How to add fresh spinach, veggies to beef heart mix- cook them first?

[mmdiscus1]

So i am ready to make my first beef heart batch. I bought beef heart, 3 large ones, i also do have frsh spinach leaves and fsh carrot, fresh bananas, fresh garlic cloves, and several dry foods with vitamins and fish oil in them,

1) How do i add ingrdients into the mix, do i boil veggies and kinda blender them, or grind them?

Carrot is easy, i will grind, garlick, banans i get too.

2) I am puzzled with spinach, or maybe i just skip it at all?

And i couldnt find gelatin in stores:(

3) Will my above ingredients hold together when i throw my final product frozen BH cubes into tank?

Please help, urgent! Fishies hungry:)


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[twocat]

I boil my veggies to get them soft. I have never used gelatin. I put mine in a zip lock press it flat and break off a chunk as needed. Depending on how many tanks fish you have three beef hearts is a lot.

Mark

[mmdiscus1]

Thanx, i only have one tank, with four discus and four corys in it, hundred gallon. So u boil vegies, mash them up with hands and add to your beef heart correct? Beef heart, you ground? And no cooking beeh heart correct?


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[sholvey]

I Think you should do a little more research on how to make it. There are a few threads on here that hopefully will help. Here is one http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?110292-How-I-make-beef-heart.

[mmdiscus1]

I Think you should do a little more research on how to make it. There are a few threads on here that hopefully will help. Here is one http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?110292-How-I-make-beef-heart.

Sholve, i love your avatar, would love to have a diacus like that, unfortunatelly they dont sell here:((

I read that thread many times, and many different ones here. You guys are pros and for you it is easy, and you guys leave a lot of important details out. But for me reading threads like that is confusing, and it didnt answer my question with vegies, thats why i opened this thread here.

Please excuse me, if i ask many questions. But believe me i have been following SD almost a year now! Thats how i read up before i actually got discus. But reading is different, when you are in front of your own discus its a different story:)

Hope for your help. This forum is my only source of information on discus.


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[ericatdallas]

For carrots, I would boil them down until they are tender. For spinach and kale I blanch them then throw it into the food processor BEFORE the beef heart. That's the way I do it...

As for gelatin, go to the Jello or baking section (sometimes they're the same aisle, other times they're not). I use Knox. Go to customer service desk and ask. I used to work at a grocery store and people asked me all the time where it was so the store employee unless they're new should have no problems finding it for you.

You can also use other things like agar (I've never tried this but others have).

I've also done it without gelatin --- keeping fish flakes, bananas, shrimp, and fish as my binder element. Others have success with it... I do not.

Gelatin does have some nutritional value, but not much. There are amino acids in the gelatin but apparently they're readily produced by most animals including fish. So the nutritional value is minimal/debatable.

[brewmaster15]

mmDiscus,
I can make this easy for you...
5 lbs beefheart cleaned of fat, cut into cubes
2 lb raw shrimp, remove shells cut into cubes
1 cup chopped spinach or collard greens boiled to soften , squeeze out excess moisture
1 cup spirilina Flakes (but any quality flake will work)
1 tablespoon ground paprika for natural enhanceing of reds and oranges ( optional)
1 tablespoon garlic powder ...a natural attractant
2 -3 crushed multi-vitamens ( adult human generic)
Mix well by hand... pass thru a grinder, best IMO as consistency of ground hamburg meat or puree lightly in processor.

place in freezer quart bags at about 1/2- 3/4 inch thick.. store frzn. and break off chunks as needed.


Thats your basic mix... theres a bazillion variations , but that one is great starting point for someone new to making BH. It tends to stay together well due to the shrimp and flakes. I've used that recipe for many years, mainly with variations by adding different seafoods... you can make a 50-50 BH and seafood mix as well...its more messy but great for growth...just stick to salt water fish...never fresh as food source.

Hth,
al

[sholvey]

I Think you should do a little more research on how to make it. There are a few threads on here that hopefully will help. Here is one http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?110292-How-I-make-beef-heart.

Thank you for the compliment. He is probably my favorite out of the ones I have and it is in my grow out tank. I got it a 2" and now it is about 5". I am starting a 100 gal display tank and that will be his new home soon. Didn't know you looked at John's BH thread. I thought I was trying to help, but it looks like I didn't achieve that! ;) Lol I hope al goes well in your processing!:D

[mmdiscus1]

Thank you for all your help, i figured it out. Carrot, garlic, bananas i used fresh, spinach boiled just a bit to make sure its leaves were cleaned up.

Just made BH, and put it to freeze hope they like it. I made it from garlic, carrot, spinach, banana, one beef heart. Sending you picture, tok me two hours to make hope they like it:):) put to freezer, will feed them in about hor or so, will let u guys know how it went.

My first beef heart mix:
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/01/24/guvadyve.jpg


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[sholvey]

Good luck! They better like it after putting in two hours to prep it for them.

[mmdiscus1]

Btw, i used good old chopper with one u know propeller like knife, to mix whole thing up. First i prepared vegetable part, then prepared beef heart, then blended them together and adding dry food granules.


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[mmdiscus1]

By looking at color and texture of my mix, do you think i did good? Btw, i didnt use gelatin as i couldnt find it yet, i will later.. Egg yolk looks to have made the trick, oh yeah and i forgot- i added yeast too, i was told its high of nutritional value.


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[MKD]

look great, couple more time willl be better. I suggest not to use that ice tray, i just put it in ziplock and flat it out. It seems to keep it longer. When it's frozen, just cut it in cube by knife or hammer it in different sides.

[mmdiscus1]

look great, couple more time willl be better. I suggest not to use that ice tray, i just put it in ziplock and flat it out. It seems to keep it longer. When it's frozen, just cut it in cube by knife or hammer it in different sides.

Ok will do! Btw, i am about to start feeding them i think it froze already, how should i feed it to not faul water? I made WC this morning, next one will be tomorrow morning.

Should i use a stick or something to hold it in water? Or should i just put in water? I think i will cut that one cube on four parts, and give them one forth in my first try.


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[MKD]

well just drop in a small piece let them try new taste. I saw your other thread train them new food, just do slow and give 1 new food at the time. Let them use to that food before different one.


side note: not sure your tank is BB or not. if it's BB and don't eat it in 5 min, i use stick or hand break it in smaller pieces.

[mmdiscus1]

Mine is 100 gallon planted. Breeder fed them beefheart before. Just checked in the freezer, its not rock solid yet, a little soft. Or is soft fine?


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[MKD]

I don't like feeding bh in planted tank. It may cause lot of problems and you have to stay on top of WC to keep it clean.

[mmdiscus1]

I don't like feeding bh in planted tank. It may cause lot of problems and you have to stay on top of WC to keep it clean.

I definetely wont to go with BH, for thir health and growth. I am Ok making daily WCs, i hate time on hands, when and if i have less time, i might reduce Bh amount, or siphon out right after feeding.


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[mmdiscus1]

Total failure, they didnt eat at all. It went straight to the bottom, corys loving it. I need to try again tomorrow. I will give granules in the morning, and aftrnoon maybe try this BH? Sounds ok?


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[MKD]

my takes days to get new food. . very much you're training them right now so be patient and try daily.

[Altum Nut]

my takes days to get new food. . very much you're training them right now so be patient and try daily.

+1

It's best to try during first feeding when they are hungry. Patience is the key Young Grass-Hopper. LOL

Good luck
...Ralph

[brewmaster15]

I'd be careful.. That mix looks like it may quickly foul your water...It looks too pureed..too fine.

A suggestion: Don't throw that as a chunk in the tank. If you take that cube you made, and put it on a cutting board , while its still frozen, but soft enough to shave.. try slicing some thin pieces..then dice to bite size. and place in the tank.. The discus may take to that way better and it may not foul the water that way.. initially feed sparingly... very sparingly until they are used to it.
hth,
al

[mmdiscus1]

I'd be careful.. That mix looks like it may quickly foul your water...It looks too pureed..too fine.

A suggestion: Don't throw that as a chunk in the tank. If you take that cube you made, and put it on a cutting board , while its still frozen, but soft enough to shave.. try slicing some thin pieces..then dice to bite size. and place in the tank.. The discus may take to that way better and it may not foul the water that way.. initially feed sparingly... very sparingly until they are used to it.
hth,
al

Thats how i do actually, i cut very tiny piece and feed it.. If they dont eat it, and they dont, in the evening when i syphon out i still see the whole piece in tact on the bottom, sometimes i dont see it because corys love it.

I am taking peoples advice here on taking it slow.


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