Soaking Flake in RO/DI?

[BigReepher]

I've read in other post that insinuated that soaking flake food in RO/DI can help reduce phosphates. I understand that some flake food has high phosphates, but how does soaking it help reduce it? Do you soak and then drain off the excess RO/DI water? Could someone explain how this works and how it is done? What other food sources should I consider pre-soaking? TYFYH

[dwall174]

I read a post I believe by Nikki AKA NaH2O where she soaks frozen mysis & brine shrimp in RO/DI water for a half hour then drains the RO/DI water. The reason for this is because RO/DI water is considered aggressive & will attach it self to what ever is added to the water in this case the phosphates.

Since I read that I now soak my frozen food in RO/DI then drain it using one of those small white brine shrimp nets, Then I also rinse it with RO/DI water. I haven’t heard of soaking flakes in RO/DI but it should work the same as frozen food.

[NaH2O]

Hey, Nate! Really soaking flake food won't work very well, but you could give it a shot. Food should be soaked for about an hour in RO/DI to gain the benefits of pulling off phosphates, as dwall has stated. IMO, all food that can be soaked - should be soaked. Definately drain off the excess water, as this is what you just pulled out of the food, and adding it to the tank defeats the purpose of soaking. Making your own blender mush is a good way to know exactly what you are adding to the tank, and you can soak each ingredient before making. Hope this helps...maybe you'll get some to jump on with their blender mush receipes.

[Witfull]

imho....soaking flake food will only make a mess. if feeding flake, check the breakdown on the label. then use sparingly.

[BigReepher]

Ah! I see. So you drain off the phosphates, makes sense. Yes, Wit it is a mess trying to soak flake food. I don't really feed much, but I'm trying to learn and understand as much as I can for future use. Soaking the ingredients of fish mush is definately something I'll have to remember. Thanks everyone. BTW What are we doin up?

[Curtswearing]

Pure water has some unusual characteristics. H2O is the "Universal Solvent" as it can dissolve both bases and acids.

Not only that...pure water doesn't conduct electricity. I have a client that uses wire EDM machines that use electricity plus pure water to use electricity to cut through metal. Regardless of the amperage, I can safely stick my hand in the machine while it is running without worry of being electrocuted. My client pays a pretty-penny for this pure water.

RO/DI water is not pure water. However, it's pretty darn good. Without going into the logistics of how this works (do a google on Anions and Cations), you have been doing the right thing.

Basically, because of water's ability to be the "Universal Solvent" due to it's unusual electrical nature, we can use it to our advantage. In basic terms.....it's a "nasties" magnet.

As long as you don't pour the water back into the tank, this is a good thinig.

[Buzz_Hog]

Buzz_Hog's Blender Mush Recipe

Cocktail Shrimp
Talapia
Squid
Seaweed Selects
Silversides
Spirulina Discs
Spinach
Peas
Lettuce
Couple dashes of Garlic Extract
Couple Dashes of Selcon

Bledn together and pack into light diffuser (egg crate) for freezing.....

[reefrunner]

Wouldn't the properties that make the water soak up the PO4, also make it soak up the nutients in the food as well?

[NaH2O]

Almost all frozen or processed foods use TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) as a preservative. TSP is dissolved inorganic phosphate = candy bars for nusaince algaes and the like. Fresh fish that you buy at the store has also been coated to preserve and/or enhance color, etc. RO/DI water is stripped of all nastiness....it is truely H2O....tap water is not, as it has many impurities = fuel for algae growth...which is why we want to use RO/DI in our systems. Since RO/DI is stripped out...it is very reactive and very soluable, meaning things want to bond with it. We are rinsing away the coatings by bonding them to the stripped water. Just to reiterate, it is important to not add the water back into the tank...be sure to strain the food, as it will defeat the purpose of soaking/rinsing.

[reefrunner]

Originally posted by reefrunner
Wouldn't the properties that make the water soak up the PO4, also make it soak up the nutients in the food as well?

[mojoreef]

Kev the nutrients in the food are in the form of protiens and amminos lock in the tissue of the food. by doing a soak you are basically rincing off the the preservatives on the food. Also the nutrients are organically bound to the tissue to, as they were bound while the food was still alive, where as the preservatives were added after to a biological mass that wasnt binding anymore.

Mike

[reefrunner]

Thanks Mike!!

I'm gonna check, but I get my seafood for my mush from a local seafood market, it's all fresh, on ice not frozen, so I doubt the put presevatives on them, but if so, I'll be soaking them before I make the food from now on.

[mojoreef]

Keven you need to go a little deeper then the grocery store my friend the Phosphate salt is sprayed on the fish as soon as they get on the boat. Layer of ice>seafood>phosphate salt (tsp). then another layer of ice. its how they can stay out and keep the color and moisture in the seafood until they get a full load.

Mike