Lets Talk food

[jumbaaa]

Ok so doing the fish rescue ... I got a bunch of flake food (not my first choice but it was unopened and free) I was thinking of doing some frozen food. While researching I noticed that some people make their own... How? whats the recipe?

[mr_X]

It's easy to make your own, and the recipe can vary. i use whatever white meat fish is on sale, a few shrimp, some fresh clam, a couple scallops, and squid. I also add a bar of frozen cyclo-peeze, and add some selcon or similar vitamin supplement. Last time I made food I couldn't find selcon, so I used Kent Zoe.
Grind it all up in a food processor and separate it evenly in gallon ziplocks. Roll it out with a rolling pin or a large can and make it flat as possible or you'll have a heck of a time breaking a piece off. Freeze it flat, and you've got enough food for the year, for under 20 bucks.

[Gregcoyote]

Looks delicious! I want some on a cracker.

[Swiftler]

Thanks for the recipe. I'm sure your fish love the Private Stock as well one of my favorites.

[mr_X]

LoL! That's more for the chef.....

[jumbaaa]

but theres a bit of capt in all of us

[Swiftler]

Mr. X I was thinking about trying your recipe this weekend and had a couple of questions.

Do you need to add supplements to the mixture or will the ground seafood suffice?
When I was using frozen brine shrimp, others told me to rinse it before putting in the tank to reduce phosphates, does this apply to your mixture as well?

[Gregcoyote]

Do you add any garlic? Do you think it has benefits? Sure does stink.

[mr_X]

Well, fish don't have access to liquid vitamins in the wild and they do fine anyway. I don't know if that has to do with the great selection of food in the ocean or not, so, I like to include them. What can it hurt?

You don't need to rinse this food. This is all food grade, fresh food. This has not been frozen in nasty rotten fish water, hence the lack of smell.

I don't add garlic.
Some may add ground up nori to the mix. I chose not to.

[Marcquez08]

I love this forum! I learn something new everyday!
I definitely want to make my own food especially since I didn't know I could!!

[Gregcoyote]

I feed sheets of food grade nori anyway. I use to make my own food, but got lazy. May start again. Thanks.

[The Duke 8705]

Well, I made some food this weekend following MR. X's recipe. I feed a small sample of it and everyone seemed to love it. Now I just have to run out of my pellets (about 1/8-1/4 of a can) and then the good stuff. I put it in the small plastic shoot glasses and froze it that way. Now I just have to pop it out in the tank, just another idea for everyone.

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by The Duke 8705

Well, I made some food this weekend following MR. X's recipe. I feed a small sample of it and everyone seemed to love it. Now I just have to run out of my pellets (about 1/8-1/4 of a can) and then the good stuff. I put it in the small plastic shoot glasses and froze it that way. Now I just have to pop it out in the tank, just another idea for everyone.

A shot glass seems like a lot of food?

[Swiftler]

I've asked him about the glasses and I think he uses the tiny plastic jello shot glasses, and he only fills them about halfway. Doesn't end up being too much food

[Gregcoyote]

I have started using cocktail ice trays. They make little ice cubes and are almost the same size as the prepared frozen foods in the push out trays. Shot glasses sound fine as well...I was just thinking they are a bit on the large size for me.

[Hondatek]

This is funny . I just got done making some food myself . 2 big shrimp, 2 big scallops and a half dozen clams . I'll find out tomorrow if they will eat it.

[mr_X]

I like the flattened out ziplock best. This way you can take what you want, and are not stuck with a measured amount.

[Hondatek]

What's your opinion on using crushed up spirulina tablets in the mix? I was going to use some but i couldn't find any. Spirulina is pretty much algae I think.

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by mr_X

I like the flattened out ziplock best. This way you can take what you want, and are not stuck with a measured amount.

I use to buy my bulk brine shrimp that way for ages. It has to be thin, or you can't break it for sure.

[mr_X]

Anything nutritious would be a good thing, but I would be concerned about what else is in the tablet. I would think grinding up some nori would be a guarantee you aren't unknowingly adding anything you don't want to.