Homemade Gel Foods??

[CrunchyLobster123]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, not sure if it would belong here, in DIY projects, or fish health. I’m curious if anyone’s ever made their own gel foods? I’ve seen discus breeders do something similar with beef heart so I’m curious if I could just blend up a whole bunch of ingredients like squid, silversides, krill, zucchini, seaweed, and throw some spirulina powder and maybe a dash of mineral/calcium supplements add that slurry to an agar solution and freeze it?? Any experience or input would be greatly appreciated. The fish I’d be feeding would be: catfish (synodontis and pims), cichlids like Oscar’s and geophagus, bichirs, spiny eels, elephant nose fish and knife fish, etc.

 

[FJB]

One can do one’s own mixes as you described, using unflavored gelatin as binder and whatever ingredients you want. I did that for decades. There is also the Repashy line of gel foods, which is quite good and includes a variety of choices. Regardless, any such food should not be the exclusive diet, but part of a rotation of foods for your fish.
Much easier than making your own, and in the long run not much more expensive but much more convenient. Google Repashy, or search for it in the Swiss Tropicals website. What kind of fish do you keep? Use that info to choose your ingredients. Good luck!

 

[OnlyFinsCT]

I do this for my stingrays. I blend tilapia, shrimp, scallops, krill, salmon, nightcrawlers, bloodworms, garlic and a couple of different pellets. I use agar agar mixed with water as a binding agent and use ice cube trays to make individual cubes in the portions I want. Makes it super easy to make sure my rays are getting fed a varied diet.

 

[danotaylor]

I made a gel mix following O OnlyFinsCT advise to try to get a stubborn ray to eat. The ray still wouldn't eat, but my other cichlids love the stuff. Mine had a few less ingredients, but I blended to powder hikari massivore pellets, northfin carnivore pellets & bug pro (black soldier fly pellets), raw tilapia & shrimp, 2 packs of gelatin & 2 cups of boiling water. Poured into a cookie tray and set in the fridge. Best to defrost at room temp than in water if you freeze the gel. It holds together very, but don't soak the frozen pieces or they disintegrate in the water.