Food help for a beginner!

[kazkirk]

ok, I have got the stamp of approval on my water conditions, the tank is set up and being a well behaved and stable tank (thanks to my old filters and old tank water helping out) and now I need to learn about food!

Basically, teach me!

Also,I have a 154g bottle of ocean nutrition community formula sitting in front of me, should I return it and pick up a discus formula, or can they eat this too (not as a main source of food of course, but as part of their diet). Speaking of which, what do you think of ocean nutrition in regards to quality. (once again, not question marks for me)

I cook food for my dogs, plus they get regular dry kibble, Im assuming fish are like the same, a bit of both worlds.

Im open to any and all advice, plus Im reading old threads. Teach away!

[axelfaz]

Hi mate and welcome a varied diet is what you are looking for. I feed frozen bloodworm, brime shrimp, bh and discus bits by sera and sometimes nori. I hope this helps

[Merrilyn]

I have it on good authority that the Asian breeders feed a mainly beefheart diet, mixed with minced fresh vegetables. The whole lot is mixed together and frozen till needed.

Growing discus need a high protein diet with some vegetable matter, so you can use frozen beefheart, brine shrimp, bloodworms, minced white fish fillet and shrimp.

I like to fed a variety of all of the above to my fish, plus some commercial granule food, like tetra bits for discus, just to make sure they are getting all the added vitamins and minerals in their diet.

I don't feed any live blackworms any more. I believe they carry gill flukes. Freeze dried or frozen is much better, and in my opinion, safer.

I'm not familiar with the brand of food you mention. If you are able to swap it for discus granules, I think that would be best.

[kazkirk]

Thanks!
Do you know where I can get some good recipes to make up food in bulk and freeze it
How do you feed the frozen stuff, defrost it or just frozen shavings (enter question mark here!)

[mistakes r crucial]

Kazkirk,

This is what I use in my beefheart mix.

1Kg Beefheart (I buy it already deveined and diced = very little/no fat)
1kg White fresh water fish fillet
1kg Green Banana Prawns
500gram tinned Tuna
small tin sardines (threw them in for good luck last batch)
.5kg WA Pilchards
1 can of Pears
3 Bananas
3 Zucchinis
1 large bunch English Spinnach
2 table spoons minced garlic
2 table spoons Paprika
2 double handfuls of Spirulina flake or crushed up tabs (tabs r a pain in the a*s)
2 table spoons Childrens Pentavite Multi Vitamins
4 table spoons wheatgerm
1 pack of Gelatin

I simply wizz the ingredients up and put them all in a very big saucepan and mix them all together. Boil the jug and empty Gelatin into a suitable container and pour about half a litre of water over it and stir. Pour Gelatin into BH mix and stir really well. I then put it in the fridge for an hour or two (much to the wife's disgust) and when ready spoon it out into very large zip lock plastic bags, get the rolling pin and roll it flat (15ml thick) and then lay it as flat as you can in the freezer. Try and get it so that it does lie very flat otherwise it comes out all shapes and sizes which makes it more difficult to cut up and use.

I cut up the BH into little squares whilst frozen and feed it. I used to wizz it but it puts too much mix in the sump via the outlets and gives you ammonia spikes. Don't leave uneaten BH mix in the tanks all day otherwise you'll get the same.

I feed my fish this mix once or twice a day and the other feeds are either frozen blood worm or prawn starter aquaculture dry food which has astaxanthrin as a natural colour enhancer and is high in protein.
HTH MAC

[ctvu]

Thanks a lot for sharing your recipe.

ctvu

[kazkirk]

thanks for the recipe!

I do have a question though, what do discus eat in the wild. Im assuming its not beefheart and english spinnach. Why beefheart in particular, instead of say, beef loin!

Thanks again,
Karen

[Trebs]

Cheap and low(er) in fat. Can't have them eating better than I do either.

[Merrilyn]

Karen, in the wild, they have a mainly meat diet. Small aquatic bugs, insect lavae, small fish, mossie wrigglers, worms and any insect that happens to fall on the water.

Beef heart is a cheap, readily available form of first class protein, with very little fat. Fish cannot digest animal fat. :)

[kazkirk]

Fish cannot digest animal fat.

Thats what Im wondering with eating beef. Its not the healthiest thing for humans, so I was pretty sure it doesnt make fish bellies very happy!

[dreamer]

i have heard many good comments regarding ocean nutrition flake f1 but they are not available in oz so cant comment bout it myself :)

[mistakes r crucial]

It's up to us all as individuals but Discus need protein in large amounts and beefheart is a great source but at the same time is very low in fat. Beef is not bad for humans, animal fat in large amounts is. Eat lean cuts of meat and there's no problem but vegetarians wouldn't agree. If its good enough for the best breeders of Discus in the world then it's good enough for me fullstop. Some disagree and I wish them all the best.
MAC

[kazkirk]

I went wild at the petstore and got
bloodworms
shrimp
colorbits
ocean nutrition formula I
and brine shrimp.

I chose the flakes based on the protein content, everything was about 50%. Ill pick up some beefheart when I feel like dealing with disgustingness. Yeck. (and to think I poke eyes out of dead people for a paycheck, beef heart still gives me the heeby jeebies)

So, how about the Jack Wattley Frozen formula, is that worth the money so that I dont have to deal with icky bits, or should I just grow up.

Thanks,
karen

[Merrilyn]

LOL Karen, if you can't cope with cutting up and mincing beef heart, just stick with the prepared Wattley foods. They will have everything in them.

Sounds like your little fishies are going to have a banquet :wink:

[Proteus]

The heart has little if any fat at all in it (basically it is muscle).