First Discus, First Time Homemade Food - Ha! Looking For Feedback

Hi!

Looking for feedback on my recipe I kinda put together reading through many others. I do not think I have a store with beef heart around here (at least I have never seen it) so I was looking at ground turkey since you can get it 99% lean.

I wussed out and cooked it (spread it out in a pan and added water to not let it brown and just heat it through, then drained it) way to weird about poultry to have raw turkey around and in my water

Ingredients:
8oz 'braised' (lol) 99% lean ground turkey
8oz raw shrimp
8oz raw cod filet (skinned, wild, only the best lol)
3oz frozen peas
2oz frozen spinish
small handful of Cobalt Spirilina flake
big handful of Cobalt discus flake
1oz Al's blackworm/beef heart pellets (crushed)
Maybe..a tablesppon of whole grain oat flour
~1.5 caps of Seachem GarlicGaurd

Processed this all in a food processor (meat separate from veg, then combined) into not quite a paste, a chunky paste, very small chunks tho, I only have 3" discus

They have snubbed basically everything (got them last Friday from Hans) except frozen bloodworms and they were a little wary of the chunk I tossed in at first (just threw in right after making it not frozen) but once one pecked at it they attacked it. I put way to much in so I pulled out the chunk that was still left after a few minutes (some were still eating
).

It made a bit of a mess but much better than I expected actually! It is STICKY, flattened it out in parchment paper to freeze...

Anyways, would love to hear thoughts on the recipe and methods of combining!!!


Thanks!

---I am officially hooked on discus

 

Sounds like a success. Usually you have to go to a butcher for beef heart

 

I thought beef heart was bad for fish? Anyways, I may be wrong, but the only meat I feed my fish are "seameat" I don't give them any other animals.
You definitely nailed it, my homemade fish food is poop compared to yours, here is what I am currently feeding my fish:

One tilapia fillet
A bunch of peas (
A bunch of spinach
A bunch of carrot
Fresh garlic

As you can see I am not that exact with my food lol. The only thing I make sure is that there is more meat than veggies.
Your fish look like they are having the meal of their life. I would recommend you to feed some commercial foods every now and then tho this will make sure your discus will not become finnicky and only eat your homemade delicatessens!

 

I thought beef heart was bad for fish? Anyways, I may be wrong, but the only meat I feed my fish are "seameat" I don't give them any other animals.
You definitely nailed it, my homemade fish food is poop compared to yours, here is what I am currently feeding my fish:

One tilapia fillet
A bunch of peas (
A bunch of spinach
A bunch of carrot
Fresh garlic

The only thing I make sure is that there is more meat than veggies.
Your fish look like they are having the meal of their life. I would recommend you to feed some commercial foods every now and then tho this will make sure your discus will not become finnicky and only eat your homemade delicatessens!

Thanks haha, they are spoiled that's for sure, but these are my first discus and I am REALLY trying to not screw anything up. Hans handed them over perfect so if they get messed up its my fault.

Regarding the beefheart you are right, however it is very commonly used to grow discus quickly because of the high protein and vitamin content. I have not messed with it but you trim ALL the fat, because that is the issue, the mammal fat, fish can't really digest it correctly and it ends up giving them a fatty liver. If you are willing to trim it well and don't feed ONLY it I can see it being OK. My turkey really isn't 'the best' either since its still has a tiny but of warm blooded animal fat in it, next time I think I will just go with fish, it really wasn't that much cheaper per lb.

 

I feed frozen beef heart to my dragon goby at least once a week. I figure with him he needs the extra protein because of how is more of a scavenger than anything....that and pure size.

 

Mmm, I'm no fish specialist but I thought you could damage your fish liver if you gave too much protein.
I don't know really, I am not a Discus expert, but I know there is a lot of stuff going around, for example, feeding beef heart, others do daily water changes the first year for it to grow better but I have never seen scientific studies to backup my thoughts nor their thoughts sooo.. everything is just confusing to me.

 

Mmm, I'm no fish specialist but I thought you could damage your fish liver if you gave too much protein.
I don't know really, I am not a Discus expert, but I know there is a lot of stuff going around, for example, feeding beef heart, others do daily water changes the first year for it to grow better but I have never seen scientific studies to backup my thoughts nor their thoughts sooo.. everything is just confusing to me.

It really depends on the fish, if I game my discus diet to my mbuna cichlids they would not last long. Discus require much more protein than most other fish, they are classified as carnivores even not omnivorous

 

Anyone know if I screwed up by not peeling the peas? I left the skins on

 

I would think the blender would have ground them to bite size pieces.

 

Lol!
I don't think nothing bad will happen. I was lazy this time and just blended everything, including the peas with the skins on and all my fish are pooping and acting normally.

 

Good job with the homemade discus feed, Bizarro252. I haven't made my own and doubt I will as I feed mainly frozen beef-heart and freeze-dried black-worms. I don't want to be cutting up that! Yuck!

 

Hi!

Looking for feedback on my recipe I kinda put together reading through many others. I do not think I have a store with beef heart around here (at least I have never seen it) so I was looking at ground turkey since you can get it 99% lean.

I wussed out and cooked it (spread it out in a pan and added water to not let it brown and just heat it through, then drained it) way to weird about poultry to have raw turkey around and in my water

Ingredients:
8oz 'braised' (lol) 99% lean ground turkey
8oz raw shrimp
8oz raw cod filet (skinned, wild, only the best lol)
3oz frozen peas
2oz frozen spinish
small handful of Cobalt Spirilina flake
big handful of Cobalt discus flake
1oz Al's blackworm/beef heart pellets (crushed)
Maybe..a tablesppon of whole grain oat flour
~1.5 caps of Seachem GarlicGaurd

Processed this all in a food processor (meat separate from veg, then combined) into not quite a paste, a chunky paste, very small chunks tho, I only have 3" discus

They have snubbed basically everything (got them last Friday from Hans) except frozen bloodworms and they were a little wary of the chunk I tossed in at first (just threw in right after making it not frozen) but once one pecked at it they attacked it. I put way to much in so I pulled out the chunk that was still left after a few minutes (some were still eating
).

It made a bit of a mess but much better than I expected actually! It is STICKY, flattened it out in parchment paper to freeze...

Anyways, would love to hear thoughts on the recipe and methods of combining!!!


Thanks!

---I am officially hooked on discus

How are the babies taking to your mix? Are they eating it heartily now?

 

Seems like it, I started cutting the cubes in half and feeding it over 10 min or so, having less food all at once seems to make them attack it more vigorously Last night there was barely any left.

They like frozen blood worms the best though, the cube will not even make it to the bottom of the tank before they are done with it lol.

I also have an auto feeder that dumps in a mix of flakes, pellets, and freeze dried blackworms during the day to give them something when I am away - excited to see them grow! Their color is really coming back! Looks like you have already seen the latest pics
First Discus Have Arrived!

 

I have seen the pics and I am enjoying seeing their progress. They are doing so well...They do love blood-worms don't they, it is fish crack! I feed blood-worms to my sub-adults rarely - maybe 1-2x a week... The reason being is that I use it as the last resort if they aren't eating anything else due to illness. The blood-worms are often irresistible to the fish even if not feeling well. If you feed them frequently they are not as apt to eat them. *** Not saying you are feeding them too much or that it is something you should do*** it is just a thought...

 

Ya I have been backing off just to make sure they are not holding out on me to get 'the good stuff' lol. I think I will reduce them anyways after reading more about the allergies many have from them, and how many that were not allergic developed allergies after a lot of contact with them I got the freeze dried blackworms in loose form from Al on Simply, I have some coming in cube form as well and hoping they take to those as much as they like bloodworms - I think they are better for them anyways

 

Blood-worms do work good as an occasional treat.. or when they stop eating and you need to give them medication for internal problems- Like for Hematita (Metro). I have heard some get allergies from them... I seem immune .

 

My homemade food (not for discus though)
frozen bloodworms
frozen daphnia
freeze dried tubifex
boiled egg
seaweed
boiled peas
boiled carrot
boiled Satsuma or orange
garlic
boiled broccoli
Boiled bell peppers
soaked pellets, flakes and algae wafers

 

Now those are some happy fish. BottomDweller!! You should start a cook book for aquarists and call it "Bon Appetite Aquaria." I will be your first buyer.

Ps: my discus thank you in advance.

 

I like the egg idea, the white especially is probably pretty good as a lean protein. Whats with the orange though? Is that for smell or vitamin c? Curious

 

Thanks Discusluv! I also add whatever weird and wonderful fruit and veg I have in my fridge/cupboard on the day

 

I like the egg idea, the white especially is probably pretty good as a lean protein. Whats with the orange though? Is that for smell or vitamin c? Curious

Orange is for vitamin c. Adding vitamin c is meant to help prevent illness and help any sick fish fight disease.

 

Orange is for vitamin c. Adding vitamin c is meant to help prevent illness and help any sick fish fight disease.

OK cool, do you add chunks or juice? I was thinking about adding some citric acid (or just crushed up chewable vitamin C, depending on what else they put in those tablets...) next time. For now the vitamins in my mix are really only coming from the pellets and flakes I added so I kinda want to up it. I know a lot of folks add multivitamins to their homemade foods, but personally I think you could OD on something (like iron or whatever some of the others are that you can OD on in humans...Vitamin A maybe? Cant remember, I know Iron is one you can OD on...

 

OK cool, do you add chunks or juice? I was thinking about adding some citric acid (or just crushed up chewable vitamin C, depending on what else they put in those tablets...) next time. For now the vitamins in my mix are really only coming from the pellets and flakes I added so I kinda want to up it. I know a lot of folks add multivitamins to their homemade foods, but personally I think you could OD on something (like iron or whatever some of the others are that you can OD on in humans...Vitamin A maybe? Cant remember, I know Iron is one you can OD on...

I just use chopped up chunks of orange.
I don't add vitamins just because we don't have them in the house. I think that by adding lots of different fruits and vegetables along with some flakes and pellets you probably get a wide range of vitamins naturally. I still feed all my fish pellets some days just to make sure they are being fed everything they need. Variety is key!

 

Your fish sound just as spoiled as mine

 

Your fish sound just as spoiled as mine

I would never spoil my fish or any of my animals (!) I definitely don't pamper them or spend all my money on new plants or filters or tanks and I definitely don't make my guinea pigs warm soup in the winter and my pets are definitely not the only things I think about. Ohops:, maybe I do spoil them a little