A note concerning pre-packaged frozen fish

[chris-uk]

This is so upsetting. I love my snake, Eden. No pet owner wants to kill their pet, we want what's best, but quite frankly, not all of us all teaming in bait shops where we can easily get worms, or mice. (Mine is too small to eat mice anyhow.) So when the one bait shop near me says they're out of Earth worms( ridiculous, right? I know, wtf? ) I turn to Tilapia. It's in my freezer, I'm going to make it for dinner tonight, and I was planning to give some to Eden. But your revelation describing the horrible death I'd be condemning him to...make's me feel like a bad person for not driving 18 miles to the nearest earthworm breeder. That's scarey. However, Wal-Mart , you say? They're an evil conglomerate who gets their fare from seedy places anyways. So, I'll try my non-Wal-mart Tilapia an cross my fingers until I can get him his real food.

I think for an emergency "bait shop out of worms" feed you'll be absolutely fine with the tilapia from the freezer. You will be extremely unlikely to have a batch in your freezer that has, through a production line failure, been given an instantly lethal dose of preservatives. Over a longer period there is more scope for toxicity to build up, but that won't happen if you generally feed worms.
By the way, do you supplement the worms? Arguably not necessary for some species that specialise in feeding on worms, but best practice seems to be to supplement a worm-only diet with vitamin and calcium.

[Alicia_kay_47]

No, I don't but I am going to buy some this week. (Supplements) And I will be expanding his diet/feeding times. Thanks for the advi, plus, I noticed my fish packaging did not contain any info on the preservative content.....Either it has none, or it doesn't say.

[ConcinusMan]

I also buy fresh fish and freeze it, Mike.

That's no guarantee. I can buy farmed Steelhead "fresh" but they add artificial color to make the meat pink so it mimics salmon. Even "fresh" fish can be treated with harmful substances before you buy it. However, according to FDA regulations, they must make that fact public but they don't have to make it obvious and easy to find.

No, I don't but I am going to buy some this week. (Supplements) And I will be expanding his diet/feeding times. Thanks for the advi, plus, I noticed my fish packaging did not contain any info on the preservative content.....Either it has none, or it doesn't say.

They must put it in the ingredients label. That's the law. If it says anything but fish fillet and water in the ingredients, don't buy it.

[Stefan-A]

That's no guarantee. I can buy farmed Steelhead "fresh" but they add artificial color to make the meat pink so it mimics salmon.

The substance is generally the same substance wild fish would get through their diet. It's harmless.

[Mommy2many]

This is so upsetting. I love my snake, Eden. No pet owner wants to kill their pet, we want what's best, but quite frankly, not all of us all teaming in bait shops where we can easily get worms, or mice. (Mine is too small to eat mice anyhow.) So when the one bait shop near me says they're out of Earth worms( ridiculous, right? I know, wtf? ) I turn to Tilapia. It's in my freezer, I'm going to make it for dinner tonight, and I was planning to give some to Eden. But your revelation describing the horrible death I'd be condemning him to...make's me feel like a bad person for not driving 18 miles to the nearest earthworm breeder. That's scarey. However, Wal-Mart , you say? They're an evil conglomerate who gets their fare from seedy places anyways. So, I'll try my non-Wal-mart Tilapia an cross my fingers until I can get him his real food.

I feed my snakes with worms bought from Walmart. All year until I can go hunt them myself. I'd say worms are safer at Walmart than the fish. I only buy fresh fish from my supermarket and either use it right away or freeze it myself. (Then I usually forget about it, find it months later after already buying more fish)

[EasternGirl]

I also buy fresh fish and freeze it, Mike.

[EasternGirl]

Your best bet would be to try to buy fresh fish fillet when you can then. If you want some recommendations on supplements, we can give them to you.

[kimbosaur]

Another thing to pay attention to when buying "fresh" fish is that it's sometimes "previously frozen," and not actually fresh. The salmon fillets I bought at the seafood counter in the supermarket were exactly that.

[chris-uk]

Another thing to pay attention to when buying "fresh" fish is that it's sometimes "previously frozen," and not actually fresh. The salmon fillets I bought at the seafood counter in the supermarket were exactly that.

Whilst re-freezing previously frozen food is generally not advised, if it's fish that was previously frozen and is being sold as "fresh" fish in a shop, the fish will have been defrosted using a well-controlled method which allows it to be safely re-frozen. The thawing method leaves the previously forzen fish in the same condition as fresh fish.

[ConcinusMan]

Whilst re-freezing previously frozen food is generally not advised, if it's fish that was previously frozen and is being sold as "fresh" fish in a shop, the fish will have been defrosted using a well-controlled method which allows it to be safely re-frozen. The thawing method leaves the previously forzen fish in the same condition as fresh fish.

This is true. Most "fresh" fish was frozen during transport. However, I can get locally caught fresh steelhead and salmon in the Northwest. It was merely put on ice before reaching market. It's so loaded with mercury and PCB's (all WC salmon and steelhead is, with Alaskan salmon being the exception) I wouldn't use it anyway. That brings up a point about catching it yourself. Doesn't mean it isn't loaded with contaminants. Most WC fish is these days. Farmed fish is significantly lower in those contaminants. (PCB's, mercury) Tilapia is the cleanest as far as that goes, since tilapia eat only plant matter.