Making food

[ReeferMac]

I had a lot of bounced emails from my copy of "the list", so I wanted to post again here to make sure I got everyone.

Getting ready to make another batch of my patented home-made fish food.
Some time in the next two weeks I'll be heading to Palmer's and ordering
a bunch of supplies from BrineShrimpDirect to mix up the batch.

I wanted to see if anyone was interested in getting some?

Everyone's welcome to stop by and help make it ;-), or you can just
watch if you're squeamish about raw fish. It will be on a weekend,
prolly the 15-16th (will let everyone who's interested know for sure). I
use all kinds of fresh fish and shellfish meat, lots of Nori, and plenty
of powdered supplements to enhance color, health, and to feed the
corals. It's quite a potent mixture and done a lot for my tank (well, I
think so at least). I started making it because I didn't like all the
gel binders, preservatives, and other additives in commercially
available foods. I freeze the mixture in Ziploc bags (the pleated
sandwich sized one's), and it generally ends up costing me about $15-20
per bag (won't know the exact cost until I see how many bags the "batch"
fill's). Each bag lasts me about a month, and I feed it every other day
to my tanks.

If anyone wants some, let me know (and how many bags), so that I can buy
enough stuff to go around. Anyone interested in watching me do it is
welcome as well, I guess we'll call it a mini-meet if a lot of people
come by. I can also make up some extra bags and hold onto them until the
next meeting, if anyone can't make it.



- Mac

[Gary Majchrzak]

Mac- I'm placing my order for a bag right now.Do you feed this mixture directly to your rose BTA?

[ReeferMac]

Do you feed this mixture directly to your rose BTA

No, much too fine of a mixture. I tend to puree a lot of the fish meat, and chop what's left up into larger chunks for my tang. Gets a good distrobution of food sizes. The BTA's I feed whole Krill, Silversides, PRawn and/or Clam meat.

I'll put you down for 1 bag.
I've got some left from the last batch if you want to try a few pieces. I've brought it over to Dave's before, and gave Todd a bag to save him the trip down to Ron's SW Heaven (to buy his food). Chuker and I went in on the first batch a couple of years ago, and I'm pretty sure he liked it too.

- Mac

[_ShotgunShrimp_]

well i dont really need fish food (i make it myself also little diffrent mixture but anyhow) i do need some of the porphyra sp. from BSdirect so lemme know and ill toss yah the cache for a bottle of it :) geek ^^^

:) talk at yah later

HEY TOD COME GET THIS PURPLE WORM :)

[ToddsReef]

I was surprised that there wasn't much of a response to this thread and then I realized that people must not know how awesome Kevin's food is. I was paying ~$45/bag at Ron's Saltwater Heaven and I gave Kevin's a try, it's MUCH better. Ahhh, that was just one of the many things for which I was ripped off at Ron's Saltwater Heaven. Anyway, Kevin's food is AWESOME if you are looking for a little something extra to throw in the mix.
Todd

[dmorel]

Always looking looking to learn.

I would be an interested participant if you're still thinking of having people come by.
Since we were talking about getting together anyway, I would definitely make the trip out (provided it is not the weekend of the 15th,( my dad is coming to town for a visit) in which case I would still be interested in a bag or two of food.

-dm

[ReeferMac]

D'OH!
Figures... that weekend is about the only one I have some time on. Going away for 10 days the 22nd, and wanted to have the food prepared so the poor sucker I enlist to tank-sit has plenty to last! I can put you down for one bag, two if you want it. I'll just buy more stuff when I go shopping.
Maybe we can get together this weekend. I won't be making the food, but can give you some of my last batch to try out (then you can tell me how much you want). Be a good time to get the frags and whatnot too. Send me a PM with your phone number, and I'll give you a ring. Still waiting for David to send me his.

- Mac

[dmorel]

You have mail (or a pm as it were...)

[ReeferMac]

Thanks for the kind words Todd. I've actually thought about trying to sell it here and there (hell, if Ron can sell his...), but to be honest it seems like too much of a hassle.

ANYWAY, I'm getting ready to order the ingredients I'll need, and am only ordering enough to make what people have asked me for, so...

Going once,

Going twice,

- Mac

[Gary Majchrzak]

Hold on Mac! Give me a chance to check with my wife! Her birthday is coming up, and maybe she'll want a hunk of yer fishy meatloaf. Seriously though, .....maybe I shouldn't ruin the surprise! I'll just wrap it nicely with a bow.... ;)

[ReeferMac]

LOL! For an added $2.50, we can Maybe get some matching ribbon.. I think I've seen brown before? I'll be she'd just _love_ that. My wife usually disappears for a few hours when I do this (fortunately I haven't told her yet ;-). The only deal is I have to have everything cleaned up by the time she gets home. And for some reason, she hasn't used the blender since? Huh, go figure?
:D

- Mac

[Gary Majchrzak]

Kevin, GOOD MORNING! Sorry for bringing up this old post!
I have some observations and questions for you.
First off- after trying a bag- your 'fishloaf' is excellent! Even my butterflyfish loves it.
Cardinalfish try to gulp down pieces that are too big for them to swallow. Anemones have a smorgasboard.
Would you ever consider tossing some carrots into your mix? The benefits of the vitamin A would be great!
Do you think folks at the Oct. 12th meeting might be interested in purchasing your homemade food? Would you consider whipping up a batch if there was an interest? What is a neap tide? {Er...sorry fer that last one- I thought it's always good to start the day off with a laugh!}:p

[ReeferMac]

Loaf on Request, eh?

I've actually got two bags of it sitting in the freezer still from the last batch. I could make up another (dunno if I'll have time), but it'a not really cost effective, unless you make a lot. Last time I had about 15 bags I think, and traded/sold half of them to other club members. I use about a bag a month, and rather than take up half my freezer... I'd want to make sure I can get rid of the bulk of it before making another batch.

Carrot's is an interesting idea... I'll bet if you julien'ed them, it would work rather well. I've tried that w/ my tank before, and the tang did like it. Anything that soaks in that stuff for a few hours however, everything ends up eating. Can't imagine a fish-juice soaked piece of carrot tasting good, but then again, these things eat Calamari! :D

I do add Astaxathanum powder to the mix, for beta carotene's, as it's supposed to greatly enhance coloration in ornamentals. I've been pretty happy w/ the coloration I'm able to keep on my Tang and the two TR clowns I have. Can't say for sure if it's the Natura-Rose (Astaxantham), but it certainly looks neat.

I'd have to know pretty quickly if there was enough interest in making a batch of food (hell, could be a mini-meet again ;) ), as I have to order more dry-goods from BSD for it.

- Mac

[ri]

Mac,

I'll take a bag...

Rick

[dmorel]

Next time your making it, put me on the list for a few bags too. And I'd be into coming for the production of the stuff too.

-dm

[Gary Majchrzak]

Obviously I'm interested in a bag.........

[_ShotgunShrimp_]

i have a few bags of my mix i could sell (basicly 100% the same as kevins) sept i add a little phyto plankton to mine...

mine has squid, cuttlefish, shrimp, scallops, lobster, clams, and some type of whitefish in it along with some nori and phtyoplankton... ill go a tad less on it since mine all comes from local area's

thanks tops and wegmans :)

[ReeferMac]

Oh, I've got phyto in there :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
about 5 different kinds.

And quite a few other goodies. Recipie's posted somewhere's in this forum... Whenever I made it last I guess.

I get the fish meat from Palmers on Jefferson.

- Mac

[KBCobra]

Im in for a bag, if I dont show up rsdavis can grab it for me. Also are people going to be going to cf after the meeting ? Us buffalo guys cant get DT's and im in need of some.


TIA

[Gary Majchrzak]

KB- maybe Tom aka 'Therapy' can provide us with DT's at the meeting{?}....he is a sponser of URS.

[Kent E]

I'm in. Let me know the date and time. I will need one bag as my tank is more or less empty. Plus it gives me an excuse to check out the tank:).
Kent