High quality fish food is the key to healthy and brightly colored fish. However, high quality commercial fish food can be more expensive than DIY fish food and is often packed with numerous preservatives and even growth hormones. In nature fish eat a variety of plants and organisms in a balanced diet. Far different from the flakes they are fed each day.
DIY fish food is a perfect solution. It is cheaper, fresher and you are in control of the ingredients. Many of these ingredients can be sourced from your local fish store and grocery market. These recipes are designed to keep your water clear. Substitute ingredients in the DIY fish food recipes below to create your own recipes.
DIY Fish Food – Recipe 1
Article Contents
High Protein, maximum coloration. Suitable for Omnivorous fish.
Ingredients
- 200g of fresh salmon steak. (can be substituted for tinned salmon in seawater)
- 70 grams non-sweet plain gelatin powder
- 500g frozen green peas
- 300g of large orange carrots
- ¼ cup spirulina powder (Optional, may help to improve digestion and color)
- 500grams of spinach (Fresh or Frozen)
- 1kg Raw Unpeeled Shrimp with tail removed
- 6 generic multivitamins
- 1tsp Garlic Powder (Or 2 fresh garlics)
Directions
Cut the prawns, salmon, spinach and carrots into smaller pieces (no need to be careful as the ingredients will be blended). Place a saucepan on low heat and add 2-4L of water (depending on pot size, use gelatin accordingly) and about half of the gelatin powder. At the same time add the other ingredients to a blender. You may need to do multiple blending sessions to blend all the ingredients.
Once blended add the mixture, along with the rest of the gelatin powder, to the mixture on the pan. Keep on low heat for a period 30 minutes to an hour to lightly cook the ingredients through. After this, pour the mixture into cheap ice cube containers and freeze accordingly. Each ice cube should be enough food for a medium stocked, large size aquarium twice per day. Aim to use the cubes within 6-12 months. Be aware that this mixture will make a huge amount of fish food. Feel free to scale up or down the recipe as needed.
DIY Fish Food – Recipe 2
High Protein diet for active fish. Suitable for Carnivorous fish (Or omnivorous fish with flake supplement).
Ingredients
- 100g cheap fresh fish
- 100g frozen shrimp (or fresh if available)
- 100g mussels
- 100g octopus
- 100g squid
- 1/2 Tsp garlic powder (Or 1 peeled garlic)
- 200g flake food or mixed vegetable (Optional for Omnivorous)
- 2 general multivitamins
Directions
Let the frozen ingredients thaw and then cut all ingredients into smaller pieces. After this add all ingredients to a blender. Add fresh or marine water (depending on tank type) if consistency is too thick. If consistency is too thin add a little plain gelatin powder or fish to the mix. After blending pour the mixture into ice cube trays (the smaller the better), cover and then freeze.
The colder the freezer the better. Cold, deep freezers will keep the mixture fresh for up to a year. Do not allow the mixture to thaw when removing cubes for feeding. This mixture is great for marine fish as it provides them with a mixed diet that closely mimics nature.
DIY Fish Food – Recipe 3
Vegetarian diet for saltwater and freshwater fish. Suitable for Herbivorous fish (Or omnivorous fish with meaty supplements).
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tsp garlic powder (Or 1 peeled garlic)
- 5 Sheets of unflavoured and un seasoned nori
- 2 Fresh zuchini
- 500g of frozen peas
- 300g Fresh large carrots
- 300g Fresh or frozen spinach
- 2 Multivitamins
Directions
Let the frozen ingredients thaw and then cut all ingredients into smaller pieces. Add the pieces to 500mL of boiling water on the stove to simmer. Let ingredients simmer and soften for 45 minutes to an hour, add more water if required. Do not use any flavouring or oil. Strain the vegetables and add to blender. Blend into a fine pulp and pour into ice cube trays (or smaller moulds if available). Freeze and use accordingly for herbivorous fish.
Hello I’ve been making my food for four years an I e perfected my own recipe you have some good pointers. Maybe we can chat. There are some things missing an you really don’t need spirulina it’s optional. But still awesome.
Thanks for the great comment! Feel free to message with any article updates/additions and I’ll add them in.
Is there a reason to cook recipes 1 and 3? Are there any benefits to cooking the fish food?
Hi… Interesting topic. After freezing the food how do we feed the fish?
Just take out one cube from the freezer and throw it down the pond.
Wouldn’t it will be too cold for the fish.
I’m rearing Koi in a pond.
Thanks for your guidance.
are you serious? I dont think you should be allowed to keep something so simple as fish
Jay, he was asking a legitimate question. Not all fish owners have the same knowledge. That was the entire point of this article. He clearly stated that he has Koi. Which implements a high possibility he is feeding his Koi fish pellet sticks. Which is what ‘most’ Koi owners use as a staple diet. And probably does not have any experience in feeding frozen cubed foods. You shouldn’t be attacking someone for their lack of understanding. I am almost certain that he knows more about Koi than you ever will.
Just to be direct, what purpose does the gelatin serve? If you put it in they freezer right away you should have to add that right? I have seen it a few places about using gelatin in diy fish foods.
Also how do you “serve” it to them? I was thinking freezing it. Then taking a cheese grater and grating it into smaller pieces. But i could be wrong.
I am trying to do research on this right now so I can be ready when I get my fish next month.
I’ve been feeding my fish my own poo poo for seven generation! Everyone hates the smell except for me and my fish! He is my only friend now.
I used to have some Oscars that I feed minced Beef heart and froze it in ice cubes, so I had a supply ready to feed, I used to take a couple of cube out and place then on the hood of the tank to de-frost, the fish could smell it and used to bang on the hood to get to it, and when it was nice and soft i hand fed them they grow very large and breed the tank was never the same from day to day but they were very health and well looked after, so anything that’s been frozen needs to be de-frosted before feeding