So you want to make your own Reef Food

[Steve Richardson]

So... you want to make your own Reef Food?

I think we’ve all done it. Yesterday, I went to the store to get some fish food – looked down at the $5.99 price tag on a little 3.5 oz package of named brand ‘minicubes’, and thought… wow, that’s about $27 a pound. Not only that, the ingredients looked readily available, and you might even be able to add a few things to make it better...

So, after reading recently about people making their own food, here is a recipe I used, along with approximate cost of ingredients. For example, a 2oz package of Wakame seaweed costs about $3.50 (you can probably find for much less) and the package would make perhaps 10 batches of this food, hence the ‘$0.35’ price for it. This recipe is a variation from Eric Borneman’s brew found at: http://www.marshreef.org/images/born...nfishfood.html .

This was a test and I wanted to start small, so this recipe will make enough to fill 2 large sandwich sized ziplock bags. Freeze into flattened patties, and break off what you need to feed. Just ramp up the recipe if you want to make more.


A few comments:
· If you use dried seaweeds, read the packages and avoid any that are cooked.
· FWIW, 15 mls = 1 Tablespoon
· Variety is fun… don’t follow the recipe, use it as a guideline, and add what you have! Add fresh Mussels, Oysters, Lobster roe, other seaweed such as Hijiki or Ano, etc..
· I didn’t think that ‘golden pearls’ or flake would work well, as they might only become a paste, but again... whatever works for you.

Ingredients
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Fresh or Live:
¼ lb Small Scallops $1.49
¼ lb Shrimp, whole $1.49
¼ lb Squid, whole $1.49
¼ lb Chowder scraps / Fish $.99
5 oz Chopped sea clams $2.50
1 batch Brine nauplii (1/2g cysts) $.25 (just hatched)

Frozen:
5 cubes Sea Urchin $.50
5 cubes Brine Shrimp $.50

Dried:
¼ oz Wakame $.35
¼ oz Nori $.35
¼ oz Kelp $.35
¼ oz Dulse $.35
1 T. Spirulina powder $.55
(seaweed from Whole Foods or Asian Markets)

Etc:
2 T. Daphnia (Sweetwater Zooplankton) $1.50
2 t. SELCO concentrate, or Selcon $.95
1 T. Vita-Chem, or vitamin suppliment $.40

Total Cost: $13.91 (for almost 2 Lbs I guess of relatively low moisture, dense food)

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First, let the seaweed soak in a little tank water for 30 seconds which makes it much easier to cut up. Then, finely chop it and set aside. Mince all fresh ingredients (Except nauplii). Mix together with seaweed. Pulverize in food processor, blender, etc (leave a little out if you want some big chunks to remain) to form a rough, gritty looking mess.

(I think you might get a nicer consistency if you mince everything first.. so you dont have to blend as much of it onto oblivion, but whatever you like)

Add Brine nauplii, SELCO, Daphnia, Vita Chem, thawed frozen stuff, & Stir well.

Pit mixture into old ‘formula 1’ blister packs, ice cube trays, or into sandwich sized ziplocks which should be frozen thin & flat – break/cut off chunks as needed.



-Steve R




[This message has been edited by Steve Richardson (edited 08-09-2000).]