Hillstream Feeding Frenzy

[Martin Thoene]

My hillies are getting to really love my last batch of home-made frozen food. They go nuts for it. Here's a multi-species food-fest going on.....



Martin.

[piggy4]

Whoa . another wonderful shot Martin !well done .

[Graeme Robson]

Cool mixture picture!

[jk]

That is an awesome picture. I had never seen Hillstreams until recently on this site. Yours are very beautiful and interesting. I like the way they blend into the aquascape.
Do you find them very difficult to keep?
Would you say some might fit in with a some Clowns and Silver Dollars?

[Martin Thoene]

Hillstreams are not difficult to keep if given the right conditions. You'll find what they need and why here:

http://www.loaches.com/articles/hillstr ... -fast-lane

They would not be compatible with Clowns and Silver Dollars.

Martin.

[Jim Powers]

Cool pic!! Do I see six species?
By the way, does this frozen food stay together in the water?

[Martin Thoene]

Yes 6 Jim.

It stays together to the point when once thawed it will sink as a lump. Once they get into it though it gets broken up. They go insane for it and my histrionica and a couple of Clowns will take it from my hand. Something they won't do with other foods.

Sorry...crappy picture.....



Martin.

[pedzola]

Martin I remember you detailing the recipe for this food somewhere, but can't find it. Could you either provide a link or re-cap for us?

Thanks

[Martin Thoene]

I have searched everywhere and can't find the thread. I'm wondering if it was a thread started by someone else?

Anyhow, the ingredients were mostly bought from a Thai supermarket and cheap. The quantities are enough to produce 7 10" x 10" Ziploc bags full of food at around 1/4" to 3/8" thick:

2 small trays of cocktail shrimp (prawns)
1 tray of snail flesh (these are Vietnamese, the original thread had the name)
1 banana
1 small can of V8 juice
1 small bag of frozen Spinach
1 small tray of beef Liver
1 clove of Garlic.
Gelatine powder to set mixture

(I think that's it)

All ingredients are cut up then put in a blender. Mix together, then cook gently to coagulate the liver content or it won't set and will easily foul the aquarium water.
Adding the right amount of gelatine is a trial and error thing. I generally add far more than the instructions on the packet say. You want the food to stay together in the water.

I find that 3 to 4 big serving spoonsful are the right amount for a large Ziploc bag. Spread the food through the bag evenly on a flat surface, then zip it closed. Leave bags to cool then place on a flat sheet to support them and pop into the freezer.

Once frozen, they can be stored vertically and take up minimal freezer space. The last lot I made cost me around CDN$14. Compared to $24 for a single big flat of Bloodworm it's very economical.
Everything eats it avidly. It gives a good balance of meat, fish, veg and fruit. I break off bits, hold it under water till it thaws then let it go. The fish find it really quickly because I think it smells fairly strong to them.

Martin.

[pedzola]

Thanks!!!

Wait... snail flesh? eek.

hmmmm... and... this gelatin stuff.. is it bad for the fish? I feel like feeding some sort of sticky jello to fish can't be healthy?

[Martin Thoene]

Yeah snail flesh. Liquidized snail flesh in a blender is not for the faint of heart
This last batch is the first time I've used snail, liver or garlic in the mix, but the fish go crazy for it. Beef liver has of course been used in home-made fish foods for years by countless people.

Gelatin (also gelatine, from French gélatine) is a translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, which is created by prolonged boiling of connective tissue such as skin, cartilage, and bones obtained from the animal processing industry. It has been commonly used in food, pharmaceutical, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. Gelatin is also known as E number E441.

I got the original recipe from TFH magazine years ago. The guy who's article it appeared in fed all his fish on it. I've used it for years without any issues. Gelatine is a natural substance.

Martin.

[pedzola]

Another question - when you say "cook gently" how exactly are you accomplishing that?

Put it in a shallow baking sheet in the oven or something? Sounds like it shoudl be liquidy before putting it into bags for the freezer?

Maybe just cook the liver first?

[Martin Thoene]

I threw everything into a saucepan and cooked it on low heat, stirring occasionally, till the mix changed color from reddish to grayish.....you know the way liver changes color when you cook it?

If your mix looks too thick you can add a little water. You need something like the consistency of porridge.

Martin.

[Mark in Vancouver]

Gelatine is a natural substance.

If by natural you mean rendered hooves. It's interesting that they don't object to the garlic - and I wonder why it would be added?

[Setsuna]

It's interesting that they don't object to the garlic - and I wonder why it would be added?

I'm not sure if the garlic would have a similar effect on loaches, but its fed to most other animals (dogs, poultry, rabbits etc) to help prevent internal and external parasites.

And if you get a cold, best thing to do is to chew on a raw clove of garlic. Tastes lovely and it clears your sinuses.