Anyone ever tried to make their own fish food?

[TheSwissAquarist]

Just wondering, because high fish food prices at my LFS suck!

Hope this is helpful

[TOtrees]

Does bbs and daphnia count? 🙂

No, I’ve never made my own fish food. Are you able to consider buying larger packages to reduce the daily or weekly cost, and store the excess in a freezer? I hope your new job gets you some sort of employee discount. 🙂

For myself, the only time I buy small packages of food is if I’m trying something new. Once I’ve decided I like it (the kids like it) I generally target the midsized packaging — not so big that I’ll have it for a couple of years, but big enough that some economy of scale is baked into the price. 

When I maintained a snail farm, I did make my own snail food. but it’s worth noting that by dry weight, fish food is one of the main ingredients. also, snails eat lower down the food chain the most fish, so it’s easier to make food for them using home ingredients like veggies. Where as fish will need more protein if you’re making food for them, and that will affect the smell when you make it, and shelf life as well.

But if it’s something you’re interested in, I’d go to YouTube, watch a boatload of videos that align with your interests (ie the creators keep fish like yours, and use ingredients that appeal to you and are available, etc), find something that will work for you, and give it a go.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 10/29/2022 at 3:30 PM, TOtrees said:

hope your new job gets you some sort of employee discount.

Fat chance! I’d be pushing the limits of the manager’s tolerance if I asked (already told him that medication is better than just culling, most of the time I medicate the fish at my place because they have a 50% discount if they’re sick 😢) 

 

On 10/29/2022 at 3:30 PM, TOtrees said:

But if it’s something you’re interested in, I’d go to YouTube, watch a boatload of videos that align with your interests (ie the creators keep fish like yours, and use ingredients that appeal to you and are available, etc), find something that will work for you, and give it a go.

Will do!

[Anjum]

I've considered it, not so much for saving money, but to be in more control of the ingredients. IMO, there's a lot of fillers in commercial foods (dog & cat too) that the animal doesn't necessarily need, it's just there to hold the food together in a flake or pellet or kibble form. And it provides a little nutritional value at a lower cost. I've heard of people turning excess pest snails into food but I can't get over the 🤮 factor. I'll just get fish that eat snails (hopefully, someday).