Fish Food Expiration

[TallTree01]

Hi guys, I was checking my axolotl pellet carton to see the ingredients and noticed that it went off in October last year, I didn't even know it had an expiration date on it. I then checked my other foods and saw that some of my various tropical fish pellets and flakes also went off last year and one even in 2011. I had assumed that their shelf life would be for years being as to how dry and processed they are.
Are off fish foods less nutritious? Should I throw them out and buy new stuff?

Check your labels and let me know if you're feeding anything off.

 

[Akasha72]

I checked mine only a few weeks ago and threw out anything that was out of date. It's a waste but expiration dates are there for a reason and I'm not going to risk the health of my fish just for the sake of buying a new tub of food

 

[TallTree01]

Yeah I see where you're coming from Akasha, not worth the risk.
I had no less than 7 expired food products in my fish cupboard and 5 of them I use on a regular basis. I've thrown them all away and gotten replacements today. There were rows and rows of expired fish foods at the several LFS I went to for sale, I told the staff and they sheepishly admitted they didn't know they had best before dates and set about clearing all the bad product. I felt kinda bad for losing them so much stock but also quite like a hero. b-)

 

[Alasse]

I keep excess food in the freezer to keep it fresh, so dates i tend to ignore

 

[Akasha72]

I think you did the right thing there TallTree - it wouldn't be allowed if it was human food so it shouldn't be allowed for animals either. Sadly animals have become too much of a throw away commodity these days. Someone needs to speak up for those that can't speak. I wouldn't eat out of date food, I wouldn't feed my dog out of date food, so my fish get the same respect

 

[Alasse]

I also keep human food in the freezer and ignore the use by date.
 
The fish food is a fresh as the day it went in, i take a few weeks worth out and keep the bulk frozen......
 
My animals are certainly not a throw away commodity to me....with the amount i have i need to buy food in bulk, freezing it is often done

 

[Akasha72]

they're not a throw away commodity to me either ... I'd fill my home with animals if I could. I have to stay away from rescue centres cos I want to re-home them all! I could live happily without humans but not without animals 

 

[fluttermoth]

The main issue with out of date fish food is not so much that it 'goes off' (which it tends not to, being dry) or goes 'bad' (as in dangerous to feed), but that some vitamins degrade over time, so out of date food might not give as balanced a diet as it should.