Gel food for carnivores

[Hendre]

Hi everyone,

Making your own gelatin food is pretty great for fish. My goldfish loved their veggie food back in the day, but that food is pretty old by now. I am looking to make a gel mix for my polypterus as pellets are fairly expensive. For this time round I'm looking at making a mix specifically for them but am wondering what everyone feeds, I would like to use:

• Fish - Likely hake and maybe a little herring for some oil
• Some shelled prawn
• Veggies - Need some reccomendations here
• Multivitamin tablets
• Gelatin of course

What ingredients can you guys recommend or what do you feed your fish otherwise? Thanks guys!

 

[RD.]

IMO gel foods are far from ideal for carnivores due to the fact that the vast majority of what they will be eating, will be water, which is a non nutrient. So in order to make up for the lack of density in the nutrients, you need to feed a lot more, compared to dry foods, such as pellets. Again, IMO this type of feeding is rather hit & miss as far as nutrients go. The only thing I will add is that fish don't typically eat terrestrial based plant matter such as peas etc., nor would I feed them due to the anti-nutritional matter found in those foods. Your polys would be best served with a small addition of some form of aquatic plant matter.

 

[squint]

If the natural diet is aquatic fish and invertebrates their water content is probably 60-70%, in the same range as gel diets.

 

[Hendre]

What would you recommend in that aspect then? I am aware of the lower density, this is intended as a supplement to their diet, not a staple.

 

[RD.]

If the natural diet is aquatic fish and invertebrates their water content is probably 60-70%, in the same range as gel diets.

Correct, but his fish aren't in their natural environment, they are in a glass box, and as such live under those limitations. IMO gel foods are typically created willy-nilly, with the creator having no idea what the net nutrient content is. I have asked in the past what the vitamin content (pick one?) is in a home made gel food, and have yet to have anyone be able to answer that single simple question.

What would you recommend in that aspect then? I am aware of the lower density, this is intended as a supplement to their diet, not a staple.

Whole, freshly thawed fish.

 

[squint]

Correct, but his fish aren't in their natural environment, they are in a glass box, and as such live under those limitations. IMO gel foods are typically created willy-nilly, with the creator having no idea what the net nutrient content is. I have asked in the past what the vitamin content (pick one?) is in a home made gel food, and have yet to have anyone be able to answer that single simple question.

If the food has 60% water just feed more of it. You're not limited to feeding a certain volume or mass.

It's probably less likely to cause bloat or digestive issues and is more palatable.

I was thinking the same thing about the nutritional content of DIY foods. Unless you have detailed information on all the raw ingredients, you have no idea what's in the final product.

 

[Hendre]

Well yeah nutritional information is sparse for gel foods. Maybe then this will just be a mixture of seafood, paprika and a multivitamin. I can add some powdered EPA food with it as well.

 

[RD.]

If the food has 60% water just feed more of it. You're not limited to feeding a certain volume or mass.

For sure, I never said that one couldn't feed more. But most people don't even consider this. They equate volume with nutrition, using an ounce per ounce type of formula. It obviously isn't that simplistic.

It's probably less likely to cause bloat or digestive issues and is more palatable.

I have been feeding pellets for decades, never had a fish get bloat, or have digestive issues, even when keeping some of the most bloat prone fish on the planet.

The key is feeding a high quality, easily digestible, nutrient dense feed, at reasonable levels, and most importantly, keeping ones fish in a stress free environment. I made a post about this topic several yrs ago, that was later made into a sticky.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/bloat-causes-cures-and-big-myths.456034/

But yes, soft foods are I assume typically more palatable vs dry. Although this doesn't sound like an issue with Hendre's fish, he's simply attempting to save money.

I was thinking the same thing about the nutritional content of DIY foods. Unless you have detailed information on all the raw ingredients, you have no idea what's in the final product.

Even with detailed information on the nutrient quantity etc, one has to then sit down and calculate inclusion rates etc, and then crunch all the numbers. Next to impossible for the average hobbyist, at least I have never seen it done.

 

[squint]

Well yeah nutritional information is sparse for gel foods. Maybe then this will just be a mixture of seafood, paprika and a multivitamin. I can add some powdered EPA food with it as well.

Mazuri | Mazuri® Exotic Animal Nutrition

Mazuri

www.mazuri.com

Mazuri has very detailed nutritional information (download the product sheet PDF).

Quite a variety of gel foods as well as affordable bulk dry diets.

They usually have 10% off on Halloween.

 

[Canoeist]

I "cooked" about 3 gallons of mazuri every week when taking care of some large marine tanks for a restaurant chain. Just like making Jello. Spread it on a baking sheet to cool. Cut and weigh portions for the week.