Beef Heart Issues

[jmanhere2000]

I have been keeping discus on and off for a 20+ years. Always made my own beef heart. Never a problem. I start with two hearts, some salmon, garlic leaves, vitamins. Trim the heart extremely well. Grind in meat grinder. Then mix in with flake food in a food processor. Again never a problem.

But in the last few batches over 6 months or so I'm getting, hard to say, but a white fibrous left over floating in the bottom. Almost a a cotton texture to it. Easy to suck up but then there are smaller pieces floating around I can't get to.

Anybody ever experience this and how to correct.

John

[pitdogg2]

Are you sure it's not beef heart detritus left over from Discus eating and spitting out?
Whenever I hear cotton in an aquarium environment, I think possibly food rot.
I used to get something like that when I used to throw in a 8-10 shrimp pellets. The uneaten would get cottony.

[danotaylor]

John perhaps it’s a mechanical issue if your grinder is old.
Have you ever replaced your grinding plates?
Do you double grind the heart?

I use chunks of trimmed deer heart and grate when frozen with a Parmesan cheese grater. Looks like blood worms. If I miss bits of the ultra thin clear lining on the heart when trimming I get stuff like you describe visible in the water column. The clear film turns white when wet.

If your plates are old and dull, your grinder may not be pulverizing the film as it used to.

[LizStreithorst]

That's a good thought, Danny. I also like your way of prepping beef heart. Carol, who was one of the old-timers here used a salad shooter to prep heart. Something I've always wanted to try. The result you get sounds similar to what she got. I wouldn't need another damn appliance cluttering the kitchen to do it your way.