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Thread: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

  1. #1
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    I've started making my own. It's fun, cheap and easy. I use home grown veggies I have plus frozen peas because I don't grow them, carrots or sweet potato and calcium carbonate which is 5 bucks for a 1 lb bag that will last forever. Oh, I also throw in some powdered commercial fish food that I really have no use for. Stuff like 50 to 100 micron golden pearls, powered Aqua Bites, etc. I grow my own garlic, so I toss in a few cloves of it, too.

    All I do is chop the veggies, add a bit of water put it all in the blender until they're pretty much liquified. Then I put it in a sauce pan, bring it to a simmer and slowly add a packet or two of gelatin. After a minute or so I pour it into a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and stick it in the freezer. Once it has set I cut it into cubes and stick it in a zip lock bag and put it back in the freezer.

    I've never seen the plecos go after anything with such gusto. The shrimp love it. My Rainbows and Rams like it, and the Discus even peck on it between feedings. If you grow your own vegetables you can make your own food for next to nothing.
    Mama Bear

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    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    Interesting! I may give this a try...

  3. #3
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    It's great if you have a little veggie garden that produces more than you can consume. Last year my 1 Zucchini plant had me so sick of finding ways to make zucchini until I was glad that a parasite of some kind killed the plant. It like melted over night. This year I planted a squash in poor soil in hopes that it wouldn't produce as much. I just harvested my first one and put it in the mix.

    Are you still breeding the long finned albino plecos? I'm still in love with mine. They breed so easily. It's a shame that baby snots take so long to grow but I save a lot feeding them my home grown food. I have a 30 gallon and a 65 gallon devoted to them and those tanks have a whole lot of young BN in them. Thank God I have a market.
    Mama Bear

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    Registered Member seanyuki's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    I also calcium citrate to my homemade food.

    .D78F9F18-1889-4645-A8FF-E28C45C8EBFB.jpeg
    Grasshopper
    Francis

  5. #5
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    Why calcium citrate, Francis?
    Mama Bear

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    Registered Member seanyuki's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    Recommended by Andrew Soh, calcium citrate it’s dissolves very easily and the fish can easily absorb all the calcium.


    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    Why calcium citrate, Francis?
    Grasshopper
    Francis

  7. #7
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    tHANKS
    Mama Bear

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    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    Sadly, mine have stopped reproducing. I don't know why, but then again I never worked at it in the first place. They just did it all by themselves, lol...

    I still have about 30 left so maybe one day I can give them a little more attention...

  9. #9
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    What a shame. When you're ready to get back going with them check with me. I'll be happy to fix you up. Mine won't quit.
    Mama Bear

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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    You can also add some spirulina powder to a mix like that fairly cheaply as well. Good protein source for plecos and shrimp or even snails.

  11. #11
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    I've read that. I just made enough to last me quite a while but I'll buy some before I make it next time. Same with Francis' calcium citrate.

    Do you make any fish food yourself, dwilder?
    Mama Bear

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Homemade Pleco and shrimp food

    I used to do it all the time, but have recently gotten lazy I guess and haven't done it in awhile. Like you were saying though with just a few ingredients you can make very good quality fish food much cheaper than you can buy.
    Probably better quality than we can buy premade.

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