Frozen Beefheart Mix

[LarryDinNC]

I have tried two brands of frozen beefheart mix and my fish don't seem to care for either. It seems from this forum that discus must absolutely love beefheart mix, but mine don't. I haven't attempted making my own and feeding them fresh bh mix instead of frozen. Are my fish odd?

[Jeff]

Larry,

If you are feeding beefhart to them for a first time don't expect them to just start loving it, especially if you have been feeding live foods. They will eat it, but sometimes it takes a while before they start eating it. Try skipping one or two feedings and then give them the beefhart and I'm sure they will approach it differently.

Good Luck

Larry,
I don't mean to create a debate, but why are you deciding to use beef heart? I have experience with beef heart and could provide some suggestions for you.

Good Luck

[roger]

Mine responded the same way to frozen brine shrimp. They where raised on frozen blood worms before I got them. I had one fish that was always getting picked on during regular feeding time. Since all the rest wouldnt eat it, he started eating it and now they all do.

If you want to feed them beef heart it may take them time to get used to the idea.

[DarkDiscus]

My fish ate beefheart but it seemed like they were more interested in blowing it into clouds and in fighting over it than in eating it.

They much prefer worms - black, blood and earth - and also shrimp - brine and krill and also tetrabits and hikari red color pellets. Beefheart is their least favorite.

And, since it's messy, I gave up on it and stick with all the above foods.

John

[OEG]

I agree that is so messy, after making my own with a variety of ingr. including garlic i found bits and pieces all over the tank bottom and sides just growing fungus, bare in mind that i do two water changes dailly once in the am and then later in the afternoon. My fish now just want to eat california blk worms, blood worms are barely taken in and then some just spit them out. The question that should be asked is, if not feeding beef heart will my discus grow as big as Carys and Mikes or will they stay a bit smaller than those fed beef heart? I see breeders with these huge fish and mine never seem to be that big. what gives whats the secret big aquariums or what?
Oscar

[Adnan]

Can you please tell me where to do buy frozen beef heart, i mean are they ready and just to be fed.
Thanks

[whitedevil]

frozen you can get from most fish stores/pet stores.


I dont have discus yet but everything down to my newly captive bred black loaches eat the beefheart, I use a old oscar food chopper, mix 4 packages of frozen food and a 1/4 pound of flake and then refreeze, my fish LOVE this, its nice cause the gups will get a chunk of heart muscle tissue and they will start playing tug of war with it.

[Jhhnn]

It's a lot of work, but I make Carol's beefheart in big batches, freeze it in thin layers in gallon ziplocks. It's the least messy food they get- just little curliques of beefheart. It's too coarse for small fish, but 4" and above definitely go for it.This last batch, I poured seachem Nourish on a big bowlful of the curliques after they came out of the salad shooter, tossed it like salad dressing, let it marinate in the fridge for about an hour before bagging and refreezing...

Lots of opinions pro and con wrt beefheart, but it's extremely nutritious, really puts some size on 'em rather quickly. Good stuff, imo.

[kitykatfunkiehat]

I need to get my hands on some beefheart. How long does it last frozen? Can you cut it into small pieces instead of using a salad shooter?

[diamond_discus]

I need to get my hands on some beefheart. How long does it last frozen? Can you cut it into small pieces instead of using a salad shooter?

I make my own beefheart.seafood mix, based on Eddie's original receipt.
I use beefheart, raw shrimp, salmon, cod fish, garlic, NLS pellets, spriulina powder, vitamins, etc .. I put all in a meat processor, grind with a little water. Then wrap it in a flat pack with plastic wrap. It will take a good few hours in the freezer for it to get hard. (Note: I should be hard, but yet soft enough to cut) Then I took it out and cut into cubes. It will be ready to be used the next day.

It's a bit messy to make the mix, especially the trimming part. But your fish will grow big and thick with beefheart mix. However, it will foul your water a lot .. So it's easier if you have a barebottom tank.

If your fish is not used to it, it will take up to a week for them to adjust. Feed them in the morning when they are most hungry. Don't feed anything else until they start taking it.

I sell my beefheart mix to a local discus fan, who only has a few discus but don't want to trouble to make the mix.

[kitykatfunkiehat]

Cool! Okay, perfect. Sounds easy enough I suppose

[diamond_discus]

Great .. Give it a try .. your fishes will like it.

BTW, the easiest place to buy beefheart is mexican supermarket (well at least it's true here in Southern California)

[kitykatfunkiehat]

Haha I don't think we have any mexican supermarkets here in Michigan, but I can try local supermarkets? Online maybe?

[diamond_discus]

Haha I don't think we have any mexican supermarkets here in Michigan, but I can try local supermarkets? Online maybe?

Or you can probably go to any supermarket meat department, and ask them to order for you.