FS Algae Gel Mix | 03452 shipped
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Pongo said that her Africans go crazy for it: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=225714
I may have to give that a try.
I have made food of a similar consistency using fresh watercress (blended in the blender to make a sort of juice more than a puree) and organic baby food (sweet peas). I poured it into ice cube trays and used to feed 1/2 a cube to my two black moors.
The thing about foods without animal protein, in my experience, is that while they appear very messy - fine bits of food everywhere - they don't cloud the water or actually create any pollution, water quality wise. Everything settles in an hour or so and at that point, you can't tell anything was fed. Not so for crumbly algae wafers like Hikari's - which are made primarily with shrimp meal.
Cello, I do hope you have great success with this food! It seems fabulous. I'm too busy right ATM to make any fresh food but I hope to order some from you soon, maybe the next time around
Have you considered adding anything like wheatgrass juice or other "green" juices to your mix? I used to make a lot of gel foods using baby food (some were great natural color enhancers, like sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot). I always wanted to try some sort of liquid source of chlorophyll in there. It might be redundant since you're using spirulina powder, though.
The thing about foods without animal protein, in my experience, is that while they appear very messy - fine bits of food everywhere - they don't cloud the water or actually create any pollution, water quality wise. Everything settles in an hour or so and at that point, you can't tell anything was fed. Not so for crumbly algae wafers like Hikari's - which are made primarily with shrimp meal.
Cello, I do hope you have great success with this food! It seems fabulous. I'm too busy right ATM to make any fresh food but I hope to order some from you soon, maybe the next time around
Have you considered adding anything like wheatgrass juice or other "green" juices to your mix? I used to make a lot of gel foods using baby food (some were great natural color enhancers, like sweet potato, pumpkin and carrot). I always wanted to try some sort of liquid source of chlorophyll in there. It might be redundant since you're using spirulina powder, though.
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So far, in my experience, it gets eaten before it breaks up. I've had it in the tank for several days without a problem---sometimes I've gotten a bit carried away with how much I put in, and there's a limit to how much the otos can stuff into their little tummies each day.
Yes, I had lots of recipes for inspiration. There's nothing ground-breaking about my mix, it's just convenient. Agar has some advantages over gelatin---plant source, gels at room temp---and it's nice to have a pre-mixed powder that I can prepare in small batches as needed.
That has been my experience as well. As far as I can tell, the "fine bits" are mostly... uh... "processed." I generally don't see pieces of uneaten food getting spread around.
Thanks!Cello, I do hope you have great success with this food! It seems fabulous. I'm too busy right ATM to make any fresh food but I hope to order some from you soon, maybe the next time around
I chose spirulina and spinach for their high nutrient content, but of course a mix of fresh veggies would be better. I just don't have time to prep veggies regularly, so this is the next best thing I could find. The nice thing is that (like all gel foods) you can add whatever you want when you prepare it. The spirulina is a really impressive dark green, so I guess that means it has lots of chlorophyll?
Yep! When you buy supplements like "liquid chlorphyll" or some such, they're usually from alfalfa, algae (like spirulina or chlorella) wheatgrass or barley grass. So I'm sure your mix has a lot of chlorophyll already.
As to the fine bits, I meant when you first drop it into the tank
My food was buoyant, not sinking like I think yours is, so as the goldfish ate it they made a big huge mess (which cleared fairly quickly). I agree that convenience is a big factor. I used to make Euro Shrimp Mix with fresh shrimp and frozen peas. It was too much hassle for me, so I switched to using baby food and sometimes vegetable juice (such as carrot juice - but not V8, because of the sodium and MSG), boiled the easy way (in the microwave in a Pyrex cup
) with gelatin mixed in, and molded in ice cubes or yogurt tubs. I figure the fish get enough protein from flakes, pellets, and frozen foods like bloodworms, but not enough fiber...so that's mainly why I supplemented with these DIY foods.In fact, I'll have to go back to doing that again soon. The fish liked all the flavors! Some fish and some flavors much more than others.
I'm curious on this aspect as well. Not so much as a tank polluter but more so as to remaining a "semi-solid" and not dissolving in the water.
So, if it were to be painted on rocks or as you demonstrated, a small button using a milk jug lid....approximately how long would it stay in the that form before dissolving in the water column?
Granted it may not even last that long once you work out the right amount, but....
Thx
my ac's absolutely love the stuff!!!!! it's a great big fish pile as they all try to get in and get some. It holds up well in the tank and is certainly a less expensive route than the premade ( and who knows how old?) algae wafers. I have found that it doesn't seem to break up and enter the water column at least visibly, The kiddo's guppies and snailies also love the stuff.
recommend it very much!!!!
recommend it very much!!!!
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