Fish-food economics

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Martin Thoene
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Fish-food economics

Post by Martin Thoene » Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:41 am

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.

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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) :wink:

Martin.
Image Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

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Mad Duff
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Post by Mad Duff » Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:30 am

Ready, Steady, Cook for fish, like it :lol:
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Pardon my honesty - I am a Northerner

14 loach species bred, which will be next?

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Graeme Robson
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Post by Graeme Robson » Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:02 pm

Excellent!! At last we get a step by step picture tutorial. 8)
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loachmom
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Post by loachmom » Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:09 pm

I'm looking forward to the next episode. :wink:

After watching the video of your fish tearing into this stuff, I am going to be making this. I think I'll try picking up a second-hand blender at a thrift store, since my family may object to me using their milkshake blender.
:D

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Jim Powers
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Post by Jim Powers » Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:51 pm

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.
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loachmom
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Post by loachmom » Thu Jul 12, 2007 3:58 pm

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.

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Tinman
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Post by Tinman » Thu Jul 12, 2007 5:46 pm

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 !!!!

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Martin Thoene
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Post by Martin Thoene » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:31 pm

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.
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Total Package
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Post by Total Package » Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:56 pm

Just a warning on that blender, do not leave it plugged in. I had one that spontaneously turn itself on and got insanely hot.

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mistergreen
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Post by mistergreen » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:24 pm

I can make a nice dinner for myself with what's on the table there.

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Martin Thoene
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Post by Martin Thoene » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:23 pm

mistergreen wrote:I can make a nice dinner for myself with what's on the table there.
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.

Here's how:

http://www.loaches.com/articles/home-co ... n-fishfood

Martin.
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Martin Thoene
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Post by Martin Thoene » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:25 pm

Total Package wrote:Just a warning on that blender, do not leave it plugged in. I had one that spontaneously turn itself on and got insanely hot.
Thanks for the warning.

Martin.
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Jim Powers
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Post by Jim Powers » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:36 pm

Great article, Martin. The pics really help.
It doesn't look as nasty as I thought it would either....except for the liquified mollusk. Yuck!!
How is the smell during prep?
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Martin Thoene
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Post by Martin Thoene » Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:57 pm

Actually, the smell is not unpleasant. Fishy.........especially when cooking.
Spinach and Banana is suprisingly quite pleasant :D

Martin.
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mistergreen
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Post by mistergreen » Thu Jul 12, 2007 10:34 pm

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.
Last edited by mistergreen on Thu Jul 12, 2007 11:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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