Fish-food economics
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- Martin Thoene
- Posts: 11186
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:38 am
- Location: Toronto.....Actually, I've been on LOL since September 1998
Fish-food economics
My fish eat too much food. It gets expensive. A big flat of Bloodworm costs me about $24 after the tax has gone on it. They can eat that in no time unless I ration it, but that means feeding other foods which are also expensive. My Clowns LOVE Hikari Sinking Carnivour Pellets which I buy in bulk. Again, they polish off a $20+ tub of those in around a month, even fed with other foods.
So a while ago I started making my own frozen food. I was using Dr. Momfish's blender but that broke and was discarded so I decided to buy my own.
What follows is a blow by blow breakdown of producing a new batch of food. Last batch included snail flesh, but the Thai Supermarket didn't have any this time so I've substituted Clam flesh instead.
Here's the ingredients.
I'm including the cost of the blender in this batch. At the end I'll do a cost breakdown per flat of food produced. If you own a blender already this cost is not one you will have.
1) Black & Decker BL 4900.............................$79.77
2) 0.9 lb of Clam meat.................................. $3.99
3) 1.56 lb of Pollock Fillet...............................$2.48
4) 2 packets of Gelatine to set the mixture.
@ $2.39 for 4 sachets, we'll use 6, so..............$3.58
5) 1 can of original V8 juice...........................$0.99
6) 2 340g packs of cooked Cocktail Shrimp.....$5.00
7) 300g chopped, frozen Spinach....................$0.97
8 ) 1/2 tsp of garlic paste (not including this price...negligible)
9) 1 Banana..................................................$0.17
10) 0.9 lb of Beef Liver...................................$0.91
TOTAL COST..................................................$97.86
Less Blender cost...........................................$18.09
Now I'm assuming/guessing that I can get 8 flats out of this mix, which gives me a cost per flat of $ 12.23, i.e like half the price of a flat of Bloodworm.
The next batch will not include the cost of the blender so 8 flats will work out at $ 2.26 per flat.
Right as I write I'm waiting for some of this stuff to defrost. Once it does I'm going to do a photographic blow by blow of the process as people have asked me before for the recipe so I thought I might as well show you how it's done too.
Warning: I am anticipating.....if they're anything like liquified snails....that pictures of the Clams will require a PG13 warning (at least)
Martin.
So a while ago I started making my own frozen food. I was using Dr. Momfish's blender but that broke and was discarded so I decided to buy my own.
What follows is a blow by blow breakdown of producing a new batch of food. Last batch included snail flesh, but the Thai Supermarket didn't have any this time so I've substituted Clam flesh instead.
Here's the ingredients.
I'm including the cost of the blender in this batch. At the end I'll do a cost breakdown per flat of food produced. If you own a blender already this cost is not one you will have.
1) Black & Decker BL 4900.............................$79.77
2) 0.9 lb of Clam meat.................................. $3.99
3) 1.56 lb of Pollock Fillet...............................$2.48
4) 2 packets of Gelatine to set the mixture.
@ $2.39 for 4 sachets, we'll use 6, so..............$3.58
5) 1 can of original V8 juice...........................$0.99
6) 2 340g packs of cooked Cocktail Shrimp.....$5.00
7) 300g chopped, frozen Spinach....................$0.97
8 ) 1/2 tsp of garlic paste (not including this price...negligible)
9) 1 Banana..................................................$0.17
10) 0.9 lb of Beef Liver...................................$0.91
TOTAL COST..................................................$97.86
Less Blender cost...........................................$18.09
Now I'm assuming/guessing that I can get 8 flats out of this mix, which gives me a cost per flat of $ 12.23, i.e like half the price of a flat of Bloodworm.
The next batch will not include the cost of the blender so 8 flats will work out at $ 2.26 per flat.
Right as I write I'm waiting for some of this stuff to defrost. Once it does I'm going to do a photographic blow by blow of the process as people have asked me before for the recipe so I thought I might as well show you how it's done too.
Warning: I am anticipating.....if they're anything like liquified snails....that pictures of the Clams will require a PG13 warning (at least)
Martin.
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
- Graeme Robson
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- Jim Powers
- Posts: 5208
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Seeing how your fish love this food and considering the fact that I can walk to an Asian market, I have been seriously thinking of making this stuff.
Unfortunately, I don't have a blender. I may have to remedy that.
I was wondering about adding spirulina powder which I understand is available in health food stores.
Unfortunately, I don't have a blender. I may have to remedy that.
I was wondering about adding spirulina powder which I understand is available in health food stores.
Martin, I buy my unflavored gelatin at an Amish/Mennonite bulk food store. I buy it in one pound bags. The last time I bought it, I paid around $8 for a bag. Sometimes health food stores will carry it in bulk, also.
Edit: I just got off the phone with a bulk store, and they are selling it for $5.31 a pound now.
Edit: I just got off the phone with a bulk store, and they are selling it for $5.31 a pound now.
Martin is this for all fish or your Hillstreams only or all loaches ?? ,please a general list of the fish that can/may be fed this or a little hint about changes to the menu for other types of fish like plecos or my top water fishys or Rainbows. Will this work fer my weather loaches too?I am ready to mess up Mommas kitchen with this brilliant thread. GREAT INFO !!!!
- Martin Thoene
- Posts: 11186
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:38 am
- Location: Toronto.....Actually, I've been on LOL since September 1998
OK, peeps, it's done it's photographed. I think rather than do a whole picture-heavy post here with the vagaries in the future of possible host site being down, etc, I'm going to host all the pictures in LOL and write a proper article.
I'll be back with a link once it's done.
Martin.
I'll be back with a link once it's done.
Martin.
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
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- mistergreen
- Posts: 1640
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- Location: Round at the ends and Hi in the middle
- Martin Thoene
- Posts: 11186
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:38 am
- Location: Toronto.....Actually, I've been on LOL since September 1998
Yes, that's because it's all food for human consumption. It's just that once prepped for the fish you might not find it so appealing.mistergreen wrote:I can make a nice dinner for myself with what's on the table there.
Here's how:
http://www.loaches.com/articles/home-co ... n-fishfood
Martin.
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
- Martin Thoene
- Posts: 11186
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:38 am
- Location: Toronto.....Actually, I've been on LOL since September 1998
- Jim Powers
- Posts: 5208
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 6:15 pm
- Location: Bloomington, Indiana
- Martin Thoene
- Posts: 11186
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:38 am
- Location: Toronto.....Actually, I've been on LOL since September 1998
- mistergreen
- Posts: 1640
- Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 12:41 pm
- Location: Round at the ends and Hi in the middle
oh! you cook the thing..
I thought you'd just leave it raw and add the melted gelatine. Raw foods are more nutritious.
and fresh/raw garlic is much better too. I just picked up a garlic press from IKEA... it's quite awesome.
I thought you'd just leave it raw and add the melted gelatine. Raw foods are more nutritious.
and fresh/raw garlic is much better too. I just picked up a garlic press from IKEA... it's quite awesome.
Last edited by mistergreen on Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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