Homemade Pleco food

[GodFan]

Hey all. I want to make homemade food for my plecos and ottos. I have a bunch of scrap zuchini already. Somebody had a recipe they use posted awhile back. Basically I want an all in one nutritional wafer for them. I have extra fish food jars to store them in. Soooo I just need a recipe and a method for making them!
I know they need some protien but not huge amounts so maybe zuchini, peas, and kale?
Thanks and God bless!

 

[brennae]

I wonder if for protein you could mix in some Repashy meat pie formula along with the veggies you listed? I'm interested in this also, so following.

 

[GodFan]

I wonder if for protein you could mix in some Repashy meat pie formula along with the veggies you listed? I'm interested in this also, so following.

I wouldnt even know where to acquire repashy lol plus I dont want to use anything preparednif possible. I also though about using mashed snails or even shrimp with eggs. I know the eggs are very nutritious.

 

[GodFan]

In addition to recipe ideas I kinda need tips on how to make it.

 

[brennae]

Ok. Just for fyi Repashy is available on ebay. Some one on here was a dealer but I think he got out of that. Its a power and you mix it and it makes a nice gel. My fish LOVE it. A long time ago I used to buy something like you are looking to make from a girl on ebay. She made it for snails and my snails loved it but she quit selling it for some reason. I think she used a food dehydrator and also processed everything through a food processor. She added the veggies you mentioned and also bananas and I can't recall what else.

 

[GodFan]

Ok. Just for fyi Repashy is available on ebay. Some one on here was a dealer but I think he got out of that. Its a power and you mix it and it makes a nice gel. My fish LOVE it. A long time ago I used to buy something like you are looking to make from a girl on ebay. She made it for snails and my snails loved it but she quit selling it for some reason. I think she used a food dehydrator and also processed everything through a food processor. She added the veggies you mentioned and also bananas and I can't recall what else.

Ok thanks! I saw repashy on amazon. I think it looks cool but it also looks messy lol how do you keep it from making your tank look bad?

 

[brennae]

Well I make mine in ice cube trays and then freeze it in ziplock bags. I take out a cube and let it thaw a bit then cut it into slices for each tank. Depends on what's in the tank as to if there are left overs. My "albino" tank with albino corys and albino BNP's and snails clean up ALL of it because they go crazy for it. My peacock gudgeons will only eat what is floating in the water column so that does create a mess when the food finally reaches the bottom. My bettas eat it from the bottom etc. Just all depends on what fish you keep and what you feel like dealing with I guess.

 

[GodFan]

Well I make mine in ice cube trays and then freeze it in ziplock bags. I take out a cube and let it thaw a bit then cut it into slices for each tank. Depends on what's in the tank as to if there are left overs. My "albino" tank with albino corys and albino BNP's and snails clean up ALL of it because they go crazy for it. My peacock gudgeons will only eat what is floating in the water column so that does create a mess when the food finally reaches the bottom. My bettas eat it from the bottom etc. Just all depends on what fish you keep and what you feel like dealing with I guess.

So in a tank with gravel does it get inbetween the rocks and become impossible for the fish to get too? In one of my tanks I have gravel but I have snails and shrimp as well.

 

[brennae]

I have either sand or eco-complete in all my tanks and some are bare bottomed. The snails get to the left overs just fine in the eco. I see my pygmy corys dig around in the eco too. Had I known I would be getting the pygmies I would have put sand down tho. I really like pool filter sand. For black sand I use Petco brand. Some use black beauty blasting sand but its very dirty and I didn't want to mess with it. Of course the leftovers just sit on top of the sand so the Albino tank fish clean it up really well.

 

[GodFan]

I have either sand or eco-complete in all my tanks and some are bare bottomed. The snails get to the left overs just fine in the eco. I see my pygmy corys dig around in the eco too. Had I known I would be getting the pygmies I would have put sand down tho. I really like pool filter sand. For black sand I use Petco brand. Some use black beauty blasting sand but its very dirty and I didn't want to mess with it. Of course the leftovers just sit on top of the sand so the Albino tank fish clean it up really well.

Cool. I may try that then. So puree the zuchini and mix with the repashy meat?

 

[brennae]

Yeah and I'd try a little of some of the other veggies pureed. The repashy gels so you may be able to just get it all to gel together.

 

[GodFan]

Yeah and I'd try a little of some of the other veggies pureed. The repashy gels so you may be able to just get it all to gel together.

Ok cool. I may try and make some wafers when we get a new dehydrater

 

[brennae]

I'd like to have a dehydrator too. Let me know how this experiment works out. I may want to try it too!

 

[GodFan]

I'd like to have a dehydrator too. Let me know how this experiment works out. I may want to try it too!

I will! I actually may try to dehyrldrate them in the oven! I have bunches of zuchini. I may raid the kitchen tomorrow. I just have to pay for anything I use lol
My pleco was eating a store bought algae wafer today suprisingly. I am hoping this will be kore nutritious. I am pretty sure he also ate one of my rcs too.... it was dead/dying earlier today and I came back and the body was gone. Hopefully the protien will get him growing! I want to move him to my main tank already!

 

[Cactuspixie]

I doubt anything you or I could make in the kitchen can come close to nls in nutritional quality and balance of nutrients.

 

[brennae]

That's why the Repashy would get mixed in. Its balanced and then there would be the addition of extra veggies. I think its worth a try for supplemental feeding.

 

[Cactuspixie]

That's why the Repashy would get mixed in. Its balanced and then there would be the addition of extra veggies. I think its worth a try for supplemental feeding.

Is this for fish that won't eat fresh cooked zucchini on its own?

 

[sheilak]

food getting wasted

I saw a web site that suggested that you place the repashy into the bottom of a petri dish to keep it out of the gravel therefore it dosen't go too the bottom and boost your levels

 

[GodFan]

Ok app wont let me multi quote.
I dont know what nls is but if I make it at home it will be made with realy stuff and not all that fake/prcessed stuff.
I havent tries feeding just zuchini yet.
And I saw that about using the dish but my tanks are pretty deep and I fill them up pretty high so I dont want to be pulling out a dish from the bottom all the time lol

 

[bob mccoy]

i use zucchini- cucumber- green beans - peas-broccoli made into mush and i add some flake food then dehydrate it