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Repashy Soilent Green too Messy


Cyndi
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29 minutes ago, Cyndi said:

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know how to make Repashy less messy in the aquarium? Am I adding too much water? If I add less water, it is grainy and I wonder if its cooked. Maybe I'm overthinking it - help!

 

If you are following the ratio on the package you should be fine.  I do one part powder to two parts water.  Then when set I cut mine into strips and freeze it.  Then when I put it into the tank—it seems fine.  No mess.  Maybe that will help?

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1 hour ago, Lifeisgood said:

If you are following the ratio on the package you should be fine.  I do one part powder to two parts water.  Then when set I cut mine into strips and freeze it.  Then when I put it into the tank—it seems fine.  No mess.  Maybe that will help?

Hmm... Never thought of freezing it. I'll try it - thank you!

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1 hour ago, H.K.Luterman said:

I find that even if my Repashy falls apart that every last bit gets eaten up anyways. If you're seeing lots left over an hour after feeding time, just tweak how much you offer until they get it all. 

This is true - although I find that if I don't feed at night, Stuff floats around for several hours. This last batch I added myosis frozen shrimps just for fun - which may have contributed to it being watery. 

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25 minutes ago, Colu said:

I have never had a problem with it floating usely sinks straight to the bottom maybe you have to much water in it

I guess I meant it breaks apart and the pieces float around. I do think I have too much water though. 

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I just made my first batch ever.  The bottle said 3:1.  For me it just sits there for about an hour then starts dissolving and settles into the substrate.  It's at that point my otos decide they're interested and eat it.  Still takes them about 12 hrs to eat as they come and go from it.

 

It's this how it's supposed to work?  It seems to be all eaten so I guess that's good?

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Do you boil it? Even following the ratio on the bottle mine used to break up quickly and make a huge mess. Nowadays I think I mix mine even thicker than the recommended ratio but I really thoroughly boil (while stirring) and it holds together very well. Takes more than a full day to start breaking down and usually doesn't last that long.

Also while it's still liquid I distribute it into a mini ice cube tray and freeze it. Makes quick convenient portions that are always ready. Just have to bag the tray so that they don't get freeze dried.

 

Edit: my otocinclus eat it but don't love it. They will leave frequently to look for something else but eventually come back to it.

Edited by Lowells Fish Lab
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6 minutes ago, Lowells Fish Lab said:

Hi CT,

Do you boil it? Even following the ratio on the bottle mine used to break up quickly and make a huge mess. Nowadays I think I mix mine even thicker than the recommended ratio but I really thoroughly boil (while stirring) and it holds together very well. Takes more than a full day to start breaking down and usually doesn't last that long.

Also while it's still liquid I distribute it into a mini ice cube tray and freeze it. Makes quick convenient portions that are always ready. Just have to bag the tray so that they don't get freeze dried.

Another vote for freezing! Yesterday I made mine into jerky (by drying in an oven) which does help, but takes a REALLY long time to get consumed. I'm watching the progress, but as long as it doesn't cause an ammonia spike, I suppose no harm done.

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9 minutes ago, Cyndi said:

Another vote for freezing! Yesterday I made mine into jerky (by drying in an oven) which does help, but takes a REALLY long time to get consumed. I'm watching the progress, but as long as it doesn't cause an ammonia spike, I suppose no harm done.

It's hard to know exactly how big of a portion your animals can consume at first, at least it was for me. I had to remove plenty of leftover repashy with a turkey baster. I did have a chunk break down over aquasoil and I could never really get it all out. I think in terms of leftover food really fouling things up there are much worse than repashy- Especially if you have some shrimp or snails to slowly work on it even after the fish have moved on. Any chance you have corydoras? Once mine got a taste for it, nothing else really got to eat it. Corydoras eat it like it's "the answer".

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1 hour ago, Lowells Fish Lab said:

It's hard to know exactly how big of a portion your animals can consume at first, at least it was for me. I had to remove plenty of leftover repashy with a turkey baster. I did have a chunk break down over aquasoil and I could never really get it all out. I think in terms of leftover food really fouling things up there are much worse than repashy- Especially if you have some shrimp or snails to slowly work on it even after the fish have moved on. Any chance you have corydoras? Once mine got a taste for it, nothing else really got to eat it. Corydoras eat it like it's "the answer".

Well, isnt that interesting. I have been look for the answer for my corys- While my panda cory juveniles are good eaters, my false Julie cory adults seem more finicky. And I haven't really noticed poor water quality from the repashy - I'll bet my corys and loach crew are eating it all even though they make a mess. I can see that my concern is more of an aesthetic kind of thing. 

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8 hours ago, Lowells Fish Lab said:

Do you boil it? Even following the ratio on the bottle mine used to break up quickly and make a huge mess. Nowadays I think I mix mine even thicker than the recommended ratio but I really thoroughly boil (while stirring) and it holds together very well. Takes more than a full day to start breaking down and usually doesn't last that long.

I did worry about it not "cooking" long enough.  I made a small quantity and preheated my bowl then mixed boiling water and the powder.  probably didn't get enough time to really dissolve at high temp.  I hear some people microwave it.  I may try that to get a bit more heat into it

 

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So that's what I did at first, heated water to a boil in a microwave then mixed in the repashy. Now I bring the whole mix to a rolling boil in a mini saucepan and boil/stir for a minute or two then let cool a bit and distribute into my ice cube trays with a turkey baster. Boiling it smells awful but it works great. Comes out like jello. The only downside I can imagine is that very high heat might destroy some valuable compounds but I can't confirm that.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes, boiling (or drying) Repashy smells awful. However, I tried the freezing after prep idea and it works like a charm! Also it keeps it from going bad which was also a problem I was having. Such a simple solution - thank you! 

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14 minutes ago, Cyndi said:

Yes, boiling (or drying) Repashy smells awful. However, I tried the freezing after prep idea and it works like a charm! Also it keeps it from going bad which was also a problem I was having. Such a simple solution - thank you! 

That’s great!  Love the simple and easy solutions.  I just have to make myself take what I need out of my ziplock bag right at the freezer because I have taken it to the tank and set it down only to get distracted and have to throw the whole bag of thawed Repashy away.😑

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7 minutes ago, Lifeisgood said:

That’s great!  Love the simple and easy solutions.  I just have to make myself take what I need out of my ziplock bag right at the freezer because I have taken it to the tank and set it down only to get distracted and have to throw the whole bag of thawed Repashy away.😑

Yup- I’ve almost done that too- you’d think I’d be more careful with expensive things- sigh—

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