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.

[on_golden_wing]

I use Gabe Pasada beefheart recipe .The discus were feed bloodworms before I recieved them so it takes a week or so to get them to eat the beefheart mix but once they do you can almost watch them grow.You can also alter the mix to whats available to you. I used shrimp,beefheart,oatmeal,seaweed(for sushi),garlic,Womans One A Day vitamine(remove the coating by running under water then chop up the vitamine).I believe thats all i added but you can add other fish like salmon or cod.All this goes in a food processor until the beefheart is in small pieces.You can check by taking some out and putting it in a cup of water to see the size after breaking it up.If it's too big a piece keep going with the food processor.I added small amount of water to activate the gelitin as well.The gelitin holds it together in the tank.Before feeding let it thaw out on a napkin to drain blood and not give the fish a brain freeze.Fed frozen will upset their stomach.(Dont microwave it to speed up the thawing process because its not good with the vitamine in there doing so)
Store in the freezer in Zip Lock bags placed inside Tuberwear with lid to keep fresh for long periods of time.If your me this will last you months,if your HansDiscus this will last you 2 feedings,,lol..Try feeding small amounts at first because if uneaten the garlic will stink up your water like an italian soup so you will have to remove it from the tank.At first I thought I wasted my time with this mix because the fish did'nt like it but given time they like it better than frozen bloodworms which are limited in nutrional value if feed as the main food source IMO ofcourse.Everyone varies the mix,do what works best for you and your fish.All's i know is my Greyhound wants the leftovers if I took out too much,he waits by the last tank being fed hoping theres a piece left.
You can find Gabe's and others here on the SimplyDiscus site.
best of luck,
Daniel

[on_golden_wing]

I almost forgot,you need to remove all the fat and vein in the heart and cut in small cubes before placing in the food processor.You don't want your fish having a heart bypass operation when they turn 6 years old.I get mine from Publix here in Florida.You should see the look on the checkout person when they scan a 4 pound beedheart.Just ask them if they want to come over for lunch,hahah
ciao,Daniel

[kitykatfunkiehat]

You should see the look on the checkout person when they scan a 4 pound beedheart.Just ask them if they want to come over for lunch,hahah

Lol. FOUR POUNDS?! Man..how much? I suppose its worth it in the long run...it lasts a while, but thats a hunk of meat there!
The search is on to find beefheart here in the mitten!

[on_golden_wing]

Yep 4 lbs they average in the supermarket here but by the time you trim fat and vein your down to almost 2 lbs.Theres alot of vein and fat,I think the last cow it came from did nothing but smoke and sit on the sofa all day.hah
But seriously,I just use the best part of the heart and don't bother with the tougher pieces.It only cost 4 dollars for the whole heart.I hear veal heart is better but I can't find that.I used turkey heart last Thanksgiving and they loved it but also hard to find in quanity.(Besides what came with our Thanksgiving bird).Some use hamburger meat,the lean one,I think it's 97% lean.
Good Luck with your search
Daniel

[diamond_discus]

I believe one whole beefheart is >10 lbs ... Last time I went to a Mexican supermarket, they ask me how much I need .. I told them 5 lbs .. Then I saw the guy went inside and picked up a big heart, chopped in half, and clean out some vein and fat for me. I still ended up with ~5 lb ... After I got home, I still need to trim more fat (I got to give credit to my wife, she did the dirty work for me, HaHa).

So each time, I made about 10 - 12 lbs of my beefheart seafood mix, which will last me about 6 weeks ... :-)

BTW, I also use the Womans One A Day vitamine, but why do you need to remove the coating ? I just put them in a zip lock bag, use a small hammer to break them up into powder.

Every time I prepare my mix, I need to get my dog away to prevent him from attacking the yummy food.;)

[kitykatfunkiehat]

What are your exact measurements for your mixes?

[on_golden_wing]

Gabe Posada's Beefheart Recipe
Gabe Posada


Mind you, this formula will also accept banana, fish, shrimp and whatever else you would like to add.

Ingredients:
1 veal heart, cleaned of all fat and veins
1 10 ounce package of frozen spinach. Thaw and squeeze out as much water as possible.
3 large handfuls of dry flake food (any type)
6 multi-vitamins (One-A-Day, Theragram, Centrum, etc.) Wash off the protective coating and let them soak in small cup with enough water to cover them so that they break down into a soup.
6 cloves of raw garlic
1 small box of Knox unflavored gelatin (entire contents)
1 cup of Quaker oats

Instructions:
Place ingredients in a food processor
After the paste is done, place in freezer bags
Make the mix about 1/4" thick in the bags
When feeding this mix, break off a piece and place it on a folded paper towel to thaw (This will drain off any excess blood)
Then feed

This is just one of many mixes you will find on the SimplyDiscus site.I bought a Black n Decker food processor for 30 bucks.I have a hard time using it for anything im eating after that mix goes through it,lol
As far as why wash the coating off,I was just going by the directions but i like your idea of smashing them in a bag.
Daniel
Goodluck,Daniel

[kitykatfunkiehat]

Thanks Daniel! That looks like a decent recipe to me. I'm going to save it :)!!

[diamond_discus]

What are your exact measurements for your mixes?

I never actually measure the size ..but I believe it's between 0.25 to 0.5 inch thick. I cut mine into different size cube. I use the bigger size cube for bigger fish. Smaller cube for smaller tanks.

[Dan]

anyone selling any of their mixes? i don't have the resources to make my own. don't really trust pet store mixes.

[diamond_discus]

anyone selling any of their mixes? i don't have the resources to make my own. don't really trust pet store mixes.

I would sell if you are local here at Los Angeles. Otherwise, I suggest you contact Al

[Jhhnn]

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

That's what i finally figured out, too. I call before 1:00 PM, ask for the meat dept at the King Soopers (Krogers) where I regularly shop, and they usually have it for me the next day by 10:00 AM. Fresh, sliced, Rumba brand, in ~2lb packages.

I use Carol's beefheart method, w/ salad shooter, and the stuff isn't messy, doesn't foul the tank at all. It's too coarse for really small fish, fine for those 3" and larger.

It is a fair amount of work to prepare, but my fish have grown really, really well with it as a staple in their diet.

My fish went wild for it from the start, not surprising after Kenny told me that Forrest raises 'em on a beefheart/shrimp mix...

[kitykatfunkiehat]

Krogers readily orders it for you? How much does it cost you? Thats GREAT news.

[darkknight87]

Ive been making my own beefheart/seafood mix and Ive noticed that my fish only wanna eat it if I break it up and belnd it with a fork untill its in a nice cloud before they are able to all eat it. IF its just in a cube then one or two will guard it and keep it from the others

[darkknight87]

I noticce alot of people like you use Women's One a day...I just got some Actual Discus vitamins...does anyone use them?
And I find that using an icecube try and sealing it with Plastic wrap works really well to freeze them. After they are froze I individually wrap each cube in aluminum foil and place them in tupperware containers. Every morning I take one cube, thaw it out in a cup of the aquarium water, drain the water, and then give them the beefheart..and the feast begins

[Dan]

any tips on getting them to eat BH? i was given a 1lb bag of it from a local guy..my discus won't touch it lol. should i just not feed them for a day or two, then offer them BH?

my old discus went crazy for the stuff, but they were all already on it before they were in my tanks.

[Eddie]

I noticce alot of people like you use Women's One a day...I just got some Actual Discus vitamins...does anyone use them?
And I find that using an icecube try and sealing it with Plastic wrap works really well to freeze them. After they are froze I individually wrap each cube in aluminum foil and place them in tupperware containers. Every morning I take one cube, thaw it out in a cup of the aquarium water, drain the water, and then give them the beefheart..and the feast begins

Any vitamin will work, I used to use Centrum Liquid vitamins but now strictly use Andrew Soh's Pro-Growth. There is no need to thaw mixes. I freeze mine layed flat in freezer bags. I then rip off the bag, cut the flat slab into cubes and throw all the cubes in a plastic freezer bag. When I feel like feeding my fish, I just toss in a cube or 2. Easy as pie.


Eddie

[diamond_discus]

I noticce alot of people like you use Women's One a day...I just got some Actual Discus vitamins...does anyone use them?
And I find that using an icecube try and sealing it with Plastic wrap works really well to freeze them. After they are froze I individually wrap each cube in aluminum foil and place them in tupperware containers. Every morning I take one cube, thaw it out in a cup of the aquarium water, drain the water, and then give them the beefheart..and the feast begins

Each cube is individually wrapped ? Won't work for me .. I made at least 10 lbs each time .. I just cut them into cubes and freeze them in a zip lock bag. I don't think you need to thaw it .. I just throw the cubes into the tank. I will slowly sink and my fishes will go after them.

[gr8nguyen1]

i am in the process of purchasing some discus frok kenny cheung. they are all adults about 5'' maybe one is 4''
my question is can i get away with just feeding the FBW pellets and flakes.will they be healthy and happy? i am really trying hard to avoid beef hearts mixes. but if it is a must to keep them healthy then ill do it. but,its just so messy

[diamond_discus]

i am in the process of purchasing some discus frok kenny cheung. they are all adults about 5'' maybe one is 4''
my question is can i get away with just feeding the FBW pellets and flakes.will they be healthy and happy? i am really trying hard to avoid beef hearts mixes. but if it is a must to keep them healthy then ill do it. but,its just so messy

No food is a must food .. As long as you feed them a good variety food and have a good balance nutrition, then your fish should be healthy and fine.

[tcyiu]

My second ever batch of beefheart mix turned out even worse than my first batch. This time, instead of banana and shrimp as binder, I used gelatin and shrimp. Unfortunately, I don't know what I'm doing, and the gelatin turned into little translucent beads. (for those who live near sizeable Asian populations, think pearl ice tea LOL). They don't bind anything. The first chunk that went into the tank fouled up the water so bad I had to change water immediately.

My recommendation is to go the route that Jhhnn did. Use a salad shooter as discovered by Carol. I don't have a salad shooter, so I make very very fine juliennes of beefheart. These do NOT foul the water in any way.

It's too labor intensive, so I am on the hunt for a salad shooter.

Tim

P.S. When I was searching for beefheart, I hit up every single "ethnic" market in my area. I finally found them in my regular mainstream supermarket. I LOLed.