Homemade Fish Food Ideas (DIY)

BarbH

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We also make our own DYI blend--approximately the same as yours. I prefer to use our marjarita maker rather than the food processor. I just like the texture of the food better. One thing my husband does that has worked very well is when I am done making the food mixture, I leave a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) in the marjarita maker (or food processor) and he fills it with RO/DI water then blends it for several minutes. He then leaves the solution to separate in the refrigerator for a few hours. The heavier particals settle to the bottom. He than uses a turkey baster and sucks the mostly clear solution off the top and freezes that in ice cube trays. He feeds his corals with this solution. They absolutely love that food, much more than any coral food we have bought at the LFS.

Great idea. I use a blender myself since I don't have a food processor, and my current fish like the smaller particles, if it is too big they won't touch it.
 

GregAW

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We also make our own DYI blend--approximately the same as yours. I prefer to use our marjarita maker rather than the food processor. I just like the texture of the food better. One thing my husband does that has worked very well is when I am done making the food mixture, I leave a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) in the marjarita maker (or food processor) and he fills it with RO/DI water then blends it for several minutes. He then leaves the solution to separate in the refrigerator for a few hours. The heavier particals settle to the bottom. He than uses a turkey baster and sucks the mostly clear solution off the top and freezes that in ice cube trays. He feeds his corals with this solution. They absolutely love that food, much more than any coral food we have bought at the LFS.

You would think that with all the DIY food recipes that are coming out that the commercial foods would come down in price. I even freeze those particles that sink and feed that too. No since in letting any of it go to waste. What are you putting the processed food in to freeze and save? I saw a nice idea where ice trays for the miniature cubes were filled and then frozen. Then I would think getting out the Food Saver and vacuum pack packages for a longer freezer life.
 

shells4

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Great idea. I use a blender myself since I don't have a food processor, and my current fish like the smaller particles, if it is too big they won't touch it.

I actually prefer the food a little chunkier. We have fish of all sizes. Some of the tangs, triggers, and angels like the food a little bigger. Some of the pieces I chop by hand because I don't like the consistancy of it when put in a blender/food processor. It seems like the white fish and shrimp turn to mush. I keep some large pieces and then blend part of the food down into smaller pieces for the small fish. My husbands has some fish (mandrin, pipe fish, etc) that like really fine pieces so while the food is still frozen he grates some of it by hand on a really fine mesh grater. I really like mixing the food ourselves, it is so easy when we go out of town to just have our pet sitter pull a cube out of the freezer and she doesn't have to mess with anything else.


You would think that with all the DIY food recipes that are coming out that the commercial foods would come down in price. I even freeze those particles that sink and feed that too. No since in letting any of it go to waste. What are you putting the processed food in to freeze and save? I saw a nice idea where ice trays for the miniature cubes were filled and then frozen. Then I would think getting out the Food Saver and vacuum pack packages for a longer freezer life.

I agree with you on the price. Although it does get a bit expensive making our own also. By the time I add cyclopeze, fish roe, selcon, a big package of PE mysis....it gets pricey. I freeze the food in regular ice cube trays and then transfer it into 4 double ziplock bags. We have so many tanks it never has a chance to go bad. If I make 6 trays of food it usually last us 3 or 4 months. The Food Saver is a great idea if you are making alot of food.
 

GregAW

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I agree with you on the price. Although it does get a bit expensive making our own also. By the time I add cyclopeze, fish roe, selcon, a big package of PE mysis....it gets pricey. I freeze the food in regular ice cube trays and then transfer it into 4 double ziplock bags. We have so many tanks it never has a chance to go bad. If I make 6 trays of food it usually last us 3 or 4 months. The Food Saver is a great idea if you are making alot of food.

If you think about it, if you were to buy the same amount of food from the seller, how much would it cost and how long would it last. What all are you putting in your recipe?
 

btkrausen

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Not really making my own yet, but making other foods easier to feed. I'm a big consumer of Rods Food, but breaking it off the sheet is a pain and never consistent, so I took it to myself to make it easier :)

I did this to Rods Pacific Plankton, and plan to do it to other varieties and Mysis sheets.

Frozen:
2012-05-18_11-44-16_610.jpg


Ice Cube Trays (found on amazon.com)
2012-05-18_11-42-37_718.jpg


Melting:
2012-05-18_11-43-03_251.jpg


Additives:
2012-05-18_11-44-48_356.jpg


Final Result:
2012-05-18_13-57-57_38.jpg
 
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Young Frankenstein

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Very nice people, everyone has to add something new :) and is giving me more ideas for my next recipe. GregAW I like the cube trays, and I have never used the Fish Oil, can you explain about the fish oil and where you get it ?
 

btkrausen

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GregAW

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Oops. I didn't know anything about fish oil. I think that was someone else. I think they showed the bottle and looked like something you would pick up at pharmacy in the vitamin isle.
 

GregAW

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It was said Amazon.com but you might check a Dollar Store or Wal Mart and Target. I think they call them cocktail cubes.
 

shells4

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If you use the normal size ice cube trays the food stays good for a few days after you unthaw it. I tried the small cubes a couple of times and I found them hard to remove from the tray and I needed alot of them. Also the fish oil seems to absorb better when you squeeze it on pellets and let it soak in. From what I understand it looses its nutritional value once it has been frozen. Same goes for garlic. The bottled juice may help intice a fish to eat but it has lost its nutritional value, the antioxidants don't freeze well. When you are unthawing your cubes of food, just take one small clove of fresh garlic, give it a little smash and throw it in with the cube. Fish love it! It is much cheaper than the bottled garlic also.

I add whatever I can find to the mixture. Depends on what the fish market has in stock. Generally it looks like this:
Medium package of mysis
cyclopeez
fish roe
Oyster feast
Lots of Nori
Squid
usually 2 different kinds of white fish (whatever saltwater fish is avail.)
small amount of salmon
3 or 4 handfuls of medium shrimp
oysters
clams
scallops

Occassionally I will add some food we have purchased such as a seaweed blend for the tangs and angle food. But the fish all seem very happy and healthy with our own blend. I felt stupid when I first started making it going to the seafood market for small amounts of such a large variety. The guy knows us now and starts putting our order together when he sees us walk it. lol
 

shells4

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Forgot--we always add selcon also.

You can use any fish oil at the pharmacy. whatever you would take. Pierce the capsule with a pin, squirt it on some pellets, let it absorb, and feed. The oil/pellets don't spoil for several days.

Young Frankenstein---I've never seen the Zeostart nitrate/phosphate reducer. How effective is it and how does it work? Where do you get it?
 

MarkChong

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i got lucky living in wisconsin i have a local seafood market that sells fresh muscles clams shrimp scallops still alive in there shell he has squid in live tanks so i know its all fresh.

May I know where exactly it is? Do they have live seafood all year around? Thanks
 

GregAW

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Sounds good, don't think I have seen that at my Walmart but will have to take another look next time I am there.

Barb, Look in the sea food frozen food case. Do you have one of the super stores? It's a 14 oz. bag and only cost me $4.28 each. I got 2 of them and now will be making a paste along with some other stuff I have here, like 50/50 plus (brine shrimp, bloodworms and mysis shrimp), and some cocktail shrimp I bought for my anemone), and some coral food and green marine algae. I sure hope this doesn't stink too bad. LOL
 

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