Fish food is an important commodity for any fish owner, but often it can prove to be very expensive and not always worth the cost.
This article will not only teach you how to make it yourself, but also how to get the best quality food for the cheapest price!
Contents
How to Make Homemade Fish Food
What Exactly is Homemade Fish Food Made Out Of?
Starting with the basics, a majority of people buy fish flakes or pellets. These are fine and dandy, but they’re far from perfect, often containing unnecessary fillers.
With that said, they also contain legitimate ingredients such as tilapia, shrimp, or scallops. These are the most important to take note of, as they are what provide your fish with vital nutrients that keep them healthy – especially in the long-run.
Necessary Tools to Begin
There are a number of different ways to prepare your fish’s food, but for all of these, you’ll need the following set of equipment:
- A high-quality blender.
- A sharp knife.
- A pan.
- A freezer.
- Ice cube trays.
Once these are gathered together, it is time to consider what is and isn’t right for your fish. Some are strict herbivores, whereas others are carnivores or even omnivores.
Feeding an herbivore fish meat-based food can result in organ diseases, growth abnormalities, and more that can cause severe problems.
Meanwhile, should you feed a carnivore too many vegetables, it can prevent them from getting necessary nutrients that they need to grow and survive.
Finally, feeding an omnivore too many vegetables or too much meat can result in either one of these issues, as they need a perfect balance in both regards.
Do your research on the variety of fish you have before considering the food make.
Standard Gelatin Fish Food Recipe
This is the easiest form of homemade fish food and can also be stored in the freezer.
Ingredients
- 2 pouches of unsweetened, unflavored gelatin.
- 3 cups of vegetables (spinach, kale, or seaweed are all good options).
- ½ cup of seafood (shrimp, tilapia, or scallops).
- ½ clove of garlic.
- A single drop of fish vitamins.
Directions
With all these together, it’s time to begin cooking.
- Cut the vegetables to size and cook them until soft, either via steaming or boiling. This will make them much easier to pulverize and then liquefy.
- Puree the vegetables with the garlic and seafood until it forms a thick paste before mixing in the vitamins.
- Prepare the gelatin according to the instructions of the package. Slowly begin mixing it into the vegetable and seafood mixture.
- Finally, pour it into the ice cube trays and freeze until ready to use.
Herbivore Homemade Fish Food Recipe
These are very versatile food cubes, but not all are created equal.
Some fish cannot eat meat, so the addition of seafood may be dangerous for their health.
Some have more simple needs that are met with vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 cup each of frozen peas, spinach, and cucumber.
- ½ cup of oats.
- Two packages of gelatin.
Directions
This is a fairly simple recipe, not requiring much more effort than the previous, and smelling significantly better.
- Start the same way you did with the previous recipe, by boiling your vegetables until soft to make the mixture blend correctly. Then begin to puree.
- Mix in the oats, making sure they are fully incorporated before adding in the gelatin, which you will have melted in boiling water.
- Freeze in ice cube trays and shave off as needed.
Carnivore Homemade Fish Food Recipe
Finally, this recipe is for the carnivores of the tank; a bit more grisly than the other two, but significantly higher in protein.
Ingredients
- Any vegetables you have available to act as a binder.
- Unflavored, unsweetened gelatin.
- Beef heart.
- White fish.
- Shrimp.
The amount of these ingredients doesn’t matter, but the ultimate goal is to have enough to fill an ice cube tray.
Directions
- Start by cooking the vegetables until soft, and then blend until completely smooth. The smoother the mixture, the better the consistency of the food.
- Shell and devein the shrimp to prevent any of the internal waste of the shrimp from getting into the food, as that can transmit diseases to the fish. Then blend with the heart and fish separately from the vegetables.
- Mix the gelatin with hot water as the instructions say.
- Combine all the ingredients until fully incorporated.
- Freeze in ice cube trays and distribute as necessary.
Here’s a video showing an example of homemade fish food.
Conclusion
Fish are amazing, low maintenance house pets, but the store-bought food is generally expensive and full of fillers.
With the assistance of this article, you can now customize your pets’ diet to be cheaper, but also better overall.
Just keep in mind what your fish needs! Do your research, and before long, you will enjoy an aquarium full of more energetic, more colorful, and healthier fish that can look forward to greater lifespans.
Do you have any tips on making homemade fish food?
