Defrost frozen food or not?

[ivo]

Do you defrost your frozen food before feeding to discus? I have heard mixed response but dont know why. Could anyone please explain if you do defrost it first?

[Adam S]

Only if I have to portion it out with a dropper for multiple tanks. Otherwise, just break off a chunk and drop it in the tank.

[Discluv]

No, I dont defrost first when feed frozen food to my discus. Their mouths are so small that they take very small bites. Now, with my geophagus, yes, always-- they will swallow it whole. ,

[14Discus]

Not that it matters, but I do thaw out the cube in a little plastic jar. When dumped in, the bloodworms flow all about so all the fish get some and they are not tripping over each other to get the single piece. My freezedried black worms are left in cubes in two feeding cones. I also bought loose blkworms w biopigment from here which go all over thus letting all get some.

[Willie]

As a rule, I don't defrost either beef heart or blood worms. They go straight into the tank. I do defrost the high protein mysis because it's too messy otherwise. They get soaked in warm water and dumped into a bbs net. Then it goes into the tank. So it's a hygiene issue, not a temperature issue.

Willie

[Filip]

I always defrost for the sake of hygiene . Rinse it with water through a sift first than pour sip by sip so it don't end up uneaten in the bushes. I also turn off my filter for 10 min. On a timer during feedings for the same reason.
That's just my practice of keeping planted or decorated discus tank least messy