Homemade Aqua-Creature Recipes!

[Melody]

Do your fish eat better than you do? Does your grocery list make the check-out clerks say 'Hmmm'? Share what your cauldron cooks up! Tell us which of your creatures gobble it up too, if you would please.

{If you use someone else's recipe, please remember to credit the cook. :) }

Here's some links to get you started (I am not endorsing or recommending them, I'm just sharing the sources to do with what you will):

http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Recipe.htm (http://members.optushome.com.au/chelmon/Recipe.htm)
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/food_recipes.php (http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/food_recipes.php)
http://rockymountaindiscus.com/Discus_fish_food_recipe.htm (http://rockymountaindiscus.com/Discus_fish_food_recipe.htm)
http://www.simplypets.com/pet-recipes/Fish/Meal/380 (http://www.simplypets.com/pet-recipes/Fish/Meal/380)
http://www.aquacon.com/fishfood.htm (http://www.aquacon.com/fishfood.htm)
Marine/Saltwater:
http://www.simplypets.com/pet-recipes/Fish/Meal/378 (http://www.simplypets.com/pet-recipes/Fish/Meal/378)
http://ozreef.org/diy_plans/additives/reef_food.html (http://ozreef.org/diy_plans/additives/reef_food.html)

Convenience seems like a strange reason to do more work....lol...but that's one of the main factors in why I do it. I am very big on a varied diet and high quality sources of nutrition. For that reason I had countless varieties and types of foods in my freezer, feeding this one in the morning, that one at night, the other every second day, etc. Now I throw everything into my homemade foods, from fresh to frozen to commercial - voila! One food, lots of variety.

Two crucial tools in making my own food are a good food processor and a dehydrator. The dehydrator is especially good if the food is high in vegie content. The dehydrating process retains many more vitamins than the boiling/baking process, and the food lasts much longer. It is also much easier to make foods that sink as there is minimal air trapped in the food.

Most of my fish/creatures benefit from vegetation in their diet. It is often sadly lacking in commercial foods so I add as much as possible to whatever I'm mixing up. Snails, Shrimp, Livebearers, Rainbowfish and some Cichlids are all groups that should have their vegies. Powdered Spirulina alone cannot compare to what the produce section has to offer, and no one food can possibly be perfect for each specific fish.

To that end, research the needs of your aquarium occupants. Learn what they eat in the wild and if there are special considerations. Snails and Shrimp, for example, benefit from vegies with a high calcium content. Many are unaware that Rainbowfish require vegetable matter in their diet - that type of information comes from in depth research.

The fave vegie with all of my aquatic creatures: Peas - winner by a mile. Mixed in or served alone (cook just enough to soften, peal and cut into quarters). Packed with vitamins, vegetable protein & great for the digestive process.

Least favorite vegie: None of mine seem crazy about carrots.

Additives I use: Multivitamins, Liquid Calcium Carbonate, Garlic, Wild Fish Oils. CAUTION: Some Vitamins, minerals & Garlic can be overdosed, resulting in serious issues and even death. Please click here (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1554) for more information.

Keep in mind that when feeding homemade foods that they should be fed sparingly and care should be taken to remove uneaten portions as soon as possible. The good stuff breaks down very quickly and can foul your tank. I don't feel that this is a good enough reason to deprive them of what is best for them - its just part of my job. If I don't want to look after the mess that vegie-loving fish create, then I shouldn't own them. The way I see it anyway. :)

I would like to keep this thread on topic and informative, if you please, so we can have it 'stickied' as a useful reference. Thank you!



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[Melody]

This is what I feed snail hatchlings when they don't appear to be eating. It is much less 'robust' than the adult Bottom Bites, so be careful with it and do extra water changes. I feed it when the hatchlings are in a separate tank/container. I don't suggest adding it to your main fishtank unless you want to do extra water changes.

BABY BOTTOM BITES

Organic Baby Food:

2 Jars Peas
1 Jar Green Beans
1 Jar Squash

Mashed Fish Food:

Rehydrated Omega One Shrimp Pellets & Algae Wafers

One capsule of human-grade liquid calcium carbonate supplement - opened and squirted in.

Whatever amount of Oatmeal Baby Cereal that I think it needs to thicken a bit - not too much or it will cloud the water before they eat it. Lotsa awesome vitamins in that stuff.

Mix peas, green beans and squash together and let sit in bowl in fridge for at least a few hours - the extra fluid will rise to the top so you can pour it off.

Mix it all up and dehydrate until it is very firm but not completely dry. Feed very sparingly.

Edit: I have recently started adding Decapsulated Brine Shrimp Eggs and powdered seaweed (including Naturose). This has really increased the nutrition levels and they love it!

[Melody]

Top Ingredients Used In Homemade Fish Food

:lobster:

The following ingredients are often used in making homemade fish foods. They are chosen for various reasons, such as vitamin & protein content, digestability and of course, what the fish find tastey. Research your particular fish species' needs and their wild diet, study the vitamin/mineral/protein content of each ingredient, then formulate your own ideal food. Customize further for your Shrimp, Snails or specific fish species.

Holding it all together...

You need something to make the mixture thicken, form a mass and be as stable in the water as possible. Most use unflavored Gelatin, Agar Powder (higher in calcium), Oatmeal Baby Cereal, Green Pea Flour, Soy, Cornmeal etc. Be careful with the carbohydrates when feeding Carnivores - they are difficult for them to digest. Up the vegie content for herbivores, and so on.

Seafood (fresh or frozen, no additives such as salt):

Shrimp
Prawns
Crab
Scallop
Smelt
Octopus
Salmon
Catfish
Mussel
Squid
Bait Fish
Roe

Frozen Food Charts for Freshwater (http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/data/sfbb-fresh-guide.asp) and Marine (http://www.tmc-ltd.co.uk/data/sfbb-marine-guide.asp) Fish
Nutrition Information For Cooked Seafood (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/nutsea.html)

Other Protein:

Beefheart/liver (fat removed)
Earthworms
Blackworms
White Worms
Mosquito Larvae
Bloodworms *Caution - many people develop allergies to Bloodworms!*

Vegies (blended/processed or purchase baby food without salt or other additives. Wash fresh vegies thoroughly):

Peas
Green Beans
Squash
Sweet Potato
Carrots
Romain Lettuce
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Spinach
Kale
'Greens', such as Collards, Beets & Mustard
Dill Weed
Nori & other seaweeds
Herb Salad
Duckweed
Lambs Quarters
Dandelion Greens

List of High Protein Vegies (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1002)
Wild Vegies & Their Nutritional Content (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=1298)

Commercial Food:

Freeze dried products, such as Krill, Mosquito Larva, fortified Daphnia, etc.
Your fave high quality flakes, pellets & wafers
Powdered, flake or concentrated Spirulina and/or other algae/seaweed (watch the ingredient list for high spirulina content).

Note: Ingredients such as pellets blend far better if they're rehydrated first.

Additives:

Fish, Pet or Baby Vitamins {Can be overdosed - please see initial post}
Liquid Calcium {Can be overdosed - please see initial post}
Garlic (fresh crushed or Allicin supplements) {Can be overdosed - please see initial post}
Naturose® (astaxanthin source)
Small amount of Fish Oil (I add a human supplement capsule for the Omega benefits).

Here's a fantastic Guide to Mineral Compounds (http://www.jostchemical.com/tech_info/JostMineralGuide.pdf) as food additives, including taste & solubility.

Stay away from...

Ingredients high in fat, especially mammal fat such as beef & pork.
Oily fish, such as mackeral.
Foods high in Phosphates.
Vegetables high in Oxalates/Oxalic Acid (Includes a frequently recommended ingredient - Spinnach. Feed very sparingly and be aware that the Calcium is rendered useless, although the vegetable may be packed with other useful vitamins).
Fruit - fouls the tank quickly, some add a lot of phosphates and you can get what the fish need from other sources.
V8 Juice - I have seen this in recipes and I don't recommend it as there is salt added.
Dog or cat food - Contains salt and a lot of other ingredients not suitable for fish or their nutritional requirements, including mammal protein, inappropriate supplementation, etc.)
Canned ingredients with added salt.
Rice - Corn is a better choice if you require a cereal grain.
Nutrition Content Tables (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=936)

Be aware that homemade foods have many fresh ingredients that will foul your water if not consumed entirely and within a reasonable amount of time. Feed very sparingly and remove uneaten food. The benefits far outweigh that simple effort, in my opinion.

As always, this is what my head has gathered from personal study and observations. Please feel free to add your own suggestions/opinions.

Betty Crocker & Chef Boyardi - eat your beefheart out! :Neener: I look forward to having you share the recipes that you come up with for your creatures.

[Melody]

Mr. Mykiss as graciously agreed to let me post his famous Beefheart recipe, which is 'beefed up' from other versions with lots of good stuff for fishies. I'm posting the recipe only for now. Mr. Mykiss can add details if he likes or feel free to post questions. You can see the detailed article in the VAHC newsletter (http://www.fishopolis.com/vahc/newsletter_archive.cfm?DetailID=25#details), The Fishmonger. That newsletter is always packed with useful tips and information!


BEEFHEART RECIPE
By Mr. Mykiss ;)


Dry ingredients:

5 multi vitamins (crushed into powder)
4 sheets of seaweed (shredded)
1/5 cup of spirulina powder
1 head of garlic (minced)
40 grams of Nutrifin Floating morsels
¾ cup of peas
2 carrots (boiled)
4 oz dried krill
flake food as binding agent

Frozen ingredients:

2 pounds de-boned fish meat
5 pounds of trimmed beef heart
1 pound of liver
2 pounds of shrimp

The first step is to freeze all meats (beef, prawns and fish). I like to have them frozen for at least a week. While freezing, I then have time to crush the vitamins into powder, shred the seaweed, mince the garlic and carrots, and pick up Zip Lock bags and the rest of the ingredients I may have forgotten to get. Some people dice everything by hand, but I prefer to use a food processor for mixing all the dry ingredients. As for the meats, I prefer to use a meat grinder e.g. KitchenAid food mixer/grinder.

After a week of freezing, thaw the meats and cut them up into quarter sized pieces. The finer you chop them up, the better since the meat grinder will have an easier job in grinding. Pass the meats through the grinder at least two times. Then, mix the dry ingredients with the meat until uniform. Finally grind the whole mixture again in the grinder (as seen in the picture, the brown stuff in the bucket is the mixed final product waiting to be bagged).

This is the finished product, but it will need to be packaged. I prefer to use Zip Lock bags because they can be frozen flat. Keep in mind that you want to have them frozen in a way that would allow for easy feeding. I freeze them to about half a centimetre thick so that I can snap off little pieces and feed directly to the fish. If you find that the pieces are still too big, then breaking a piece and shaving it with a razor blade will do.

:thumbup:

Awesome recipe Mr. Mykiss, thanks for sharing it!

[Melody]

Here's some more variations of the Beefheart Recipe. You can combine the methods/ingredients to make your own recipe which best suits your fish.

Angels Plus' Beef Heart Paste Food (http://www.angelsplus.com/pastefood.htm)
Rocky Mountain Discus Beef Heart Recipe (http://rockymountaindiscus.com/Discus_fish_food_recipe.htm)
Beef Heart Recipe by Vancouver's Bill Stone (http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Stone_beefheart.html)
Greg Watson's Beef Heart Recipe (http://www.gregwatson.com/HowToMakeBeefHeart.htm)

[Melody]

Here's (http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-fish-food/112.asp) a gelatin recipe that I found inadvertently on another site. Disappointed in expensive commercial foods, 'Cichlid Dude' decides to adapt a recipe to suit the needs of his Cichlids.

One thing I'd do differently is have a recipe that replaces the vegies with protein for the Carnivores, although he could keep the spirulina. Otherwise, its a good guideline that you can follow for making your own fish food. Don't be afraid to play with the ingredients to best suit the needs of your tank's occupants.

[Melody]

"You can weigh out the food mix and the vegetative matters prior to mixing, and get a percentage of vegetable matter in the final product. I usually don’t do this, because at that time my hands are slimy and I’m stinky, and I just want to finish. However, I would say that ideally, I would like 40% of my final herbivore fish food to be of vegetable origin." ~ Adam Blundell

LOL I can relate, and it demonstrates that there is no need to obsess over having a certain amount of this or that particular ingredient. Here is Adam's recipe and some facts for you Marine enthusiasts:

Feeding a Reeftank: A Progressive Food Recipe (http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i3/Progressive_Recipe/Progressive_Recipe.htm)

[Melody]

Homemade Fish Food; Basic, Goldfish and Carnivore
By Carl Strohmeyer (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Strohmeyer)


You can make your own supplement for general fish feeding that is high in DL-methionine (an important amino acid in fish nutrition); Start with whole salmon which is an excellent source of carotene for color (frozen or even canned works), frozen peas, hard boiled egg, frozen or FD brine shrimp, duck weed or spiulina powder, and fish oil (cod liver oil works fine). Blend this mixture then add corn starch to the paste to dehydrate. Spread this paste on small strips of foil (or even wax paper if your dehydrator does not get to hot). Make sure you leave room for air circulation.

For a frozen food, substitute the corn starch with unflavored gelatin powder.

For goldfish and koi, add wheat germ powder.

For more carnivorous fish increase the whole fish and decrease the spirulina powder or duckweed. Calamari (squid) can be added too for carnivorous fish, but make sure that all the ink is removed from whole squid.

For spirulina powder, Spirulina One Flake (http://americanaquariumproducts.com/Spirulina20Food.html) can be substituted, but since this already a complete diet for many fish, I double the amount of this and decrease other ingredients by comparable amounts.

Here are basic percentages, please note that you can change these percentages to suit your fish food requirements (for African cichlids use the goldfish formula except delete the wheat germ):

BASIC/ GOLDFISH/ CARNIVORE

Whole Salmon: 25% 20% 30%
Peas: 25% 25% 15%
Egg: 20% 15% 25%
Brine shrimp: 15% 15% 15%
Spirulina Powder: 10% 15% 5%
Wheat Germ: 0% 5% 0%
Squid: 0% 0% 5%
Fish Oil: 2% 2% 2%
Corn Starch or Gelatin: 3% 3% 3%

For a complete article about what constitutes quality fish food ingredients, please visit this article: Quality Fish Food; What ingredients are needed for proper nutrition, growth and health (http://americanaquariumproducts.com/Quality_Fish_Food.html).

By Carl Strohmeyer
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Strohmeyer

[Melody]

For nutrition content tables, please see this (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=936) thread.

[Melody]

Homemade Gelatin Fish/Snail/Shrimp Food


Two packets of unflavoured Gelatin (Or try your hand at using the calcium-rich Agar agar.... or both)

You can add approximately:

4 cups of vegies - pureed (or chopped if your creatures can handle them that way)
1 cup dry food (flakes, powders, etc)
1-3 jars of baby food (my fave is organic peas)
1/2 c of pureed seafood and/or trimmed beefheart
1/4 - 1/2 clove of garlic (just chuck it in with the vegies & puree)
A drop of liquid baby vitamins or fish vitamins
1/4 tsp Liquid calcium or snip open a couple of human liquid Calcium supplements & squirt the contents in.

The baby food can be heated in the microwave & the gelatin added to that, or you can disolve the gelatin in hot liquid. Water is acceptable, but you can also get creative there, as long as its hot liquid. Make sure it is dense, like the baby food. Juices, etc will disolve into the water column to quickly.

Agar agar seems to work best if its cooked with the rest of the ingredients. The problem with that is the extra cooking reduces the nutritional value of said foods, and its more difficult to figure out how much Agar agar you need. Therefore, I would recommend a separate Agar agar mix, using only powdered ingredients, such as shrimp powder, spirulina powder, powdered vitamins, Naturose, etc. The powder should be mixed with the Agar agar at about a 3/1 ratio. You can layer this mixture over a Gelatin mixture, or serve alone.

Freeze in thin sheets to be broken off, or pour into small icecube trays. The small, fancy icecube or Jello trays work well. I find it easier to cut and then freeze them. A little goes a long way.

You can play with how much and what you put in there, this is just a guideline to get people started. For Carnivores you would naturally want to concentrate more on protein. See the other posts for suggested ingredients & research your creatures' diet, so you can build the recipe to suit their needs. Try to cover crucial vitamins, minerals & proteins, along with natural color enhancers (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199).

This is a fantastic way to get fish to eat med's. I really like it for freeze-dried (Brine Shrimp, Krill, etc) and other light foods, (ie: dried seaweed), as it takes it straight to the bottom. Be sure to stir slowly to avoid introducing air bubbles or it won't sink. Frozen sinks better than refridgerated. Alternately, stir up a storm if you want it to float.

For more details and specifics, please click here (http://www.allnaturalpetcare.com/DIY_Homemade_Fish_Food_Recipe_Ingredients.html).

Fish, shrimp & snails love this stuff!

There's lots of variations out there. This one is a huge batch for Goldfish (http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/GelFood.html) and there's a few here (http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/food_recipes.php) for Cichlids, for starters.

* Note to Discus fans & other warm-temp-lovers: According to Rocky Mountain Discus, gelatin recipes will disolve too quickly at the higher tank temp's. Makes sense to me.

I would like to thank the many, many people who have posted gelatin recipes online. I would never have come up with this on my own and can only take credit for it as a version.

[Melody]

Here is a marine recipe that is designed to be a one time thing - the food could last you for over a year!

Mac's Famous Fish Loaf (http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/diy-c186.html)

"Use a dedicated blender. Fish oil has a way of staining blenders. Unauthorized use of a food blender may result in a dented frying pan (you get the picture.)"

:rofl:

[Melody]

Live Prey (http://www.aquaguide.net/page-46.html) is a great write-up on foods for carnivorous fish. The ingredients can also be used for other fish and the article briefly covers why you should include the various choices.

There is a simple gelatin recipe in the article as well!

[Mrs.JP]

This is my first Veggie Jello recipe sorry I don't have exact amounts of all the ingrediants.

Fish Veggie Jello

4 cups vegetable puree
....frozen baked Pumpkin thawed
....frozen blanched Kale thawed
....frozen Peas thawed
....frozen Parsly thawed
....1 clove Garlic

Let sit in a bowl in the fridge for a few hours or over night to let excess water rise to the top, then poor off or mop up with a piece of paper towel.

Heat up puree in a pot on the stove until it just starts to boil.
Turn of heat and stir in
4 packets of unflavored Gelatin and
4 tsp. crushed Fish Food

Spread out on a plastic lined pan( I used a pizza pan)
Put in the fridge to set
After it is set cut into squares and freeze( I used a margerine tub I put plastic wrap in between layers of jello squares, this made it easier to take out a few squares at a time while still frozen)

I hope this helps some of you to come up with your own recipes.
And if anyone thinks I can get away with less gelatin please let me know, thanks.

Jackie

[BC_Kron]

I make my own food often. I blend any number of fresh/frozen/dry ingredients,(peas, brine, krill, bloodworms, earthworms, seafood, spirulina, as well as any of my favorite flake/pellets) adding a bit of water along the way. I like to pour some of the mixture into bloodworm trays and freeze, then I add gelatine to the remainder, and put in ziplock bags, laying flat to set(1/4" thick), All the fish love it. I like put larger single chunks in my cichlid tanks so individuals can get bites as large/small as they want. It is a very rich blend, that will benefit your fish greatly. And as Mel says, it's very easy!

cheers;Bill

[Melody]

This is my first Veggie Jello recipe sorry I don't have exact amounts of all the ingrediants.

For some reason I missed your post Jackie! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.

Thanks also to Mr. BC_Kron for sharing the details of his fishy treats!

[Melody]

Here we have some excellent gelatin recipes which have obviously been well researched & balanced, shared with us by TheGab.org. They even have a very useful chart introducing it all.

From the recipe page (http://thegab.org/Articles/GelFoodRecipes.html):


Below are links to home made gel food recipes. The table below contains the percent of grams of food that are protein, carbohydrate, ash (minerals) and fats, along with a breakout of:

the percent of protein in each recipe that comes from fish/shellfish
the percent of fats in each recipe that are saturated fats (you want this to be low), the amount of cholesterol (this also should be low), Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids (both essential in the diet)
the percent of carbohydrates in each recipe that are fiber, sugars or complex carbohydrates The table also shows the number of calories and micrograms of carotenes (used for fish color pigments) per 10 gram serving of gel food.

I would add pureed garlic myself and would adjust the recipes for my particular fish. These are mainly for Goldfish but WOW, what a fantastic job overall!

[Melody]

Just adding a link to an article I posted from the University of Florida. Excellent information & pointers from very smart cookies! Its meant for fish farms, but most of the studies are done on their behalf and in turn, it is one of the most reputable sources of information.
I'm trying to keep everything relevant linked here so nothing gets missed. :smile:

Preparing Your Own Fish Feeds (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=885)

Check out this list of sources that they used - Impressive!

Boonyaratpalin, M. and R. T. Lovell. 1977. Diet preparation for aquarium fishes. Aquaculture 12: 53-62.

DeKoven, D. L., J. M. Nunez, S. M. Lester, D. E. Conklin, G. D. Marty, L. M. Parker and D. E. Hinton. 1992. A purified diet for Medaka (Oryzias latipes): refining a fish model for toxicological research. Laboratory Animal Science 42: 180-189.
De Silva, S. S. and T. A. Anderson. 1995. Fish Nutrition in Aquaculture. Chapman and Hall. London, UK.
Francis-Floyd, R. and P. Reed. 1994. Management of Hexamita in Ornamental Cichlids. UF/IFAS Fact Sheet VM 67. University of Florida, USA.
Goddard, S. 1996. Feed Management in Intensive Aquaculture. Chapman and Hall. New York, USA.
Halver, J. E. (ed). 1989. Fish Nutrition. 2nd Ed. Academic Press Inc. San Diego, USA.
Hardy R. W. and F. T. Barrows. 2002. Diet formulation and manufacture. Pp. 505-600. In: Fish Nutrition. 3rd Ed. Elsevier Science. New York, USA.
Hertrampf, J. W. and F. Piedad-Pascual. 2000. Handbook on Ingredients for Aquaculture Feeds. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
Lectures on Training Course in Fish Feed Technology. 1980. Fish Feed Technology. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/ADCP/REP/80/11.
Lewbart, G. A. 1998. Self-assessment Color Review of Ornamental Fish. Iowa State University Press. Ames, USA.
Lewbart, G. A. 1991. Medical management of disorder of freshwater tropical fish. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian 13: 969-978.
Lovell, T. 1989. Nutrition and Feeding of Fish. Van Nostrand Reinhold Publishers. New York, USA.
Meyers, S. P. and C. W. Brand. 1975. Experimental flake diets for fish and crustacea. The Progressive Fish-Culturist 37(2): 67-72.
National Research Council. 1993. Nutrient Requirements of Fish. National Academy Press. Washington DC, USA.
New, M. B. 1987. Feed and Feeding of Fish and Shrimp: A Manual on the Preparation and Presentation of Compound Feeds for Shrimp and Fish in Aquaculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/AADCP/REP/87/26.
New, M. B., A. G .J. Tacon and I. Csavas. 1993. Farm-Made Aquafeeds. Proceedings, Regional Consultation on Farm-made Aquafeeds, 14-18 December 1992. Bangkok, Thailand. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)/AADCP/PROC/5/93/18.
Royes, J. B. Unpublished Dissertation. The Optimum Protein Level for African Cichlid Fry (Pseudotropheus socolofii). University of Florida, USA.
Spotte, S., P. E. Stake, P. M. Bubucis and J. D. Buck. 1985. Alginate and gelatin bound foods for exhibit fishes. Zoo Biology 4: 33-48.
Tacon, A. G. J. 1990. Standard Methods for the Nutrition and Feeding of Farmed Fish and Shrimp. Argent Laboratories Press. Redmond, USA.
Winfree, R. A. 1992. Nutrition and feeding of tropical fish. In: J.B. Gratzek (ed). Aquariology: Fish Anatomy, Physiology, and Nutrition. Tetra Press. Morris Plains, USA. Yanong, R. P. E. 1999. Nutrition of ornamental fish. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice 2(1): 19-42.

There's a collection I'd love to have!:GEEK:

[ChrissyFishy]

This is so great! I have made some gellatin foods but I didn't know there was so many recipes online, thank you thank you!:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

[Melody]

My pleasure :smile:. We'd love to know about your recipes too!

[Melody]

I am shamelessly stealing Ms. Katalyst's recipe for vacation feeders...


I use DEP plaster of paris, and water to make a slurry, mix pure spirulina and Pro Gold Goldfish Pellets, Calcium Carbonate or Caltrate pills stick it the oven in silicone muffin mold and voila....Feeder blocks. I tried adding fresh veggies but didn't cook them for long enough and now my green bin stinks lol. You can also use a dehydrator but I don't have one....



Thanks Kat!

[Melody]

Animal Snackables (http://animalsnackables.com/treatrecipes/FISHFOODRECIPES.htm) provides recipes for fish food (freshwater & marine), snail food, bloodmeal, crawfish meal, fish meal, bread meal and more! Most I would recommend as a base recipe only, adjusted to and supplemented for the needs of the particular creature you are feeding. I'd stay away from 'beef blood' entirely for the aquarium. A good starting point overall though.

[tiff]

Melody asked me to add my jello recipe:

1 jar of baby food ( I used peas)
1 pkg. knox unflavoured jello
1 tsp. fish food (i used flakes)
1 tsp honey (entices them for the sweetness)
3 crushed calcium supplements
2 algae wafers crushed
some crushed shrimp pellets

Pretty much once you have the baby food hot and the unfalvoured jello mixed you could add whatever extra food you would like to it. The fish food, honey, and calcium supplements are optional.

Heat peas in microwave (hint: take them out of the jar first or you'll have a mess on your hands LOL), add gelatin slowly so that it doesn't clump.
Then add other ingredients. Pour in to flat bottom container ( I used a old margarine container)
Let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Cut into small blocks and keep in fridge or can be stored in freezer for up to one month.
Have fun mixing it up a little, I'm sure your little creatures won't mind a bit.:laugh:

[Melody]

Making your own fish food is catching on in a big way. I went surfing and found some more for you to try.:smile:

Fish food recipe for discus and other fishes (http://www.fruciano.it/Acquario/fish-food-recipe.shtml) - Recipe includes egg & there's some good tips.
DIY Home Made Fish Food - Frozen (http://westerncichlids.com.au/home-made-fish-food-frozen/) - Fish food with fry option.
Homemade Fish Food (http://www.petclubuk.com/view/page.do?id=295) - Formulated especially for breeding fish.
Home Cooking Your Own Frozen Fishfood (http://www.loaches.com/articles/home-cooking-your-own-frozen-fishfood)- A Canadian hobbyist feeds this food to his Loaches and other fish.
Paste Food Recipe (http://www.thebomb.clara.co.uk/paste.html) - An alternative for fish who only eat live foods or any fish requiring a similar diet.
Kroshinsky Goldfish Food (http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/recipe1.html) - Site is sometimes unavailable.
Variant of above (http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4468/recipe2.html)
Tropheus/Mbuna Shrimp Mix Food (http://www.gcca.net/howto/fish_food.htm) - Hi fiber/vegetable food.



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[ChrissyFishy]

The last one would be good for snails to?:FishQuestion:

[Melody]

It wouldn't be a bad place to start, but you could refine it more for snails by using high calcium vegies & seaweed.

[Melody]

I happened across this fantastic Guide to Mineral Compounds (http://www.jostchemical.com/tech_info/JostMineralGuide.pdf) {PDF} as food additives, including taste & solubility. You may find it handy when supplementing your recipes with minerals.

[CACAdmin]

Thanks! Sticking with neutral tastes would probably be a best bet but :Think:I wonder is certain fish or snails might actually like something with a strong or spicy taste... you never know. :Dunno:

[Melody]

You can get pretty much everything into them via more tastey forms than supplements and without the contaminations. If it's something like seaweed, the minerals are in a form with a high uptake rate as well. A lot of people also add 'synthetic' supplements though. The only mineral I add is calcium and I use baby vitamins for a vitamin supplement.

I hadn't really thought about the taste of supplements before so I found it interesting.:yes:

[Melody]

Here's a new ingredient for you. I've wanted to try it since I happened upon it while researching. Everything needs a binder/thickener but I don't like most of the options because they add little else. Green Pea Flour is made from actual peas. I finally tried it yesterday and it works beautifully. I didn't use much in case it clouded the water, but there's no sign of that so far and the dehydrated food still sinks and stays stable until it's eaten.

The creatures always go nuts for it so i don't know if it enhanced the flavour or not, but the reaction was the same as it always is so it can't be bad. If you bake your goodies and use flour anyway, I'm certain this would improve the flavour. It definitly adds more nutrients! It wouldn't be suitable for the average gelatin mix though as that would probably cloud the water.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-Greenpeaflour.jpg


It's not all created equal, like most things. Since I don't use much, I went for the smaller 'gourmet' size for the quality. It's not worth bothering to make your own food if you're not going to do everything possible to make it superior to what's on the shelf, in my opinion.

It's easy to find - this was at Safeway.

[Katalyst]

Yanno I've been looking all over for pea powder for about 3 weeks now. Why I never bothered to ask the bottom bites guru is beyond me.

I'll have you know I have given up on making homemade food and its all your fault! The fish have had the bottom bites (good stuff) and after vaccuming out my poor excuse for bottom bites subsitute its just easier to click the auction button!

At least my husband still likes my cooking! ::(:

[Melody]

There's a store finder that actually works with Canadian postal codes here (http://www.bobsredmill.com/storefinder.php). You can order it from their website but it's US-based. I also use their cornmeal. I'll send a sample in your box Pam... if I don't forget...lol.

There's a Canadian based pea flour producer at the wholesale level but they target the ingredients market. If I ever find a Canadian producer on the retail level, I'll let you know. There's also a yellow pea flour.

Pea powder is an entirely different grind so don't confuse the two. I just found some freeze-dried pea powder recently - if powders are heat processed they're no better than the fish food garbage on the market. :nah: Freeze dried is much more expensive so you won't be seeing it in commercial foods anytime soon.

[Melody]

American Livebearer Association (http://www.livebearers.org) members were treated to some recipes for homemade fish foods in Issue 205. In fact, there were so many recipes it was split over two issues, with more coming in Issue 206. They will be accompanied by an article by yours truly about nutrition requirements and how to meet them with fresh/low-processed, easily obtained foods. Membership has it's perks! Don't dispair, you can join anytime and purchase back issues.:yes:

:secret: There will be a donated copy of Issue 205 in an upcoming CAC contest, which also includes the CAOAC convention article and full coverage of the ALA 2009 Convention. :SoExcited: