, I cut a cube in a small portions and keep frozen in a small plastic container. I feed bloodworms everyday once by cutting into small pieces and shaking them with tweezers in my tank. The small piece thaws in seconds and fish gobble all bloodworm pieces in seconds. Any excess is taken care by my large colony of shrimps.

The first feeding in the morning cosists of flakes, algae tablets and zuchini every other day. In the evening I feed for the third time with a newly hatched nauplii, which are seeked greadily by small, as well as larger fish.

Up to date I have not observed any fat fish in my tank.

 

[lauraleellbp]

I just let the cubes thaw in the tank and the fish have at 'em.

 

[tetroid]

I always put the cube on a plate, then sit the plate on the light canopy. It thaws pretty fast, then I use an eye dropper to suck up the thawed bloodworms and squeeze them gradually into the tank.

 

[oheresy]

These are great recommendations. I think I'll keep thawing them in a glass of tank water. I'll start using my large syringe to feed a little bit at a time.

 

[Franzi]

I use one of those little feeding cone things for my discus (with all the little holes in it for the fish to pick food through). For foods that will fit through the holes, like Hikari bloodworms and brine shrimp, the thing works great. Food doesn't sink right to the bottom/in between the plants and water scraps manage to float down are eaten up by the tetras. Bottom feeders get whatever's left.

Otherwise I just throw frozen food right in the water. It's fun watching the discus tear it apart.

 

[jreich]

i used to thaw it in a cup of tank water, now i just throw the cube in the tank. never had a cold shock issue with the fishies.

 

[mumushummus]

frozen food sucks! make water blury ..... My LFS has always live tubiflex so I buy a portion at time.

 

[lauraleellbp]

frozen food sucks! make water blury

It shouldn't!

I like Hikari brand, though I'll also get San Francisco Bay if they don't have Hikari.