# Making Your Own Dry Food?



## defiesexistence (Sep 13, 2010)

People make frozen, or they feed live food, but could you use a recipe for frozen fish food, and bake it or somehow make it into dry food? Could you dehydrate it?

Just wondering because it'd be convenient, healthier than the stuff you buy in the LFS, and baking it at a high temperature would ensure no parasites were transferred from a questionable food source into your fish and tank system.


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## Ash Fairless (Mar 31, 2011)

I'd guess you'd have to buy a food dehydrator for that, which, would like $50 or so.

But hey, you could make dry food for your fish AND jerky for yourself!


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Check the DIY forum. There's a thread in there on DIY food.


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

defiesexistence said:


> Just wondering because it'd be convenient, healthier than the stuff you buy in the LFS, and baking it at a high temperature would ensure no parasites were transferred from a questionable food source into your fish and tank system.


Making dried fish food would not make healthier stuff than you can buy. Bake at a high enough temperature and there will be no nutrition left in the food. 
Commercial flake, from a reputable manufacturer - not just an importer of pounds of flake - is thoroughly tested for nutrition and shelf stability. The ingredients are blended on commercial equipment that can mix more precisely than any home equipment. It is freeze dried on equipment that can be controlled precisely, to maintain consistency. 

An off the shelf dehydrator won't even pull all the moisture out of fruit, never mind oily seafood.

If you want to make your own foods, stick to recipes from trusted sources - for frozen concoctions, unless you are an aquatic nutritionist.


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## defiesexistence (Sep 13, 2010)

Ash Fairless: I was just told that an oven can be used to dehydrate. Not sure if it's true or not, but there's one way to find out.

Mistergreen: I checked out the thread started by fishykid1 -hope that's the one you meant?- and it looks awesome. Thank you!! There may be no dry food for these fishlets.

Dbosman: With all due respect, homemade _would_ be healthier. People often don't know where or what ingredients come from, or the quality, when they buy premade. If you made your own fish food, you'd know _exactly_ what's in it, and it won't be soy, or misc. fish parts. Nor is commercial equipment as precise or the operators as careful in following procedure as we'd like to think. I'll apologize now if I'm ruffling feathers... So now I'm planning on maybe quickly _boiling_ the more questionable ingredients, then mixing those in (thanks for the correction, from my OP it seemed as of I was going to bake the whole shebang, instead of select ing's. Scratched the baking idea anyhow). Baking _could_ be used only for dehydration now, but we'll see. My planning is getting revised, sanded down, and polished, and you're helping a great deal, so thank you!


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

There's another thread but with pictures. I made some as well.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/113975-diy-fish-food.html

Most people freeze their food but I tried drying mine with my convection oven set to dry. It worked pretty well. Make sure to put the food on plastic wrap so you can remove it easily.


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## defiesexistence (Sep 13, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> There's another thread but with pictures. I made some as well.
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/113975-diy-fish-food.html
> 
> Most people freeze their food but I tried drying mine with my convection oven set to dry. It worked pretty well. Make sure to put the food on plastic wrap so you can remove it easily.


Thank you for the link! I will pull some tricks from that.
Could I use wax paper instead of plastic wrap?


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Parchment paper would be better. The wax might wind up in the food.


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## defiesexistence (Sep 13, 2010)

Sounds good, thank you! :fish:


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## kritikavista (Dec 15, 2011)

Yes you can make dry fish food yourself pretty easy using meat grinder. 
Just saw this article if you wanna have a look: 
http://boboy.net/2011/06/diy-dried-fish-food-fish-pellets/
I will also want to try myself.


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## kritikavista (Dec 15, 2011)

Sorry, this is the correct link:
http://boboy.net/2011/06/diy-dry-fish-food-fish-pellets/


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

I make gel food for my goldfish, I'm sure you can do something similar for other fish, you just need to know what to put in it! I freeze it when it's done and package it in weekly baggies, when I need more I take out a bag and put it in then fridge.


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## defiesexistence (Sep 13, 2010)

Whoa, revival! And thanks for necromancing it :icon_wink I may have to try experimenting with this, using more plant protein than fish meal. Bookmarked. Wonder if you could use a pasta press attachment?


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

Possible, heres the site that i get my goldie food from. Its broken down for goldfish nutrion through, but it gives you a good idea of what is needs portion wise for gel food.

http://thegab.org/Goldfish/gelfoodrecipes.html


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## defiesexistence (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks Jasmine. Used to know every nook and cranny of the gab, but never stumbled on that page.


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## xjasminex (Jul 26, 2011)

I have done hours of research there! I love it!


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