FAQs on DIY
Foods/Feeding/Nutrition
Related Articles: Feeding
a Reef Tank: A Progressive Recipe by Adam Blundell, Making Vegetarian Gel Food for
Fish: Five Minutes, Five Easy Steps by Nicole Putnam,
Culturing Food
Organisms,
Related FAQs: Foods/Feeding/Nutrition 1, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition 2, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition 3, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition 4, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition 5, Foods/Feeding/Nutrition 5, Brine Shrimp, Algae as Food, Vitamins, Nutritional Disease, Frozen Foods, Coral
Feeding, Anemone Feeding,
Growing Reef Corals,
Culturing Food Organisms,
Butterflyfish
Foods/Feeding/Nutrition,
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Hi,
I thought it would be an interesting experiment to try and make
my own fish food for my aquarium inhabitants. I know there are
many commercial products available, but I have some large prized
angelfish and would like to be able to completely control what
they are eating. Have you had experience doing this before, and
if so what kind of food that can be locally bought would you put
in the mix? And of course I don't want the fish to be eating
better than me, so I would rather keep lobster off the menu!
Thanks
Neil Sharples
DIY foods can make a lot of sense'¦
in terms of knowing, getting exactly what you want as
ingredients, as well as substantial cost savings over commercial
brands. On the downside, and this can be a big issue, is the mess
involved!
You don't mention which species of Pomacanthid you have, but
should know that there is quite a wide range in the food habits
of this marine family. Many of the small and large species of
angels consume a large amount of sponge (Poriferan) material in
their natural diet, and there have been attempts at adding this
component in trade feeds. You may find that you can also purchase
this material at an oriental food store'¦ along with
another important group, algae. Red and green macrophytes make up
a considerable (tens of percent) of these fishes diets as
well'¦ and marine sources (Nori, Kombu and much more)
are far superior to terrestrial greens for nutrition and
palatability.
You mention omitting expensive ingredients like langusto! Do
check your local markets for 'frutti de mar''¦
Often in a few formats, kinds of mixes, this is a catch all label
for prepared frozen seafoods (shrimps, scallops, cockle meat,
fish'¦) et al. that is generally 'ready to go'
in your food processor/grinder as is, without further tedious
cleaning.
Now, the only other ingredients I'd add are a vitamin
preparation like Selcon or Micro-Vit'¦ and a
binder'¦ emulsifier to aid in keeping all the bits
discrete (together) so your aquatic charges can find and consume
them. I prefer the use of alginates over gelatins, as these last
can have undesirable effects in captive systems (binding the
gravel, causing algal proliferation), but you'll have to
search, perhaps on-line, to find the polysaccharides that are
algin-based.
Most folks blend, grind all ingredients, add enough water to
cover and freeze these blends in either small plastic ice-cube
trays or sturdy, fold-flat polythene bags (of good
thickness'¦ like 4 plus mil). Allowing the food to
either be popped out or small chunks broken off a bar to defrost
ahead of offering. Lastly, I'd like to mention that
whatever components are used, and the process employed to make
your DIY foods, there is a learning curve for both you and your
livestock'¦ so, start small, try mixing your food/s with
what they already readily accept, and keep reducing the
store-bought till they're fully up to speed.
|
Feeding and Nutrition. DIY SW foods
8/5/14
Hello Bob and Crew!
I have a question regarding food and nutrition. I would really like to increase
the variety of foods I offer my fish by creating a homemade seafood mix.
<Easy (w/ tools, patience!), cost-effective, even fun to do>
However, I am VERY concerned about introducing pathogens from doing this
(Cryptocaryon, worms, bacteria, pollutants/toxins).
<Mmm; not to worry. Freezing kills most all>
My aquarium is in my science classroom and the students are quite attached to
the fish. It would be a big bummer if they got sick! I read in Bob's PowerPoint
that frozen foods are safe if kept frozen.
<Yes...>
How long must the foods be in a frozen state to kill all pathogens if this is
so?
<Moments to minutes would be my guess/assumption. Some folks (TMC e.g.) even
Gamma ray expose foods... Yikes!>
Currently I feed Seachem nutridiet flakes (which have proteinated
vitamins/minerals so easier for fish to absorb, I have read), dried seaweed, and
Mysis shrimp soaked in Selcon and VitaChem. I'm a little concerned that my
lyretail Anthias and copperband butterfly are only eating the soaked Mysis. Will
they be alright on this diet (the copperband doesn't like anything else)?
<Mmm; likely for a good long while... though I too would expand this diet.
Please do see WWM re Anthiine and Chelmon foods/feeding/nutrition (FAQs files)>
Also, what procedure do you recommend to kill all pathogens in the
seafood mix if I make one?
<Simple freezing is all I would do>
Thank you very much for your help yet again! Brielle Kemis (Lil Bri)
P.S. I deleted my Facebook profile Bob, but feel free to email me anytime!
Also please tell me if you know anyone who might be interested in talking to my
students via FaceTime/Google chat/classroom visit about biology (ecology,
genetics, etc.) I'm always looking for people who can talk to students about
life science careers and inspire them!
<Am going to BCC Neale Monks here in the hope that he has time to lend. An
excellent person,
scientist,
exemplary individual>
Re: Feeding and Nutrition 8/5/14
As always, your advice is much appreciated! I'm going to try my hand at being a
seafood chef tomorrow and continue my reading in the archives to find suitable
ingredients:) Hope you're having a wonderful summer and thank you for the
networking help as well!
-Lil Bri
<Ah yes; do start here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/diyfoodfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. BobF>
Re: Feeding and Nutrition
/Neale
8/5/14
Greetings to both of you. On my holidays so not entirely keeping up with WWM
mail!
But, in brief, freezing DOES NOT kill pathogens. It would
probably kill most multicellular parasites to be sure, but not bacteria. This is
why freezing is not considered sterilisation in the food industries, and why
frozen food “goes off” after a certain period of time. Freezing slows down the
growth rate of bacteria, extending the life of food, but that’s it.
With this said, your (human) food supplier will have taken care to avoid
contaminating foods in the first place, so if you start with seafood/fish
suitable for human use, it will surely be safe for pet fish. Another rule of
thumb is that freshwater parasites are unlikely to infect marine fish, and vice
versa. So if you had a marine aquarium, basing your food mix on, for example,
tilapia, would be an excellent way to avoid parasitic infections. Similarly
terrestrial foods (such as insects) are even less likely to introduce parasites.
Hope
this helps, Neale
DIY fish/reef food, comm. baby food addn. 7/28/13
Hi all- it has been quite awhile since I last wrote the Guru’s @ WWM,
lol – hope all are doing well.
Question is: in attempting to make my own fish/reef food- how
beneficial/harmful would you suggest adding jarred baby food to the mix
would be?
<Interesting>
Example-Beechnut does not add any additives/preservatives that I am
aware- and have read it in use for freshwater aquarium fish- nothing
found on marine, though.
I would like your opinion. I was thinking the sweet potatoes, butternut
squash, broccoli, peas/carrots. (not all at once, of course, lol ).. all
are pureed, and thinking it would serve as a vitamin/color enhancer..
to be added to my mix of raw foods/Nori/etc-then frozen. Thinking also
as it breaks off into the water column... it would feed the coral, since
it would be so small size wise. Or am I way off in my thought?
<Worth trying... as you state below: In small quantities>
Of course I would do small amounts so as not to cloud/jeopardize water
quality.
I have read here : http://www.wetwebmedia.com/diyfoodfaqs.htm but do not
see anything regarding the addition of jarred/pureed baby food.
Any thoughts from anyone on the Crew?
Thank you in advance... Michelle Yingst
<Worth trying... as a small percentage as a trial. Bob Fenner>
Re: DIY fish/reef food 7/29/13
Thanks Bob- I will update as to how the fish/coral react.
Have a great day.
Michelle
<And you, BobF>
Questions about the DIY fish food in your book
6/8/13
Hi
<Ajeet>
It's me from Tamilnadu. My spectrum fish food is almost getting over. So
before purchasing a new batch i wanted to try out your diy fish food. So
first i converted the oz to gm.s. Then i bought the shrimp, spinach
(could not get Nori) and multivitamin. As usual i have some questions.
1. Since i can't get any clams will it be alright if i just use peeled
shrimps or do i have to add a substitute?
<Yes>
2.The liquid multivitamin is given for babies(human). It has a sweetener
in it so will the fish( clowns) reject it?
<No; they will accept it/this. No problem... and not an issue for your
tank, water>
Also if possible could give a video of it's preparation (will be a lot
useful).
<Insert this string... "video do it yourself marine fish food"...
In Google>
I also came across this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAQDDMlHXR4 .
<... infomercial>
The fish look really healthy and they like it after so many years. Where
to get it in India?
<Ah, don't know>
thanks
Ajeet
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Re: Questions about the DIY fish food in your book
6/9/13
Sorry for being dumb. But the answer for question 1 is not clear. Should
i add another 2 oz of shrimp to the already 4 oz. Or should i substitute
it with something else.
<If you can find a source of "mixed seafood" (frozen, small pieces);
that's what I'd use>
Also i wanted a of video of your recipe done by your crew. I did search
it with that string all i get are videos done by others which is also
good.
Thanks for the quick reply
Ajeet
<Ah, welcome. Bob Fenner>
Crabs and inverts found at beach, collecting for SW food
5/11/13
Hello
<Dan>
I live in Massachusetts and often go to the beach, by the jetty there
are always crabs, mussels, ect. I am just curious to know if I can catch
these and feed them to my tusk, trigger, and puffer to supplement their
diet.
Thank you
<I would freeze these for a few days ahead of using... to discount
transferring unwanted life. Do collect in clean/er water. Bob Fenner>
Florida blue, too much stress?
1/12/13
Hello, Sylvi here!
<Hello Sylvi,>
I have a major problem with my female, Orion. She came to me with one
claw smaller, obviously slowly regrowing.
<Correct, and may never reach full size. Crustaceans don't moult to
order. They moult periodically as they grow. They moult frequently when
young; infrequently when sexually mature. Eventually they all but stop
moulting altogether. So, if your crayfish is fully grown, it may moult
only every few months, in which case the claw will always be relatively
small.>
I noticed her carrying a bundle of eggs a few days ago (I'm not sure how
fast the laying process is, I was very surprised to suddenly see "her"
with eggs). Last night, my large male Boris was really restless and
constantly trying to invade Orion's safety cave, even though his regular
cave was empty along with two other caves. This morning I found Orion
cowering in a corner, her regular claw ripped off, by Boris of course.
<Hmm… confused here. Why are you keeping them altogether? Standard
operating practise is to keep crayfish one to a tank. If you keep
multiple specimens in one large aquarium, then don't go naming any of
them -- because their lives are likely to be short and brutal. What more
to say? Understand that crayfish aren't sociable animals, and keep them
accordingly. Kept in solitary, 5-10 gallons per specimen, and such
intraspecific aggression, even cannibalism, will be avoided. Simple.>
I separated her from the other two large males, leaving only a two inch
female, and a one incher, with a few fish to keep the balance. My
concern is, with only a smaller regrowing claw, carrying eggs, and
having a claw ripped off, will she survive this trauma along with her
eggs??
<Wouldn't put money on it. Crayfish are largely herbivorous in the wild,
but they are completely opportunistic as well, so anything dead or weak
is on the menu. Being nocturnal, we rarely see them doing much, which is
why people often say things like "my crayfish is completely peaceful, it
ignores all its tankmates". People can say that, but it isn't true, and
unless you're watching your crayfish with night-vision goggles, you
really don't have any idea what your crayfish are doing.>
I've been trying to feed her some greens, bloodworms, defrosted feeding
fish, and brine shrimp, but i haven't seen her eating yet....so I'm very
worried right now. Please tell me what I can do to make her as
comfortable as possible and have her eating again! Thank you so much!
<Easy. Keep her on her own. Problem solved. Once in such an aquarium,
she will recover if not too far gone, damaged.>
PS: The two inch "female" Rorschach started carrying eggs about 10 days
ago, but I noticed her reaching back and snacking on her own eggs as if
they were M&M's, and currently she only has about 5 eggs left, but they
are a strange light brown color. Is this why she ate them? Or the other
way around?
<Stress causes female animals to do all sorts of apparently odd things.
But in terms of biology, eating your young makes complete sense if you
are so stressed you know for sure your young won't survive. By recycling
the energy put into those eggs, that female can conserve that energy for
another occasion. Again, keep crayfish singly. This has been gone into
over and over again, and yet people do try to re-invent the wheel when
it comes to crayfish keeping. They just aren't trustworthy, sociable
animals. If you keep a group, expect fatalities, and don't be surprised
if you end up with a single, big male. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Florida blue, too much stress? 1/12/13
I should add, I was keeping the 2 inch female Rorschach, 3 inch female
Orion, 4 inch Boris, and 4 inch Godfather all in a 10 gallon tank, along
with a 3 inch Chinese algae eater male, Bobby, who stands up to the
large male crayfish like a large black Spanish bull, also a 1.5" playful
yoyo Botia, who strangely befriends everyone and takes turns sharing
caves with the crayfish and Bobby, plus 6 zebra danios. Soooo yes, a bit
too much for one tank, but everyone lived in peace.
<So far…>
I keep the temp 65F - 75F, have a pump and bubble stones, lots of caves
to go around, and do 50% water changes every week. I treat the water
weekly with conditioner and Cycle, as well as aquarium salt. Water check
hasn't been done in a few weeks, my bad. Iodine I just found out about
reading through your website. I now have a 25 gallon beside the 10
gallon making sure there is no overcrowding. I use coral/gravel for the
bottom, but do not have live plants. (I am also wondering if it is safe
to buy potted indoor thick bamboo, let it root out in the gravel with
some waste/food in the aquarium water, and then add it to my aquarium.
<Has been done, yes. But beware "bug sprays" used on houseplants --
these can be lethal to fish.>
I see thick bamboo in closed off small decor aquariums with small fish
and African dwarf frogs, the waste keeping the bamboo alive, the bamboo
adding necessary nutrients to the water, which keeps the water clean and
the critters happy…strange.
<And also unlikely. Bamboo doesn't add anything to the water that's
helpful and while plants can remove ammonia from the water, whether they
actually "clean" the water is debatable in most aquaria. For that to
happen the ratio of plants to fish has to be very high, and the plants
have to be growing very fast, by which I mean you're cropping back the
plants (i.e., pruning) once a week.>
So back to the bamboo question...safe or not?) The aquarium diet
consists of tropical flakes, chopped small fish, brine shrimp,
bloodworms, frozen green peas, cucumber, and zucchini to keep everyone
happy. Sinking pellets didn't work well since they dissolved too quickly
and sunk into the gravel if my crayfish weren't hungry at the time, same
with sinking crayfish pellets. I will do water tests, add iodine, sushi
Nori asap, but for now my main concern is the wellbeing of Orion with
her eggs, lack of appetite, left with only her small claw, suffering
great trauma last night. Thank you so much!
<Sylvi, it's time to do some reading. Start here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_1/cav1i4/crayfish/crayfish.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/crayfish_basics.htm
Crayfish shouldn't be kept together if you want more than one specimen
to do well/survive, and crayfish shouldn't be mixed with fish. Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: Florida blue, too much stress? 1/12/13
Thank you for all of the help Neale/crew, and the very quick response!
<Welcome.>
I'm making major changes currently, and I guess I have to give Orion a
few days to see if she starts eating, as obviously the stress has been
great on her. The reason I kept all my crayfish together was because
they were given to me by a friend who has had them in large communities,
constantly reproducing for years in a 40 gallon cube tank, along with
some tropical fish.
<Ah yes, often happens. And it a big tank, you can get lucky. But
crayfish aren't reliably sociable or peaceful, so I'd never recommend
them as such.
To be fair, there are one or two exceptions, species of crayfish that
seem "better" than others.>
And of course LFS staff are not helpful at all. I heard everything from
"peaceful community crayfish" to "two per 10 gallon tank can thrive for
up to 20 years".
<I see.>
When reading up on the Florida Blues, that was when I realized I will
need a bigger/more tanks to house them all. They seem to have a
wolf-pack system though. The largest male was the "Godfather" until the
other male Boris took over the role after a battle, which thankfully
only resulted in Boris losing an inch of his left antenna, and Godfather
having a small piece clipped off of his right claw.
<Sounds about right.>
I wonder if maybe I've been lucky so far which no cannibalism due to the
conditions they lived in at my friend's 40 gallon aquarium holding about
40 crays?
<Can be. Overstocking tanks is interesting. While it causes problems in
terms of water quality, it does prevent any one fish (or crayfish)
getting the chance to establish a territory. Any individual who tries
will have to constantly fight all the other crayfish, and he'd never
make any progress because all the others are doing the same thing to,
and there's no peaceful cave or corner he can defend consistently. Kind
of like how when people are on board a crowded subway train the usual
rules for personal space are ignored. Anyway, if you have a large group
in a reasonably big aquarium with adequate filtration, a sort of status
quo is maintained where none of the crayfish becomes dominant. Take five
of those crayfish and put them in their own tank and suddenly the rules
change. There's now a chance for the strongest specimens to become the
boss because he will be able to claim his corner and manage his
aggression adequately well, only having to fight the few other crayfish
occasionally.>
As for the fish, I added them to the tank in a span of two weeks before
the crayfish arrived, with Bobby, the aggressive Chinese Algae Eater
protecting his territory, which seemed to work. He stands up for himself
and for his new mate, another Chinese about the same size.
<Do read up on Chinese Algae Eaters, which are not from China and don't
eat much algae. Properly known as Gyrinocheilus aymonieri if you want to
look online about them, they're big fish (20-30 cm/8-12 inches within a
year or so) and as adults can be extremely aggressive.>
He also is very protective of Nighthawk, the playful Yoyo Botia, scaring
off any of the crayfish that wander too close to their caves.
<I doubt he's actually protecting the loach. They may have common cause
at the moment, but long term the chances aren't good they'll get along.
Interesting, the Yoyo Loach (Botia almorhae) is a good community
species, and a social one, so you'd be better off keeping 5 of them in a
tank upwards of 150 l/30 US gal.>
I have had them in the 10 gallon with the Zebra Danios for about 6
weeks, only having one Zebra killed, and one injured.
<That's actually not a very good track record, one dead fish, one
injured fish, and various crayfish injuries.>
So, I think my tank has been installed with some Luck o' the Irish!
<No such thing as luck. At least, look at it the other way. Playing
Russian Roulette once and surviving doesn't make it a safe game.>
But now I think I will be safer with 30 gallons for the 5 crayfish, two
of which are still adolescent. If I have luck and have hatchlings, I
already have a LFS who has a hard time shipping in Florida Electric Blue
Crayfish, willing to buy all the surviving hatchlings once they are 3/4"
in size. So, I am happy they will have a home to go to.
<Good.>
So, I think I have taken the right steps and am now prepared to keep a
safer environment for my tankmates. Last step will be the Iodine on my
next stop to the LFS. On a final note, when cleaning the tanks, I do a
full hand/arm sterilization as I was required in science/medical labs,
and gently usher the crays into my cupped hands to transfer them to the
temporary bucket.
<Good personal hygiene/safety when working with aquaria is always a good
idea.>
They seem to be fine with this, and I am confident that with the
thorough scrub down/wash of my arms and hands, I provide no potential
harm or infection to them.
<To be fair, the risk is mostly the other way. Aquaria are commonly
infested with things like Salmonella wherever bits of food can decay in
warm, moist areas. The only real risk going the other way is if your
arms are soapy and that soap gets into the water as that can cause
serious harm.
As a general rule, it's also a good idea to clean nets, buckets, etc. or
at least let them dry out thoroughly as/when taken from one aquarium to
another, as wet objects can carry parasites (like Whitespot) from an
infected tank to a clean one.>
Also, I feel that this is a safer transportation method then the net or
the pinching in the middle, as this way there is no danger of a struggle
ending up in an injury. Does this seem safe enough for the Crayfish?
<Likely so. These animals aren't delicate at all.>
Once again thank you so much for the time and energy you and your staff
put into helping out all these hobbyists, and I sincerely apologize for
not doing enough research on my part, and for the many badly written and
very brief emails and texts you and your crew receive. I can only
imagine how irritating this must be on your part. Thank you very much
Neale, for all your help and useful information, it is much appreciated!
And I hope your weekend goes well, and you have a chance to sit back
with friends and enjoy a cold one or two at a nice pub or at home!
<I hope so too! Good luck, Neale.>
Fresh Water Fish Roe as Food for Salt
Water Fish /RMF 7/19/11
Is fresh water fish roe a bad thing to feed to the inhabitants of a
reef?
<In general no; it's fine; though there are some toxic
species...>
I ask because I want to start making my own fish/reef food and since I
like to fish, I would hate to waste the roe of fresh water fish that I
catch.
Thanks,
Chuck Furr
<If you/d eat it, it's fine for your marine fishes. Bob
Fenner>
Fresh Water Fish Roe as Food for Salt Water Fish
/Neale 7/19/11
Is fresh water fish roe a bad thing to feed to the inhabitants of a
reef? I ask because I want to start making my own fish/reef food and
since I like to fish, I would hate to waste the roe of fresh water fish
that I catch.
Thanks,
Chuck
<As an occasional addition it's unlikely to do harm and should
provide useful fats and proteins in particular. Certainly, feeding
marine roe to freshwater fish does no harm at all. But at a broader
level, do understand that many freshwater fish contain Thiaminase, and
that makes them best used as occasional rather than regular additions
to the diet, and furthermore, there's a subtly distinct nutrient
make-up in freshwater animals when compared to saltwater ones. While
freshwater animals seem to be extremely
adaptable, many marine animals seem to depend on specific nutrients
they receive directly or indirectly from marine plankton, so foods with
a marine origin are crucial to the long-term success of marine
livestock. Hope this helps, Neale.>
Beach Crabs as >fish< food
4/23/2011
Hi there.
<Salve!>
I have looked over your site and found various references to feeding
live Crabs as a food source.
<Hmm'¦ surprised by this! Maybe over on the marine side of
things. Crabs are certainly prey for puffers and triggers, as well as
some of the morays, wrasses, cichlids, etc But crabs are quite well
armed and armoured, so they're not really "easy"
prey.>
I live close to a beach in the UK and do have the means to collect my
own. Is this risky due to parasites?
<Can be. Crabs, as you presumably know, are scavengers that live
close to the substrate and often consume mud to remove organic debris.
They also have a tendency to accumulate heavy metals in their gills and
shells. There's also a risk they'll accumulate pesticides.
There's quite a good literature on these issues, in part because of
how important crabs and prawns are to fisheries.>
If this is a plausible idea, could these be fed live or better to
freeze first?
<Provided you offer suitably sized crabs, the predatory fish should
be able to tackle it live, though inexperienced predators can be
damaged, perhaps seriously, by trying to tackle a live crab. You will
probably prefer to humanely kill the crab (a swift crush with a mallet
will do!) and then let the pufferfish use its beak to crack open the
legs and extract the meat. There's no real point to feeding live
food if dead food will do, and offering live food does sometimes
promote bad (aggressive) behaviour in captive fish, which is why
it's rarely if ever done by professional aquarists at zoos and
aquaria. Another issue is that Carcinus maenas for example can live
indefinitely in tropical aquaria where it can do tremendous damage, and
is also sufficiently amphibious to be able to climb out of tanks and
end up rotting behind the sofa. Killing the crab first will prevent
both of these problems. You can also ration the food more carefully:
serve half the crab today, and freeze the remainder for use tomorrow or
the next day.>
These would be used weekly to help with my Puffers teeth.
<Certainly can work. Have done this using very small Shore Crabs
(Carcinus maenas), and at university such crabs were the staple diet of
the Eledone octopuses kept in the labs. But you need to be careful
where you collect them. Check your local shore or estuary is clean
enough to collect food for human consumption. If it isn't, why
bother risking your fish?>
On a completely different note, and as a personal matter of interest...
Are all Lionfish commonly found in the hobby equally as venomous as
each other?
<There is some variation, even between specimens it seems, some
people reporting stings as like bad bee stings, others as agonising
pain. None should be treated with anything other than extreme
respect.>
Thanks for your time and commitment to the hobby. We all appreciate
it.
<Thanks for the kind words.>
Dave
<Happy Easter. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Beach Crabs as food 4/23/2011
Thanks Neale. The crabs were going to be for Marine Puffers and
Triggers although I do now have a GSP after the help and
advice I received from you a while back about dead Live rock to cycle
the tank. Thanks also for this as it worked a treat. I may keep the
crabs a couple of days in clean salt water to clean them up a bit, then
freeze, defrost and crush.
Thanks for all advice given and Happy Easter. Dave
<Hello Dave, and happy Easter. I would not freeze live crabs. Is
questionably humane for one thing. But it also won't help clean the
crabs.
Instead, kill the crabs by using a hammer or an awl, pick out the gills
(they're big, grey, feathery things inside the lower part of the
shell, and then divide into quarters. Freeze those in tin foil. You can
then defrost cleaned portions as necessary. Because heavy metals
collect inside the tissues in an irreversible way, simply rinsing for a
couple of days in clean water will have no benefit. Likewise toxins.
Best to remove the gills -- the most toxic part of crabs. Cheers,
Neale.>
DIY food `12/27/10
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
<What we're here for... in this context, construct>
I am going to make my own food for mostly tangs, I am looking to
add a vitamin supplement that I
take for myself. It taste nasty so it has to be good for you its
from GNC called Super Foods Supreme. I am attaching a file of the
label I just wanting to see if its really worth it, or should I
just go the liquid vitamin route. There may be no real value in
it.
Thank you very much
<From the label I'd say this is a very worthwhile
supplement, for you and the proposed food. Cheers, Bob
Fenner>
|
|
Food DIY 5/27/10
Hi Crew,
There are many recipes for making you own food. Generally they include
combinations of shrimp, squid etc. I suppose the idea is to provide a
variety so that all the required nutrients are accounted for. Is there
any information related to a priority of nutritional values for the
ingredients. For instance, based on the Crews responses, brine shrimp
would probably be at the end of the list. How about fish that are being
toted as good for people, like Salmon, are they good for fish or
corals.
Thanks,
Sam
<Salmon and the HUFAs touted for humans are indeed useful for the
invertebrates and fishes we keep as aquarists... White fish meal over
brown... There is a huge assemblage of data on animal nutrition. I do
encourage you to take a trip or two to a large college library with a
life science section, get some help w/ a reference librarian, search
the topic... AND write up your findings for pulp and electronic spread.
Please see here re:
http://wetwebmedia.com/litsrchart.htm
Make it known if I may be of assistance. BobF>
Sand And Clams From Galveston Beach/Foods/Feeding
1/24/10
Hi there,
<Hello Sabrina>
I am getting a Dogface Puffer this week and wanted to ask a few
questions.
<Shoot.>
My first question is about feeding.
Galveston beach is kind of dirty as we have days when people aren't
allowed to swim do <due> to bacteria in the water.
1. Would feeding my Puffer clams from Galveston be toxic?
<Leave the clams where they are. You may introduce bacteria or an
unwanted disease into your system.
Read here and related articles/FAQ's as to feeding puffers.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/puffers.htm>
2. Would gathering the clams and putting them in a new tank with clean
water and allowing them to filter feed for a while (a month or more)
help lower any toxicity in the clam?
<Best to buy frozen sea foods from the supermarket or prepared foods
for this purpose.>
Also I was thinking about getting sand from the beach to renew my
existing sand and wondered if Galveston sand would be toxic to my
fish.
<Would not do this as well for aforementioned reasons.>
3. Will adding sand to an already set up tank cause the tank to
recycle?
<Use packaged coral sand for this purpose, no beach sand, and no
problems.>
If so regular water changes would be in order but I wanted to ask so I
would be prepared.
Thank you for your time. It is greatly appreciated.
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Sabrina Roschbach
Fish food ingredient suppliers 8/8/08
I am looking to experiment with fish/coral foods and looking for
suppliers of ingredients such as zooplankton, phytoplankton, freeze
dried copepods, Mysis, etc...can you recommend any suppliers of such
ingredients? I am looking for bulk quantities. <Mmm, the best, bar
none that I'm aware of is Argent Labs: http://www.argent-labs.com/
Bob Fenner>
Homemade food question 02/25/2008 Crew,
<<G'Morning, Andrew today>> Thank you in advance for
your response. I would like to make my own frozen food recipe for my
tank mates. I purchased something I found in the frozen food section of
my grocery store and want to make sure it's okay. It is a package
that contains; raw octopus, raw cuttlefish, raw squid, raw shrimp and
cooked clams or mussels. My questions are these. Should I take out the
cooked clams or mussels? <<Yes, please do. All foods used in
making your own homemade prep's should be raw>> I have to
thaw this bag in order to put it in the blender then I re-freeze the
finished product. I've always heard re-freezing is bad but
aren't all shrimp etc. "previously frozen? Bob's recipe in
his book has raw shrimp as one of the ingredients and any raw shrimp I
can get is "previously frozen" and then I will be
re-freezing. Is this okay? <<Where ever possible, its best to
visit your local fish monger, fish department at a local super market
and buy the seafood from there. This way, its not already frozen, its
fresh. I am very finicky about re-freezing foods after its been thawed,
so, I would not do this>> The full recipe will contain the
following in addition to whatever you say I should add from the above:
Prime Reef flakes, Formula One gel pack, Cyclopeeze flake, Garlic
clove, Selcon & dried seaweed/algae sheets. Thank You! <<All
of them additions sound fine to me>> Ben <<Thanks for the
questions, A Nixon>>
Maintaining Calcium, Alkalinity, & PH +
Homemade Fish Food -12/19/2007 Hello WetWebMedia, <Hi, sorry for
the delay...> I am currently using B-Ionics Part A & B to
maintain alkalinity at 8.3 dKH, calcium at 340 ppm, and PH daytime 8.27
nighttime 8.37. <It rises at night? Huh. Usually the opposite is the
case.> I would like to house hard corals at some point, but I
believe my calcium needs to be much higher. <It depends on what type
of stony corals. 400ppm is enough for the slower-growing
"LPS" corals and such.> Not certain how to make that
happen. I have a 90 gallon tank with a 20 gallon sump. I add 20
cc's of part A and 50 cc's of part B each morning to maintain
these levels. <Two part solutions are great for smaller tanks, but
they're not so helpful in larger systems. You're likely going
to have to start dosing Kalk and/or calcium chloride and baking soda
(more likely some combination of all those).> I wonder if there is
another means by which I can increase calcium without adversely
affecting my alkalinity and PH. I am almost out of B-Ionics. Would you
suggest I continue to use B-Ionics (which isn't cheap), <No,
because, like you said, it's not cheap (thus good for small systems
where you don't need much, but unreasonably expensive to use for
larger systems).> or would it be better and more cost effective if I
switch to Kalkwasser? You can either switch to Kalk or start using Kalk
in addition to the two-part solution. It's up to you. Try different
things (slowly), always measuring your calcium and alkalinity.
Don't change anything too fast.> Just as an aside, I can't
afford a calcium reactor. <You don't need one.> Also, I'm
thinking of making my own fish food because my LFS does not always have
what I need in stock. In addition to adding shrimp, sea fish (any
recommendations?), clam, squid, clams/mussels, flake food; I was think
about adding Green Food Feast powder. Here is a list of ingredients:
Spirulina, chlorella, alfalfa leaf, nettles leaf, dandelion leaf,
cilantro leaf, bladderwrack, kelp, Irish moss, wheat grass, barley
grass, oat grass, rose hips, broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, red
clover blossoms, bee pollen, acerola berry extract, cranberries,
licorice root, and ginger root <I'm not sure about all the
terrestrial vegetation you got here. When I make "veggie"
food I only use seaweeds (typically sold in Asian food markets or those
high-end new-age places like Whole Foods). For some tips/info on making
your own food: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm and here
http://www.asira.org/feedingyourtanks> Is there anything listed that
would be harmful to my tank inhabitants? <It's hard to say... I
think you have some things in there that are
"untested"/"un-researched" for use as marine pet
fish foods. There's nothing that stands out to me as obviously
potentially toxic (though I could be wrong). But in any case, why use
things like bee pollen?> I have a Yellow Tang, Kole Tang, Royal
Gramma, Engineer Goby, Pink Spotted Goby, Coris Wrasse, Dispar Anthias,
BTA, Rock Anemone, Star Polyp, Torch Coral, Candy Cane Coral,
Mushrooms, Xenia, Cleaner Shrimp, Fire Shrimp, Coral Banded Shrimp,
Emerald Crab, Sally Lightfoot Crab, Red Fromia Star, Brittle Star,
hermit crabs, and snails. Thanks, Jackie <De nada, Sara
M.>
Making food with baby vitamins 12/15/2007
Hi, I found out you can sometimes use baby vitamins for reef aquariums
and was wondering if liquid poly-vi-sol multivitamin for infants would
work. here is a link so you can see ingredients.
http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100149&navAction=jump&navCount=1&skuid=sku303489&id=prod3489#nutrition
<Yes, this would be fine... though there are more complete
formulations, products> If not could you give me a brand name that
you would suggest? <Most all human-intended are fine... the ones
with "more 100% of daily requirement" mixes are better>
Also, how can I apply it directly (safely) to a 45 gallon tank with 2
clowns and full of soft and hard corals. <Can be simply dropped
in> How much should I use to make a batch of homemade food say
per/pound? <Mmm, 10-20 drops per pound of mix is fine> Also I
found this website showing the vitamins fish need.
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~delbeek/delb16.html#table1 it gives examples of
vitamins like A, C, D, E, B1-B6, B12 and others. Do you know of any
application where you buy these vitamins at a pharmacy and grind them
up for use? <Try the "health food stores"... online or
brick and mortar... I would just use liquid prep.s> Maybe a recipe
to make sure not to overdose. <Very hard to do... only the
"carriers" in the fat soluble (e.g. D and E) are really
problematical... for coating the water surface area... and with good
skimming, circulation, not even these are problematical> I just
thought that by doing this you could make sure and get all the vitamins
you think necessary and none that you don't. Thanks so much for all
the help! <Mmm, okay... and welcome! Bob Fenner>
Re: Making Food With Baby Vitamins, addended,
Copper Preservative Concern 12/16/07 <Hi, Pufferpunk here with
you tonight.> Thanks for the fast reply and I'm sorry to bother
you again. I was searching for a human multivitamin and noticed that
the ones I looked at had copper in them and thought that might not be a
good choice. <Correct. Copper is deadly to your inverts &
leeches into your rock & sand. You definitely don't want that
in your tank.> <<Actually, the concentration, amount of copper
here is miniscule... a preservative of no consequence... and Copper is
indeed a micro-nutrient... for most life, including our own. Do not be
concerned re its consequences here. Bob Fenner>> Also some had
alcohol in them and thought I should probably avoid those as well.
<<Also not a worry. RMF>> <Agreed!> I looked at GNC
pharmacy. Am I not looking in the right place? Also as far as adding
them to the tank directly how many drops per gallon do you suggest and
how often? Thanks always! <Personally, I would not skimp when it
comes to your reef tank. Marine vitamins are not that expensive &
are extremely concentrated. Make the leap & purchase some for your
inhabitants. Try Selcon or Zoa vitamins. Soak their food (prepared
frozen mix, frozen Mysis, etc. I also add other foods in the mix,
including oyster eggs & DT's phytoplankton) overnight &
spot-feed your LPS with a turkey baster & any other meaty corals,
including your Palys. Your fish will thank you too! I also feed my
marine fish daily, alternating pellets & frozen foods.
~PP>
Squid- making fish food 11/09/07 Hi WWM, I recently found
some squid on sale at my local supermarket. It was frozen then
thawed and put on sale. I put the whole thing into a food
processor and it came out really messy, slimy and with too large
pieces. <lol And kind of sticky too... purple goo, right?>
I froze the "thing" and then re-processed it with a bit
of Garlic Guard by Seachem. Same slimy result but smaller sized.
I froze the whole thing and fed it to my reef, mixed with some
bloodworms, brine shrimps, Mysis shrimps, Cyclopeeze, formula 1
and 2 pellets... all soaking in a mixture of Garlic Guard and
tank water. <Next time, don't use any water.> I noticed
that my Torch coral seems to react to the slime of the squid. It
closes up. <Are you sure it's the squid slime and not
something else in the mix?> Some of my fish will eat the squid
pieces (mainly my Flame hawk and Exquisite Wrasse). Questions :
Do you put all the squid in there e.g. the head part with
tentacles, or do you only put the white tube like portion of it?
Are the head and tentacles responsible for the slime? Is there a
way to remove the slime without losing the small particles of
squid? <Well, you should always thoroughly rinse seafood
before you start to make food out of it. But I'm not sure the
squid slime is your problem. I would worry more about the
phosphates in all this food (if you didn't rinse it
first).> Oh... and I also noticed that the squid has a
tendency to float, probably due to some air trapped in the slime
or the slime itself, I don't know. <Hmmm, my guess is that
the ice (from the water you used) might be causing some of the
pieces to float. Please see here for some general info on making
your own food: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm> Thanks
in advance! Frank <De nada, Sara M.>
Re: Squid... in DIY foods Hi Sara, Thanks for your
answer. Nope, it's not purple, more light pink, if anything.
Also, I did not use any water to prepare the squid, just a bit of
G.G. At feeding time, I take everything out of the freezer and
take so pieces out and put them in a plastic glass. Everything is
separately frozen and kept in separate bags. I do not rinse any
of my food, never had. The torch coral is not reacting like that
normally. Only when I use some squid "moosh" that I
made. <Huh, strange. I suppose there must be something in this
squid that is making the coral react this way... but I honestly
don't know what that could be.> My skimmer (H&S 1
Eheim pump) has a lot of "fun" when I restart the
circulation pumps. I have discontinued the use of squid for a few
days now and my torch is back to its old self again. Phosphate
was not a problem in the past but I will check it again to make
sure that it is not present in my tank. If need be, I will
address the problem. I've heard that you should rinse all
your frozen food prior to feeding. Just how do you do that with
frozen Mysis shrimps and brine shrimps? They are much too small
to use a kitchen strainer, and the use of a coffee filter would
be...well, not very practical. Any tips? <There are smaller
mesh strainers you can get at places that sell kitchen supplies
which should work. If not, you could always use a brine shrimp
net.> Frank <Best, Sara M.>
|
Sodium tripolyphosphate; Is supermarket shrimp safe for
marine fish? 4/5/07 Is the sodium tripolyphosphate found in
supermarket frozen raw shrimp safe for marine fish?<I wouldn't
use anything with it in it. Depending on what livestock you're
feeding, I'd go with frozen krill, or similar, available through
your local fish/pet store. Sodium tripolyphosphate, or STPP, is a
chemical preservative that has the added merchant bonus of increasing
the sellable weight of a product. It also makes seafood taste funny! We
don't need it and neither do our little fishy friends!>Thank you
for your time.<You're welcome! -Lynn>
DIY Food 3/23/07 Hi Bob. <Hello
Brandon in Bob's stead.> I have been making my own DIY food.
<Cool.> I have put in sliced and fresh jellyfish in it.
<Hmmm. What kind of grocery store do you have in
town?> Blend it with all the other food. Some said that jellyfish is
not in the diet of fish and corals so I was wondering if it will cause
any harm. <This is sort of true. There are fish that will
eat them such as the Banner Fish, Arrow Crabs have bee known to eat
them as well as certain other fish and snails.> I only considered
the addition of jellyfish after looking up for its nutritional value.
It is part of the diet of sea turtle. <This is true.> Is it all
right to have jellyfish as part of the diet for fish and corals? <I
would not be concerned with the addition. I would watch the
fishes after I fed it to them looking for abnormal
behavior. Brandon.> Small Octopus as fresh food
7/18/06 Hello WWM crew! I have been able to catch some
baby octopus in my area which i froze, intending to use them for bait,
but i never ended up using them. Do you think these would be a safe
food to feed my fish? My fish are 1 flame hawk, 4 Nemos, 1 eibli angel,
and 1 Bluering angel. <Should be fine. I might cut out the beak and
ink gland first, cut into bite-sized pieces, give them a rinse ahead of
time. Bob Fenner> Feeding the Reef Tank 7/4/06 Hi
there....sorry for asking 2 questions in one day. <No worries.>
I'll make this short. <Awesome.> What
product do you recommend as food for SPS corals? <Large refugia is
great, other than that variety...specifically?; Read this: http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic20086-9-1.aspx .> Or
personally, what product have you used for SPS food and have had great
results? <Google: Eric "Hugo" Borneman
Recipe.> Thank you <Adam J.>
CSS125 (skimmer) crazy for clam 6/11/06
Hello again oh wise Wet Ones, <Ahh, Grasshoppahfish> Another
query for you: I have a 75 gallon FOWLR that I occasionally
feed cherrystone clams. I buy them at the supermarket, freeze them for
3 days, thaw them in the fridge and then feed the tank by cracking open
the shell and dropping the whole thing in. I later remove the empty
shell. Every time I do this (feed the tank with the clam) my
skimmer (Coralife Super Skimmer 125) goes nuts. <Yep. To be
expected...> The collection cup fills up in less than an hour and if
I don't empty it it will proceed to overflow. The
skimmate is a watery green as opposed to the usual brown muck it pulls
out. Am I doing something wrong or is this normal? Thanks
again, Eric <Is "normal"... from added surfactant with the
clam... I'd just empty the cup in time... Bob Fenner>
Getting
Double Saddle Butterfly to eat - 3/1/2006 Hi Bob and
Crew....hope you're all keeping well. <I am, thanks> I
acquired a Double Saddle Butterfly last weekend for my 55 Gall FOWLR.
<... a small world for this species> I made sure I acclimated him
properly and added him to the tank on Saturday afternoon. Only other
inhabitants are a couple of Green Chromis. <Can be bullies in such a
sized system, tankmate> I was told by my LFS that he would eat
pretty much anything..... <Mmm, when in good health, adjusted...
yes> I'd done some research on your site first and found out
that he is one of the easier to keep butterflies. Anyways after
he'd been in the tank for around 5 hours, I added some Mysis for my
Chromis and he seemed to have a bit of a go at it as well (I'm not
sure if he actually ate any of it because the lights were out). <Not
likely to feed the first day or two> Day 2 I gave more Mysis and as
soon as it hit the water he was up looking for it, but turned his nose
up at it when he saw what it was. Next day I tried again, but added
some Garlic Extreme before feeding. He went into a frenzy but again
never took any (I also added some very finely chopped Mussel). Day 3
(today) and same...he was actually at the front of the tank looking for
food when I came home from work. <Mmm, might have damaged mouth...
very common... from capture, transport, bagging...> I'm not
overly concerned, because he looks a really healthy specimen. He's
about 3 inches and acting fine. I'm off to my LFS tomorrow to pick
up some live Brine Shrimp (does this sound OK?) <For periodic use,
yes> ....can you suggest anything else to get him eating?
<Posted... on WWM...> I've noticed he has a pick at the LR so
hopefully he's getting some goodness out of that for now. Thanks in
advance Phil P <I do hope/trust you have healthy live rock in
abundance as well. Bob Fenner>
Re: Getting Double Saddle Butterfly to eat - Part
II 3/2/06 Bob, thanks for the quick reply....
<Welcome> I got the Live Brine shrimp on my way home and added it
to the tank. He takes the food in his mouth but then spits it back out.
It's as if he wants something else instead (but I don't know
what!!). His mouth looks perfectly healthy (no signs of any reddening
at all, or obvious damage). <Good> There's plenty of Live
Rock in there (about 60lbs, I'm adding another few pounds of cured
at the weekend) <Also good> I'm a bit confused over your
comment re the bullying in the tank. Do you mean the Chromis might be a
bully, or the Butterfly? <The Chromis... though rare for the genus
in general (in comparison to many other Pomacentrids), in such a small
volume (four feet long is not much running room), even relatively
"peaceful" damsels can pester easily-disturbed fishes like
most all Butterflies to the point of non-feeding. This being said, it
is not uncommon for new Chaetodonts to not feed for a few days after
arrival. I would just keep offering an assortment of small meaty foods
and observing this specimen. Bob Fenner>
Re: Getting Double Saddle Butterfly to eat - Part III
- 03/05/06 Bob, <Phil> Thought I'd give you an update.
The DSB has been eating happily for the last two days now. I concocted
a finely chopped mix of Mysis, Cockle and Lancefish tails and added two
drops of extreme garlic per teaspoonful. I feed about 1/4 teaspoon in
one go. He takes some of it in the water column and then picks the rest
off the LR for a while later. The Chromis seems to like it too. Hope
this helps anyone else who is looking for advice. Many Thanks Phil P
<Ah, outstanding. Congratulations on your success... will post. Bob
Fenner>
D.I.Y. Fish food I have found
several recipes for homemade or DIY fish food for saltwater/reef tanks
on the internet and in books. Some suggest using canned
oysters/clams/crab meat etc, but says to watch for
preservatives. They seem to fail to mention what
preservatives to watch for or should they be avoided in all instances?
<Mmm, better to find/use fresh... or frozen/defrosted> I used the
search but didn't find anything relating to this
subject. Any help would be greatly
appreciated. Thank
You! <Most seafoods are "preserved" with sterile
techniques, possibly extra salt... can be simply rinsed in freshwater
if these are used... fresher are better. Bob Fenner> Reef
Chili? Hi Bob, < Bob at IMAC, Blundell here. > Are you
familiar with Reef Chili, a zooplankton/phytoplankton formula for coral
feeding? < Yep. > It comes in a very, very fine powder-like form
which is to be shaken seriously with tank water (a blender would work
well) before feeding (includes a tiny spoon for precise
measuring). I believe this product was originally available
in a frozen formula but the expense of shipping drove it to the
"powder" formula. The feeding response appears to
be good, but it's obviously difficult to determine actual
consumption. < Indeed, be careful to not overfeed as small particles
can become trapped in filters and breakdown.
> Others appear to have had good results (daughter
colonies on LPS's, etc.) Care to opine? < I think it
is great food. Nothing bad to say about
it. However, I think you can get better food, or cheaper
food, or just make your own. But as for convenience and
small size it is great. I'd probably also use golden
pearls (brineshrimpdirect.com) or Cyclop-eeze or rotifers and things
like that as well. > Thanks.
< Blundell >
Disease from fish food? Hello Crew. I have a quick
question for you regarding disease from a food mixture that I made. I
took an oyster, several clams and several mussels and ground them up in
a blender, and then froze the mixture for maybe 12 hours before feeding
some to my tank. I know freezing is supposed to kill parasites, but my
coral beauty angel fish has a dusty looking rash on his face the day
after feeding. My other fish look fine. I was wondering if I should
have allowed the mixture to be frozen longer than 12 hours to assure
that there were no parasites or disease in the mixture. It has been 2-3
weeks now and besides the rash there is no heavy breathing or other
sick behavior by the angel. Thanks for your help. I know if
anyone can help me you guys can, and I really appreciate all the help
you give all of us who read your web site. Cord. <Half a day
should've been long enough to kill all pathogens... Perhaps the
food influenced your water quality negatively... Or could be entirely
unrelated... Am tempted to write that you could try an experiment with
another tank, feeding this food to see if there are similar results...
Good observations, writing. Bob Fenner>
Use of a fresh clam for Marine fish Would it be
advisable to use a clam every time bringing home a fish? Specifically,
a Butterfly, Tang, or Angel? <You could if you wanted> Or
do I run the risk of spoiling the fish with this treat from the get-go?
<Not likely, but depends on the species> Also, after
freezing the clam for a day, do I then let it thaw in salt water before
dropping it in the tank? <Countertop, microwave, however :) Just be
aware of the biological concerns when handling raw meat, as
always> Thanks again, Michael! <No problem>
Daniel
Clam Questions (4/8/2004) Hello everyone, <Hi,
Michael here this morning> thank you so much for your site, and your
time for questions! <You're welcome> With regards to using a
fresh clam to entice finicky eaters, are you guys talking about going
to the local market, <yep> and buying a clam from their seafood
section? Any clam? <Any clan fit for human
consumption. Make sure you freeze it for a day or so to help
kill off any pathogens> Thank you very much! <Anytime> Daniel
<M. Maddox>
Trick to dicing Squid/meaty fish foods 3/28/04 Hello
Crew! <whassup> Thanks again for a wonderful site full of great
information! I am wondering if the crew knows of an trick or
technique to help me out. Per your recommendations, I have
added fresh squid to the feeding routine for my minireef. I
rotate through Formula one, Brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp (both soaked in
Vita-Chem), and Bio-Blend. <please do reconsider using
brine shrimp even soaked... it really is a hollow food (very poor
nutritionally). Use most any other ocean meats instead: Pacifica
plankton, diced krill, fish roe, etc... or Cyclops-Eeze (frozen or
freeze-dried)> OK, what is the best way to cut/grind the rubbery
squid up so it is in small enough pieces for my fish (perculas, damsel,
gobies) to eat without me having to do a fishy Heimlich
on?? It currently takes me 10 minutes with a razor blade
trying to cut it up and it is
frustrating! ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! There HAS to
be a better way! <yes... a very simple/easy trick: cut ocean meats
while frozen or nearly so (food processor or cutting by hand with
knife). A breeze> Thanks and guys rule! <rock on my salty
brother. Anthony>
Cooked foods Hi WWM crew! <Hi Jonathan> I feed my
porcupine puffer a variety of meaty foods (krill, shelled shrimp,
octopus, squid, scallops, mussels and clams) and would like to feed him
some crab legs to ensure his teeth are getting a good
grinding. My grocery store only sells pre-cooked crab legs
and I was wondering if this is ok to feed him, or if I should go to an
Asian market and get live crabs. I also noticed in the FAQs
that some people were feeding their puffers canned
seafood. Aren't canned foods cooked? <The biggest
problem is what they are cooked with. So you need to check the
ingredients closely, I don't think they need things like butter
etc.> My main concern is if feeding cooked foods can
cause health problems. <Just check for what they are cooked with and
make sure they are pretty much clean. Rinse them if necessary. Good
luck, MacL> Thanks, Jonathan
Shrimp for food Bob, <Steve Allen tonight> I have
read in a book that you can buy shrimp for your local grocery store.
Freeze it. Shave it. Feed it. Is this true? <Yes> If so I would
think that this would be a fresher method for vs. the prepared frozen
foods. <Not necessarily better, but a good part of a balanced
diet.> I have -Damsels -Tomato Clowns -False Clowns -Anemones (Long
Hair) -Button Polyp -Yellow Polyp -Hairy Mushroom coral -Mushroom coral
-Numerous inverts (emerald, arrow, Sandsifter, snails) Would any of
these species benefit from this type of feeding within the rotation?
<All fish certainly benefit from a varied diet, just like we do. I
rotate 4 kinds of dry food, 5 or 6 frozen and some fresh in my tank.
Bob's book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarium" has his
great recipe for homemade fish food. I by a disgusting "seafood
gumbo" mix at Albertson's (shrimp/octopus/squid/mussel/fake
crab) and use that. The fish gobble it up. Soaking foods in HUFAs &
maybe vitamins is also a good idea.> Thanks <You're
welcome> -CPN
Human food? <Hello, Ananda answering the puffer
questions tonight...> Well, I'm happy to say that this is the
first time that I'm sending an email without sickness or a fishy
funeral pending. In fact, everything is going just fine except that my
fridge went out, <Gack!> so all of the meaty stuff that I feed my
porcupine puffer is no good, and I don't want to make him subsist
on Spirulina flakes until the repair and restock can occur (2 more
days). <While he may not be thrilled with Spirulina flakes, he would
be okay for a day or three. But I completely understand the desire to
feed your fish the good stuff.> So, what other human food can he
eat? Fruits, nuts? Canned tuna, sardines, clams?
<You could stop at the grocery store or deli and get a small package
of frozen shrimp, or one of those "krab" sticks. I think I
would avoid the oily canned fish (sardines, any oil-packed fish).
Perhaps canned shrimp or crab -- rinse well to get rid of any added
salt. If you live in any of the northern states, you might be able to
use your car as a temporary refrigerator for the opened food container.
Regarding fruit, I have heard of one porcupine puffer who loved
bananas!> Or should I just go for sushi tonight and bring him home a
treat from the sushi bar? <Ah, sushi is such a wonderful thing....I
would go to my favorite sushi place and ask the sushi chefs if they
have any day-old "leftovers", or scraps that are cosmetically
unsuitable for sushi. Those would probably be fine for your puffer.>
<Hopefully this reaches you in time for your sushi excursion...
Regards, Ananda>
Human food? Well, I'm happy to say that this is the
first time that I'm sending an email without sickness or a fishy
funeral pending. In fact, everything is going just fine
except that my fridge went out, so all of the meaty stuff that I feed
my porcupine puffer is no good, and I don't want to make him
subsist on Spirulina flakes until the repair and restock can occur (2
more days). <If it's not too "stinky" can likely be
refrozen, saved, fed> So, what other human food can he
eat? Fruits, nuts? Canned tuna, sardines, clams?
<Clams of all these> Or should I just go for sushi tonight and
bring him home a treat from the sushi bar? <To heck with the puffer,
I'm coming right over! Actually, I would hold off for the two days
if necessary, or proffer freeze-dried krill (one of their faves). No
problem. Bob Fenner>
Re: Human food? Actually, he loves the
Spirulina flakes from O.S.I. <Ah, I was hoping it was those...they
have a good percentage of shrimp, which is probably why the puffer
likes them.> I just know that there's no way to fill him up on
them when he's used to frozen krill or frozen marine blend, which I
rotate. And yes, I already do the sushi scrap trick when I
go out...they must think that we're nuts. <Many people would say
that we are. :-) > Bananas huh? I've always thought
that he'd like stuff like that, or dried apricots and apples, but
they're all so high in sugar that I didn't think it would be
very healthy for him. Besides, you never know what weird allergy they
might have. Do they even have allergies to foods? <I have never
heard of that happening. Dried fruits are always higher in sugar on a
per-weight basis than fresh fruits, so I wouldn't recommend dried
fruit. But an occasional bit of banana shouldn't
hurt.> Anyway, hopefully the repair guy will get the
right parts tomorrow. Till then, the frozen stuff was
actually saved, but it's across town at my girlfriends
place. Here in gusty SoCal. <Glad to hear you were able
to keep the frozen stuff safe.> Thanks for your help...y'all are
the best! <You're quite welcome...and thank you.
--Ananda>
The Real Bob Sneaks In... for Gelatin Bob, I read on
your Foods/feeding/nutrition FAQs that you recommend
"alginates" as a substitute for gelatin on food preparation.
You also mention that the alginates are not necessarily too easy to
find, that you need to order them from chemical companies. <Yes>
I was wondering if you ever heard of this... Though I don't
remember the name, I remember buying it at the natural foods store, a
gelatin substitute, made out of a seaweed. <Yes... "these are
them"> I remember it being some colorless flakes that you would
mix with fruit juice or whatever it was you wanted to have gelatinized.
I thought it was worth mentioning, unless you already know about it and
I am just trying to re-invent the wheel. David <Thank you much...
the company "Kelco" here in town (Used to belong to Merck)
makes a few tons of these glucoproteins a day for beer foam (yum),
emulsifiers for ice creams, cosmetics... many more products. Bob
Fenner>
DIY Selcon? Sorry if my previous e-mail finds its way
to you and this is a repost. <Haven't seen it> I found this
recipe for DIY Selcon on a message board. Is this comparable to the
brand name? If not, is it safe as an additive to frozen/dry foods?
<Mmm, yes to the latter. Not exactly the same components,
formulation.> 125ml pure cod liver - menhaden oil (or a mixture of
omega 3 fatty acids such as DHA/EPA) add 12 ml lecithin 2 grams
Spirulina powder (20 microns) and 100 ml RO water. Blend all this until
its like a pudding consistency. Thanks in advance. Ted <Bob
Fenner>
Bob's Recipe Bob, I have been using your fish food
recipe for years. It has been incredible for me. I have a couple of
questions because of something that has popped up in a local
discussion. <Okay> Fatty acids - Omega 3 being more important
than protein in fish food.. <Not more important, but a group of
essential nutrients. Both are important, necessary for fish health,
growth, reproduction.> This led me to wonder about your recipe. Is
the gelatin there to bind the oil, as well as keep the puree in some
larger chunks for the fish ? <Both actually. Bob Fenner> Deb
Hadford
Gelatin-based foods - 2/12/03 Greetings Krewe!!!
<whassup G-money?> I continue to have algae problems in my 20
Gallon mini-reef. My water parameters are good - 0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrates,
0 Nitrites, 8.2 Ph. I'm changing about 3 gallons per week with
pre-mixed and aerated water. <all good> The only abnormal
parameter is low Calcium. Will/can increasing Calcium in tank help with
algae? <the calcium does not per se (other than long term support of
desirable calcifying algae that can out-compete nuisance forms)...
however, some calcium like Kalkwasser can precipitate phosphates and
raise pH which both immediately inhibit some nuisance algae>
What's the best method for this size tank? <likely bigger water
changes actually> I have been doing my best to reduce nutrient
import. I feed twice weekly with a mix of Formula 1, Formula 2, and
Mysis. <The Formula foods are good... but messy> Export is via
Remora Pro skimmer and macro algae in hang-on refugium. <awesome>
Today's FAQ's have a reply from Anthony in reply to draining
frozen food: "Gelatin based foods cannot be treated this way... of
course, gelatin based foods are also catch-22 and arguably not the best
fare either. Best regards, Anthony" I am doing my best to drain my
food, but I'm still having trouble. Are the Formula brand foods
gelatin-based? <yep> Am I suffering from gelatin-based food
syndrome?? <likely not for the fine skimmer you have can temper
it... there is some other nutrient issue at hand IMO. Does the skimmer
work well (several cups of skimmate weekly in this case?)> One more
quick question - I'm having trouble finding a good method to block
large pieces of algae and bubbles from flowing back into the tank while
still allowing copepods and other small organisms to return to the main
tank. Thoughts, ideas? <not sure... is this an upstream or
downstream refugium? Assumedly upstream? At any rate, neither the
bubbles or algae should exist... we need to stop them at the source. I
fear that your algae is Caulerpa or some other easily fragmented form
(even the fine Gracilaria). Do consider a more stable macro in this
case like Chaetomorpha> Thanks! -Jeremy <best regards,
Anthony>
Home-made frozen foods Bob, I'm interested in
putting together some frozen foods at home for my tangs, French
Angel and trigger. What will work as a gel binder? Is it a good
idea to make these foods at home or is it better just to buy them
already made? Are there any good articles on the subject? Thanks,
Tony >> Good idea... very high cost savings per unit.. and fun to
do. The best binder in my opinion are alginates (derived from marine
algae)... they are completely digestible by microbes and bigger
livestock... Down from there is... nothing! Just blending and freezing
your components in little blocks (we, including a few commercial fish
food manufacturers, used to do this using "egg-crate", aka
Louver that you can buy at large home improvement centers... for
overhead lighting... with 1/4" gaps... Lastly, the use of gelatins
for human use... some of these are of a dubious destiny in a captive
aquatic system... mostly removed by skimmers, and periodic vacuuming of
the substrate. There are a few old articles on this subject, as well as
a mention in Stephen Spotte's works (see Fish and Invertebrate
Culture in Closed Systems), or my Conscientious Marine Aquarist. Bob
Fenner
Sourcing Alginate Binders Question: Hi....I noticed in
FAQ #104 you mention alginates as the best binder for creating your own
frozen foods. Where can you find alginates? >> These common
emulsifying agents may have to be special ordered through a chemical
supply house. If it were me, I'd first take a look through your
local "Yellow Pages" directory under the term
"Chemicals", and call them for sodium alginate (most commonly
used form as food binder). If there is no local source, try a larger)
college (the biochemistry, biology departments) and ask them if they
have some, can give you their source. Next, I would try the inserting
the name: biological supply and alginates in your computers search
engines... and following the sources it leads you to. Bob
Fenner
So what are you saying re gelatin use in foods? <
Jules wrote to Jim > >>did you say that the Prime Reef food
had a gelatin base? Fenner >>says at P 131 that Gelatin
Based frozen foods should never be >>used.<< Bob,
correct me if I am wrong but most Ocean Nutrition frozen foods do
contain gelatin as a binder ? if so why the negative comment towards
gelatin ? did you and Chris Turk have a falling out ? Jim Stime
Aquarium Design http://www.aquarium-design.com <Hey Jim, nah to any
falling out, but haven't chatted with Chris in months. On this
issue, he did/has at times used other binding/emulsifying agents
(principally alginates... made here in San Diego BTW), but we/I do have
a disagreement with the continuous use of gelatin in fish foods... but
all else being equal (which it never is), if folks have decent
maintenance protocols (water changes, vacuuming, skimmers...),
there's little chance of "gelatin deaths". Bob
Fenner>
So what are you saying ? >From: "Robert
Fenner" <by Bob Fenner> >there's little chance of
"gelatin deaths". < Bob, I pondered about your message a
bit more..... so is gelatin a resulting maintenance issue or a ( lack
of ) nutritional issue ? <Much more a maintenance issue... not much
useful as a nutrient to fishes, other aquatic life... but gloms the
substrate together... Bob Fenner> * sending this message as I look
in my freezer full of Ocean Nutrition frozen foods * < lol > Jim,
Aquarium Design
Re: so what are you saying ? >From: "Robert
Fenner" <by Bob Fenner> >Much more a maintenance issue...
not much useful as a nutrient to >fishes, other aquatic
life... but gloms the substrate together... >Bob Fenner> Bob,
that makes sense. I have another customer who uses the ON Frozen foods
quite a bit and it explains why her gravel is always got lots of stuff
that clumps it together. <Yes... it's the gelatin> so, what
frozen food do you like ? <Lines? You know this situation/game
Jim... because these msg.s go who knows where am leery of unintentional
endorsements... The best are those imported ones from TMC that are
irradiated... but most any/all that don't involve gelatins are
fine...> Jim, Aquarium Design <Bob Fenner, WWM>
Re: unidentified Algae, BGA Thank you for your reply
Bob. I spoke with Boyd Enterprises regarding their product
Chemi-Clean. <Very nice boys... I knew their father, Dick Boyd... a
real innovator> Would you recommend I try this product
in my reef to rid the Cyano that is very present as "red
slime" in my fuge and as the "blue-green Cyano" you
recently identified from the reef pics I sent you? They claim
this product will have no adverse effects on the reef nor will it
create any phosphate problems. Do you agree and is it worth
a try? <Mmm, not entirely. Try as I might, I have not been able to
find what this product is... other than that it does not contain
Erythromycin...> By the way, Boyd himself (son) also made a few
recommendations to me. He suggested I switch from Oceanic
Salt mix to Tropic Marin. <A good idea> My Calcium is high 500
and has been as high as 550+ with no addition of Calcium. He
claims that when testing Oceanic, many batches contained very high
Calcium levels 700+. <Yikes!> I am going to test the calcium on
the batch I am currently using. He also recommended that I stray away
from feeding my reef the delicious frozen concoction 3X per week made
basically of Eric H. Borneman's recipe and try
"Phycopure" made by AlgaGen and perhaps some "Cyclops
Eeze". <Another worthy suggestion> It was also
recommended to continue to feed my fish pellets/Nori as I have been on
alternate days. He felt my frozen cube recipe was just blowing too many
nutrients around the reef. Your thoughts would be
appreciated. <All sound good. Bob Fenner> Thanks again. Paul
Maresca
Trick to dicing Squid/meaty fish foods 3/28/04 Hello
Crew! <whassup> Thanks again for a wonderful site full of great
information! I am wondering if the crew knows of an trick or
technique to help me out. Per your recommendations, I have
added fresh squid to the feeding routine for my minireef. I
rotate through Formula one, Brine shrimp, Mysis shrimp (both soaked in
Vita-Chem), and Bio-Blend. <please do reconsider using
brine shrimp even soaked... it really is a hollow food (very poor
nutritionally). Use most any other ocean meats instead: Pacifica
plankton, diced krill, fish roe, etc... or Cyclops-Eeze (frozen or
freeze-dried)> OK, what is the best way to cut/grind the rubbery
squid up so it is in small enough pieces for my fish (perculas, damsel,
gobies) to eat without me having to do a fishy Heimlich
on?? It currently takes me 10 minutes with a razor blade
trying to cut it up and it is
frustrating! ARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!! There HAS to
be a better way! <yes... a very simple/easy trick: cut ocean meats
while frozen or nearly so (food processor or cutting by hand with
knife). A breeze> Thanks and guys rule! <rock on my salty
brother. Anthony>
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