Making Your Own Fish Food

Updated on April 21, 2016
Homemade Flake Fish Food.
Making Fish Food is Easy!
If you are what you eat, then your vegetables
are what your fish eat, right? Well, while this
thinking doesn't hold up for most of life's
circumstances, it does apply to Aquaponics!
This cutting edge and soil-less gardening
practice relies solely on fish byproducts, so
doesn't it only make sense to feed aquarium
fish with something substantial and all natural?
Why yes, it does! In this article, learn how to
make your own fish food, in order to keep
aquarium occupants looking and feeling their
best. Aquaponic gardeners and fish keepers
unite! Today, we're talking homemade fish food!
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Fish Diets -
Fish are no different than terrestrial animals
when it comes to diet. There are some that are
mainly herbivores, many that are omnivores and
also a handful that are carnivorous. So, if you're
wanting to please your fish with homemade
food, it helps to first understand what type of
eater they are! While the list below won't
explain the specific needs of each individual
species, it will at least serve as a general
guideline as to what your fishes should be
eating!
Convict cichlid pair. Although commonly viewed as
highly carnivorous, convicts readily eat additions
of veggies in their diet.
Herbivores - Many aquarium algae eaters
(ottocinclus & plecostomus), as well as
some tropical species and African cichlids
fall into the herbivorous category. While
these fish may occasionally eat meat
proteins, the majority of their diet consists
of plant matter.
Omnivores - The majority of aquarium fish
for sale will be listed as having an
omnivorous diet. These fish will readily
take both animal and plant matter, and
should be fed both regularly for continued
health. Generally speaking, omnivores
normally take in more plant matter, so
animal proteins are usually limited to
around 20-40% of their diet.
Carnivores - Like herbivores, there are few
aquarium fish that are actually labeled
true carnivores. The reason for this is that
even carnivorous species tend to eat plant
matter in the wild. So, for vitality and
longevity in the aquarium, these fish
should be typically fed with 60-70% animal
matter and 30-40% plant matter.
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Ingredients - Plant Matter
For vegetables and plant matter, I prefer to use
produce that was organically grown. As
pesticide residues can adversely affect aquatic
and microbial life, it's best just to leave
conventionally grown produce out of the
picture.
Little Gem Romaine Lettuce. Dark leafy greens are
the perfect base for making fish food. Of course,
organic homegrown greens are even better!
Dark Leafy Greens - Spinach, Romaine
Lettuce, Kale, Sushi Seaweed and Chard
provide a rich and nutritious plant base for
any diet. Chalked full of vitamins and
minerals, these greens simulate the
natural aquatic flora consumed by fish
species.
Garlic - It turns out that garlic is
somewhat of a "super food" when it
comes to fish. Besides its ability to
simulate the appetite of even the most
finicky eaters, garlic also maintains fish
health by providing anti-bacterial
properties.
Miscellaneous Fruits/Veggies - On top of
your leafy green base, it's a good idea to
add a few additional fruits/veggies to your
food. Doing so will ensure that nutrition is
derived from a variety of sources instead
of just a few. This variety in nutrients will
keep fish looking and feeling their best.
Broccoli, zucchini, carrots, apples, pears,
peas and oranges all make for great
additions to homemade fish food.
Spirulina Powder - This food additive is a
favorite among those who make their own
fish food. Composed of cyanobacteria,
spirulina powder is rich in minerals,
vitamins, and amino acids. Natural
pigments within also help captive fish
show their best colors.
Potato or Corn Starch - A tablespoon or so
of either will be added to the mixture for
binding purposes. The starch holds the
mixture together so that it creates flakes
when dried.
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Ingredients - Animal Matter
When choosing animal proteins, try to seek out
wild caught or organically produced options.
Conventionally farmed fish and other aquatic life
are typically fed a poor diet, and can lack
nutritional value compared to their wild, free
range counterparts.
Simple Omnivore Recipe -
This homemade fish food recipe provides a
complete and nutritious flake food for most
tropical aquarium inhabitants. The finished fish
food for this recipe is pictured at the top and
bottom of this article!
Ingredients -
1 lb Spinach
1/2 lb Broccoli Stems
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Whole Zucchini
Stringy Guts from one winter squash
1/2 lb Sunfish Fillets (skin on)
4 Earthworms
1 Tbs Corn Starch
Use what you have on hand to create your own
version!
Fish - Other fish are generally acceptable
for use in making your own fish food. Wild
caught specimens contain a variety of
nutrients and proteins, providing a hearty
base for any omnivorous or carnivorous
diet. To minimize disease and pathogen
contamination, always use a species of
fish that is different than the ones you're
planning to feed it to!
Earthworms - Earthworms are an excellent
source of proteins and are a fairly
inexpensive option for fish food. If you
don't want to blend up live worms, just
rinse them off and pop them in the freezer
beforehand!
Miscellaneous Animal Matter - Brine
shrimp, blood worms (mosquito larvae),
and other bulk frozen foods offer variety
to the fish food. Buy from only trusted
sources to reduce contaminates and
pathogens.
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Process -
The process below outlines how to make fish
food flakes. If you're interested in making frozen
food, you'll want to follow the procedure
outlined in another guide, Homemade Cichlid
food.
Homemade Fish Food Flakes.
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1. Prep your ingredients. Leafy greens
should be rinsed and harder veggies (aka
broccoli, carrots, etc.) parboiled. Any
frozen ingredients should be thawed. Fish
should be descaled, but with bones in.
2. Blend it. That pretty much says it all!
Place all of the ingredients into a blender
or food processor and pulse until the
mixture has reached an even consistency.
3. Strain the mixture. Using a spatula,
squeeze the mixture through a medium-
fine mesh. This process is the most labor
intensive, but will remove any large pieces
of bone/veggie that are too big for fish
consumption.
4. Dry it out. Dedicate three to four hours for
drying your fish food into flakes. This
process begins by covering large baking
trays with wax or parchment paper. (The
paper will prevent the dried food from
sticking to the pan.) Next pour the refined
mixture onto the sheets and spread into a
very thin layer (1/8 -1/4" thick). Place in
an oven set to 150°F and allow to dry for
3-4 hours, or until the mixture is
thoroughly crumbly.
5. Break it Apart. The sheets will come off in
large chunks. Break them down with your
hands until they reach the desired size.
Store in dark and cool environment. In an
airtight container, the fish food will remain
good for over a year.
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There you have it, the freshest and most natural
flake fish food around! Best of all, it was you
who make the food. Now, just sit back and
watch as your fish take on enhanced coloring
and improved health! Remember, you control the
fish in the tank, so you might as well have
control over their diet. Thank you for reading
this article on how to make fish food flakes.
Please feel free to leave any comments or
questions you may have!
See Them Feed!
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The video above is the homemade fish food
show in this article being fed! The setup it's
being fed to is an aquaponic ten gallon
aquarium. To learn more about aquaponics, be
sure to catch these fine articles: