Homemade fish food

[squeeker]

I feel like a real dweeb... I made my fish homemade fish food!   :oops:  

It's cheap, easy to make, super healthy, and best of all, the fish love it!

Here's what I did... I found a similar recipe on another forum I frequent, and adapted it a bit.

Ingredient List:

1/2 can tuna
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh green and yellow beans, washed and diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 cup broccoli, washed and diced
1 red plum, washed and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tsp paprika (to enhance fish's coloration)
2 packages plain (no sugar) gelatin
1 1/4 cups dechlorinated water

I blended the dickens out of everything in the food processor. I added the water from the tuna can, and about 1/4 cup of dechlorinated water, as well.

I used Knox gelatin; it says on the package that one envelope would set 2 cups of liquid or 1 1/4 cups solids. I used 2 (but probably should have used 3) packages of gelatin, and dissolved it in a cup of boiling, dechlorinated water. Then, I mixed it with the stinky, greenish-brown mixture from the food processor, lined a 9x13 pan with plastic wrap, and poured the whole mess in. Then I put it in the fridge.

Every 5 minutes or so I tapped the pan with a knife to release the bubbles.

It took less than an hour to set.  I cut it all up into 1 cm squares.  I put the majority of it between layers of plastic wrap and put that in the freezer, leaving about a week's worth in the fridge.

The goldfish love it!  So does the hamster, but only as a treat.  I find it much healthier than store-bought food!

Does anyone else make their own fish food?

[Quatro]

You should go into business for yourself.  "Sqeeker's Snacks" has a nice ring to it.  :lol:

The gelatin seems a little odd to me.  I guess its to hold it together (less mess in the tank).  I may try it myself but put some (prior to the gelatin) into the dehydrator.  See if it comes out like a flake food.

Mike S

[Shouganai]

Don't feel like a dweeb! Nothing wrong with feeding homemade/raw diets to fish, or really any pet for that matter! If well balanced, the lack of unnecessary chemicals and processing makes for a much healthier food, and healthier fish. God knows what goes into a lot of those flake diets out there. *Shudder*

I will have to try out this recipe sometime, but maybe do a little searching for a raw diet that has a little more protein content.

On the topic of raw foods, but off the topic of fish.. I'm currently doing similar research into homemade raw food for the cat or cats I plan to adopt this fall. Its all very interesting stuff.

[squeeker]

Hehe, Squeeker's Snacks!  I like it!  Just like Robin's beef heart, she and I could start a business!  Maybe once I finish school...

The gelatin IS a little odd, but it holds the stuff together quite nicely.  It also helps the food to sink, which is beneficial for SBD-prone fish like goldies.

Shouganai,

This recipe is suitable for more vegetarian fish like goldfish.  For a species requiring more protein, it would be easy to sub out the veggies for beef heart, shrimp, prawn, bloodworms... anything, really!

[suu]

This stuff sounds pretty good, I'm going to make some tonight for my  tank of big spoiled shubunkins.  

[aidensmomma2000]

I wish I could do it more, but life is much too hectic now. Even my discus are out!

[oenology]

I made a similar mix for my cichlids based on the "European Shrimp mix" but used pollack. Unfortunately no one seems to like it  very much including the goldfish in the pond!

[Evan]

I make BH for my fish.


Is the paprika you buy in the stores here sweet or spicy?  It is not marked everything just says paprika.

[Mettle]

I think making your own food, if you have the time, is a great thing. I've seen a lot of people do it for their piranhas to give them a more complete diet without doing multiple feedings of different things...

What's neat with this is that with some cichlids, such as oscars, who can suffer from hole in the head (hith) you can supplement with liquid vitamins without having to put it on the pellets and let them dry.

The gelatin is something that's almost always used though and not odd at all, Quatro. Otherwise it would crumble and float all over in the water... very messy.  

Never seen this recipe before though. Looks tasty, haha.

[squeeker]

About the paprika:  I don't think mine is spicy... I just bought the no-name brand from Loblaws.

[nickie]

I enjoy treating my fish , one day I bought a packet of scallops on special,.... I cooked some up , and finly chopped up one for the tetras and kribs.... I really don`t know what could have possibly went wrong ,  but it killed three of the fish.... Mercury?... scallops are bottom feeders ?....... I threw the rest out !!...
From now  on,  Im very careful as to what I gve as treats....John P