Now I know that everyone has DIY frozen food recipes. But does anyone know a place where I can get a DIY Flake recipe??? I have heard about using dehydrators but thats only rumors of it. Let me know!
DIY Flake food?
- Thread starter xVitox
- Start date
Well this intrigued me, and I looked for quite a while, but I can't find anything that doesn't require an industrial dehydrator. There are a few people on this website called "Canadian Aquarium Connection" which make their own flakes:
http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/ClassAuction/index.php?a=5&b=212
Take a look at that website that is featured in most of those listings:
http://www.allnaturalpetcare.com/Buy_Holistic_Natural_Homemade_Pet_Food_Ingredients.html
It's interesting, but I don't think homemade flake is doable by the average person - who has a blender, a stove, a microwave and can make frozen foods (hence the plethora of homemade frozen food recipes). I don't think just a regular dehydrator works for making flake...or wouldn't we know about this?
http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/ClassAuction/index.php?a=5&b=212
Take a look at that website that is featured in most of those listings:
http://www.allnaturalpetcare.com/Buy_Holistic_Natural_Homemade_Pet_Food_Ingredients.html
It's interesting, but I don't think homemade flake is doable by the average person - who has a blender, a stove, a microwave and can make frozen foods (hence the plethora of homemade frozen food recipes). I don't think just a regular dehydrator works for making flake...or wouldn't we know about this?
Home-made flake food.
A commercial dehydrator is essentially a vacuum chamber with a heat source.
A number of folk have built home-made vacuum pumps from discarded refrigeration air compressors.I will enclose the link for this at the end.
A commercial dehydrator for buildings operates like an air conditioner.The cooling fins are usually slightly closer together to increase de-humidification.
A home unit could be a large sweet jar with rubber hoses fitted in the sealed cover for connection to the vac-pump.All the R&D I did on this system was to provide an affordable vacuum pump for inverted or tunnelled aquaria.However, the response from the U.S.A. and Canada as to other uses has been phenomenal.Home-made freeze dries for garden produce;injection moulding to name 2.
This was the link I originally7 supplied for anyone wanting to buid a simple cheap vacuum pump.There are other links detailing oil-top-up and electrical connections.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dv9uUL80NQ
A commercial dehydrator is essentially a vacuum chamber with a heat source.
A number of folk have built home-made vacuum pumps from discarded refrigeration air compressors.I will enclose the link for this at the end.
A commercial dehydrator for buildings operates like an air conditioner.The cooling fins are usually slightly closer together to increase de-humidification.
A home unit could be a large sweet jar with rubber hoses fitted in the sealed cover for connection to the vac-pump.All the R&D I did on this system was to provide an affordable vacuum pump for inverted or tunnelled aquaria.However, the response from the U.S.A. and Canada as to other uses has been phenomenal.Home-made freeze dries for garden produce;injection moulding to name 2.
This was the link I originally7 supplied for anyone wanting to buid a simple cheap vacuum pump.There are other links detailing oil-top-up and electrical connections.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dv9uUL80NQ
I have done it its easy,
Zucchini (baby marrow)
Broccoli
Potato skins
Peas
Spinach
Carrots
Crayfish/sardine/pilchard (optional, but the fish love it)
Multi vitamin
Gelatin
1. Place all food stuff in pot just covered with water, bring to boil and then let simmer for about an hour till every thing is soft
2. Add multi vitamin
3. Put all ingredients through a blender, the finer the better
4. If mixture is too watery leave on a low heat to reduce liquid.
5. When mixture is nice and thick add gelatin and mix well.
6. Take a flat backing try line with silicon paper.
7. Spread mixture onto silicon paper evenly and thinly
8. Dry mixture out in a very low heat oven
9. When dry peal from silicon paper and crunch it up in your hands
NB. If you do not have silicon paper, you can use the backing try, once dry you will need to scrape off with a spatula
NB. When drying mixture out in oven it must not cook, only dry out. This process takes some time so be patient.
NB. Quantities I play with all the time, the cooked mixture is usually about 1 liter, and I use 2 multi vitamins and 1 20g packet of gelatin.
Zucchini (baby marrow)
Broccoli
Potato skins
Peas
Spinach
Carrots
Crayfish/sardine/pilchard (optional, but the fish love it)
Multi vitamin
Gelatin
1. Place all food stuff in pot just covered with water, bring to boil and then let simmer for about an hour till every thing is soft
2. Add multi vitamin
3. Put all ingredients through a blender, the finer the better
4. If mixture is too watery leave on a low heat to reduce liquid.
5. When mixture is nice and thick add gelatin and mix well.
6. Take a flat backing try line with silicon paper.
7. Spread mixture onto silicon paper evenly and thinly
8. Dry mixture out in a very low heat oven
9. When dry peal from silicon paper and crunch it up in your hands
NB. If you do not have silicon paper, you can use the backing try, once dry you will need to scrape off with a spatula
NB. When drying mixture out in oven it must not cook, only dry out. This process takes some time so be patient.
NB. Quantities I play with all the time, the cooked mixture is usually about 1 liter, and I use 2 multi vitamins and 1 20g packet of gelatin.
I always ask this, so don't take too much offense. Are you an expert on nutritional needs of tropical fish?
The big companies in the feed business do years of multi-generational studies to prove their feeds will keep fish alive and successfully breeding.
If you wish to experiment, great! But please monitor the long term health of your fish to make sure you're including the micro nutrients they need.
If your goal is saving money, check out the bulk flake (8 oz sealed packages) from Ken's Fish, or Big Al's, or any of the major on line suppliers.
The big companies in the feed business do years of multi-generational studies to prove their feeds will keep fish alive and successfully breeding.
If you wish to experiment, great! But please monitor the long term health of your fish to make sure you're including the micro nutrients they need.
If your goal is saving money, check out the bulk flake (8 oz sealed packages) from Ken's Fish, or Big Al's, or any of the major on line suppliers.