How to make homemade MUSH!

[lcstorc]

Really any seafood would be good. The size seems to matter most with my fish. I have a variety of fish and the big fish eat the big pieced or the clowns feed them to the anemone. The small fish get the small pieces. Since there is more small than big in my mush it is very amusing to watch my tangs cruise through the water with an open mouth to catch the little pieces. Kind of reminds me of those whales.
The one thing I have noticed with my mush is that everybody even the tangs ignore the nori. If I put the nori on a clip they go nuts but in the mush they ignore it. The next batch will not have it.
Also it is my understanding that the PE Mysis is freshwater mysis. The Hikari and other smaller mysis are the saltwater variety. I certainly could be wrong and can't seem to find a local supply of Hikari so I have to order it.

 

[urville]

I see!

Yes, it is fresh and I didnt know that till I got it home. I didnt even know there were fresh mysis. In colorado, which is where I have to go for anything, they act like your obviously smoking turpentine if you dont use PE mysis, lol.

They love it as much as the saltwater but cant fit it, if I throw it in the chopper for more than a half spin it's too small. My only small fish is a black ray shrimp goby, one of thier 8000 names, and he looks small but has a dumptruck for a mouth so... I just feel like the other mysis was better over all.

Is there any benefit to having spirulina brine shrimp over any other kind?

Essentially though, I should think more varied seafood, than say adding coral frenzy or the flake. Honestly I just wanted to be rid of the flake, lol. I was under the impression the frenzy would add certain things regular seafood wouldnt...

My biggest issue is my complete ignorance on the use of blenders. anything i've ever needed from a blender had to be as finely chopped as possible. Tiny shards. So I am reluctant as to fear when it comes to trying to chop to obtain both mid size and small but not too fine. Any lessons for someone who just hasnt had enough logged blender hours?

 

[DAHansen]

The seafood store already laughs when I want 6 mussled and 1/4 lb of this or that. I end up telling them what I am doing it for and after the initial crazy look they help me with what is freshest etc.

Lynn,

You think they look at you funny for that - I've ordered "1 scallop, 1 shrimp, etc..." in the shellfish section, and they were not at all amused - until I told them what it was for.

For Hikari products have you tried PetCo and/or Petsmart? I can't remember which one of those near me has them, but I know one of them do. May be different in your area, but it's worth a shot.

 

[Woodstock]

Ha! I found your secret Doni! I have skipped over this thread a few times, and decided I would jump in and take a look. I would guess your recipe has something to do with your successful spawns!

Jason

Healthy mommy = healthy babies

 

[lcstorc]

Never thought to try there. I can check tomorrow. I have one of them nearby but never go there.
I thought the PE Mysis was wonderful until somebody (either Matt or Lee) explained the difference.
Two things though. My fish eat suprisingly large or small pieces of food. I have a yellow clown goby (very tiny fish) that will eat PE Mysis without a problem. It is very fun to watch. I also have tangs that swim through the water with their mouth open grabbing tiny tiny specs of food in the water.
When you put stuff in the blender generally you turn it on and off quickly or use the pulse mode if it has one. Put the tougher or bigger stuff in first and then add the smaller ingredients. I use everything from fish filets to frozen cyclopeze.

 

[smartdog126]

nice idea

 

[nikkipigtails]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I started feeding my clowns my homemade mush and in less than a week their color has already changed. The orange is much darker and the white stripes are almost neon, if that's possible. My shrimps also come, literally, flying out from the rocks to get their little claws on some.

 

[sambrinar]

I started giving mine the mush this week, an O clown and wheeler watchman, it is so funny to see the clown take the chunk of froozen goodies and swim off with it. like a dog with a treat. he is such a little piggy. of coarse he always thinks he is starving!!

 

[JWarren]

Good job Lady's! Your fishes attitude will change as well. They will start to do circus tricks in no time!

 

[Varga]

one question: since you guys are making the mush in the blender, doesnt the final product just cloud the water, is it big enough for bigger fish?

 

[JWarren]

Blenders are tough to use. You must pulse then stir, pulse then stir, etc...

Food processors are easy to work with and give a bit more consistancy by design.

You gotta guage what you will be feeding and make the food accordingly. I do notice how some of the softies in the 55 will get huge from taking in some of the small particulates of the food. I'm sure they benefit as well.

 

[nikkipigtails]

one question: since you guys are making the mush in the blender, doesnt the final product just cloud the water, is it big enough for bigger fish?

I made mine a little finer because we only have small fish. I did make one batch a bit chunkier though for Moby. Some of it does cloud the water because it's too fiine, but my corals seem to like it.

 

[Woodstock]

Using a gel-binder (gelatin or agar-agar) will keep it from clouding the water and will keep the food together to allow the fish to eat it one bite at a time.
However, as Niki mentioned, the corals do enjoy the finer/small parts of the mush.

 

[urville]

Thats what I was thinking, a variety of food!

My fish just dont go after the PE mysis like they did the sallys.

We are going to try a fish steak of salmon, raw mixed seafood, squid and whatnot, brine shrimp, mysis, bloodworms, and selcon and garlic guard. I may still put in the prime reef flake... I read an RK article where flake was used, I also have some formula one.. I never use them frozen or buy them anymore because they all have gel binder... My fish wont touch anything with that stuff in it.

 

[Varga]

I think I;m going to make me some Tilapia fillet tonight....for me....screw the fish

 

[nikkipigtails]

Thats what I was thinking, a variety of food!

My fish just dont go after the PE mysis like they did the sallys.

We are going to try a fish steak of salmon, raw mixed seafood, squid and whatnot, brine shrimp, mysis, bloodworms, and selcon and garlic guard. I may still put in the prime reef flake... I read an RK article where flake was used, I also have some formula one.. I never use them frozen or buy them anymore because they all have gel binder... My fish wont touch anything with that stuff in it.

I use frozen Prime Reef without a gel binder as the base for my mush. It's got a LOT of vitamins and other stuff that are awesome. I added some Formula One to my mush too along with some seaweed but I soaked it in RO water first.

 

[sambrinar]

I just thew it in the blender, my fish are small, doesn't seem to cloud the water.

Question though, why do you soak your flaked food in RO first, what does that do?

 

[Woodstock]

I just thew it in the blender, my fish are small, doesn't seem to cloud the water.

Question though, why do you soak your flaked food in RO first, what does that do?

Most processed foods and even fresh seafood from the market is loaded with phosphates. Soaking all food in ro/di water prior to feeding/blending helps to remove a lot of excess po4. The ro/di water is so 'clean' that it very effectively pulls po4 out of the foods. The idea is to keep the po4 levels as low as possible in your aquarium.

Do you have a phosphate test kit? A fun experiement is to test a sample of your tank water; then test it again but the second time add a few flakes of fish food. The results of the second test will be MUCH higher than the first.

 

[urville]

ah i see! I cant find prime anymore with out the gel!

I'll have to try that as I cant seem to get any phosphate reading at all... your supposed to get light yellow green through blue and i get full on yellow

 

[sambrinar]

Most processed foods and even fresh seafood from the market is loaded with phosphates. Soaking all food in ro/di water prior to feeding/blending helps to remove a lot of excess po4. The ro/di water is so 'clean' that it very effectively pulls po4 out of the foods. The idea is to keep the po4 levels as low as possible in your aquarium.

Do you have a phosphate test kit? A fun experiement is to test a sample of your tank water; then test it again but the second time add a few flakes of fish food. The results of the second test will be MUCH higher than the first.

OOHHHHH, I soaked the frozen, but didn't the flakes, hence being unaware about the phosphate in the flakes. very interesting, good to know.

I do have a test kit (AEI?? something like that), I'll check it out Thanks