Where do you get your frozen food from?

[christina4526]

I would like a recommendation on where to buy frozen fish food locally or an online vendor. I'm in Magnolia, TX Houston, TX I have clown fish, wrasses, tangs, blennys, cardinals, damselfish.

 

[REEFRIED!]

I just go to the local fish store.

 

[ScottJ]

LFS. They are the best price I have found. I can't see getting it shipped and paying extra for what I can get right around the corner.

 

[fishybizzness]

The grocery store. A small dedicated food processor and some fresh seafood saves a ton of money!

 

[christina4526]

I defiantly need to start making my own fish food.

 

[areefer01]

Local fish store is one option. A lot of it will depend on their handling of the product(s) and the quality.

Online there are a few options that offer good selections. With online purchasing, especially frozen, you may have restrictions on shipping dates or days of the week. Planning ahead makes this point moot but wanted to raise it. Also some places may attach an additional packaging fee. This is fine in my opinion becuase they are going to insure that it stays frozen to your doorstep. Dry ice, packing material, etc. They shouldn't eat that cost so it makes sense to me.

To your question 'where do you, me the hobbyist, go' - easy. I shop at Premium Aquatics. They ship frozen food every Tuesday. There is an extra charge for material but I don't mind. Selection is good. Quality is good. Price is fine. I just buy more product to offset the packaging surcharge. Bonus is in the month of October. Buy it just before Halloween and use the dry ice for special effects Food arrives in much better condition than anything I can buy local plus I have a better selection. Haven't run into any issues even in the hot weather months in Northern California.

 

[exnisstech]

I buy mine from one of my lfs. Shipping on frozen usually drives the price up too much.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

LFS (or petco) is where I get mine!

 

[fishface NJ]

Petco and make my own.

I make my fish food: Fish eggs, live clams, live mussels, live oysters (add nori if you have something that consumes). if you are gutting your fish for dinner, use it for this; if you don't eat fish then go to the fish market and ask for -it. they will give it to you for free. -whole sardines - bones and all place items in food processor. Freeze in mini cube trays.

 

[ColorMeGone]

PetSmart also

 

[silly_blenny]

LFS! If there's something specific I'm looking for (e.g., Reef Frenzy), the manufacturers often will have a store locator of some kind. If you can't find what you're looking for, having a relationship with an LFS means you can potentially ask them to special order it or consider adding it to their stock.

 

[christina4526]

The grocery store. A small dedicated food processor and some fresh seafood saves a ton of money!

What else do you add to the mixture and how much do you put into each bag? I see some reefers use vacuum sealing bags with one cup in each, adding acropower and fuel refuel for the coarls. I've seen others use seaweed and broccoli. If you wouldn't mind giving a little more detail about your process it would be appreciated.

 

[christina4526]

Local fish store is one option. A lot of it will depend on their handling of the product(s) and the quality.

Online there are a few options that offer good selections. With online purchasing, especially frozen, you may have restrictions on shipping dates or days of the week. Planning ahead makes this point moot but wanted to raise it. Also some places may attach an additional packaging fee. This is fine in my opinion becuase they are going to insure that it stays frozen to your doorstep. Dry ice, packing material, etc. They shouldn't eat that cost so it makes sense to me.

To your question 'where do you, me the hobbyist, go' - easy. I shop at Premium Aquatics. They ship frozen food every Tuesday. There is an extra charge for material but I don't mind. Selection is good. Quality is good. Price is fine. I just buy more product to offset the packaging surcharge. Bonus is in the month of October. Buy it just before Halloween and use the dry ice for special effects Food arrives in much better condition than anything I can buy local plus I have a better selection. Haven't run into any issues even in the hot weather months in Northern California.

Thank you for your feedback, I really do apricate you taking the time to respond.

 

[fishybizzness]

What else do you add to the mixture and how much do you put into each bag? I see some reefers use vacuum sealing bags with one cup in each, adding acropower and fuel refuel for the coarls. I've seen others use seaweed and broccoli. If you wouldn't mind giving a little more detail about your process it would be appreciated.

I bought this for around $20. It works great! I use mussels, whole squid, clams, fresh mahi roe that I save when I go fishing and some leftover silversides that I catch to use as bait. I blend them all individually to the consistency i want and then mix them together in a mixing bowl and flatten the mix out in a gallon zip lock and freeze. The gallon flat pack last me over a month. Any extra seafood we eat because it's all food quality, except for the baitfish! Lol my fish love it. That and some nori everyday is all I feed. All my fish are healthy, not overweight.

 

[edd59]

you can use any fish you want, shell fish and fillet.
i do the same in a small processor spread on wax paper to 1/2-3/4 thick. partially freeze and cut into cubes and continue freezing.
i also add chopped spinach and nori.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

LFS, Petco, Premium Aquatics (good selection of the frozen food that the order two don’t carry), grocery store.