Duck Face

[Vee 2]

So.. I feed my fish home made gel food, two times a day. I cut it into inch-sized rectangles that are a couple of cm's wide. When I feed it to them I smash it into pieces with my fingers.I smush it so that its about 2cms long and 1cm thick (I could be really of, I'm bad at guestimating ).

It seems to be too big for some of my fish, but if I smush it further it turns into good-particles and clouds the water. As a result of it's "largeness" some of my fish suck in a piece that is just big enough for their mouth resulting in what I like to call "duck face" until they either chew it up or spit it out.

Is there anything I could do to stop them from doing that? I know for a fact they could bite a piece off, rather than suck it all in.. it's funny, but also really worrying, as I'm afraid they'll choke..

[dnalex 13,633]

I cut mine into tiny cubes, just about a little bit larger than a pellet

[Vee 2]

How in the world do you manage that? I use a butter knife to cut mine and it's all uneven and mushy!

[dnalex 13,633]

I use a very sharp knife and I spend a good 10-15 minutes each morning cutting them. I used to do as you do and just pinch off chunks but the chunks are always too big for my fish. Now they are very manageable and they gobble them up. (I also have to cut them to small cubes because my two bubble eyes are tiny and they need the help)

[flutterbudget 1]

I give mine a whole cube (about half an inch in all directions) so they have to bite off pieces.

[Cynders 0]

I do the tiny pieces thing as well. How much gelatin are you using?

[Jeff Spicoli 16]

I do the tiny pieces thing as well. How much gelatin are you using?

Good question. The first batch that I ever made turned out fine, the second one was mush, I didn't use enough gel and made it with a food processor rather than a blender, huge mess as soon as it hit the water.

I like to blend the heck out of the food and heat a liberal amount of gel to add to the tray, not too much gel though, you don't want it to bounce back out of the tank.

[dnalex 13,633]

I use 2 unflavored gelatin packs with each batch. This is from recipe I got on here.

[number20121 2,663]

Vee, I think you need to use a little more gelatin. I can cut mine with no problems, although I do not cut it in small pieces. I drop one large junk of gel food in the tank and everyone eats it.

They take bites out of it, fill their mouth and then chew on it for a little while, doing what you described as duck face. I don't see what is wrong with that. Fish chew on their food either way, no matter if it is big or small, and I believe gel food is too soft to make a fish choke on it.

Just my opinion

[Vee 2]

Well, at least I know they won't choke now.

I use a food processor as we don't have a blender and it works just fine. The first two batches I made were fine.. one got too old, though, and the other stunk to high heaven.

This one is watery.. maybe I did't use enough gelatin.. I only used 1 packet... then again, the carrot baby food seemed sort of watery..

[dnalex 13,633]

You can always melt the food and dissolve another packet of gelatin to it.

[Vee 2]

How should I melt it down?

The first thought that came to my mind was to blend it again.

[redfish 252]

I drop my gel food in frozen. It thaws fast in the tank, they just take bites of it, and they are done eating it within 5 minutes. Very little mess this way too.

[dnalex 13,633]

You need heat to melt it back down, since the food now contains gelatin. Using a blender won't help with that. I think the easiest way to do this is to microwave it. Just be careful not to microwave it for too long. I'd do it in 30 second increments until your food is well melted. As for adding the other gel packet, dissolve it in a small amount of boiling water and add it to your food

[Vee 2]

Sounds good! I'll try that, soon.

I've been considering freezing mine as well, but then I thought I'd end up with the watery left overs as an ice cube.. Plus I took one look at the freezer, saw it was WAY over stocked and said FORGET ABOUT IT! !

[ashlee18 1,169]

If it isn't frozen yet, the blender works fine. I did that a couple times to my first attempt when I forgot multiple ingredients

[Vee 2]

fff!

It was less messy to melt it down, though.

I also go to add some Flax seed. I've heard that was good for them too. If it's not I'll just get stuff to make a new batch of gel food.

[dnalex 13,633]

Which might be easier

[ashlee18 1,169]

It was less messy to melt it down, though.

Are you using your blender the right way? The top is essential to keeping your kitchen clean :P

Its funny. I was watching Jeff Foxworthy the other day. He was talking about some "nutcase" that told him to put Jello in the microwave to melt it. I was thinking...I wonder what Kokos member told him that

I have my gelfood in a metal pan, so no putting that in the microwave.

[dnalex 13,633]

It was less messy to melt it down, though.

Are you using your blender the right way? The top is essential to keeping your kitchen clean :P

Its funny. I was watching Jeff Foxworthy the other day. He was talking about some "nutcase" that told him to put Jello in the microwave to melt it. I was thinking...I wonder what Kokos member told him that

I have my gelfood in a metal pan, so no putting that in the microwave.

Ashlee, you just made my day. I'm having visions of tuna chunks flying everywhere in the kitchen lol.

I have mine in a metal pan also, but I have it lined with Saran Wrap. After it solidifies, I cut into 1/2 inch cubes and then transfer the whole mess into plastic food container to freeze.

It would be a terrifying sight to have someone microwave the pan

[Vee 2]

I can see it now!

I have an individual-drink blender,thing. You put everything you want in the cup and screw the lid on and push into the powery-thing-part. It's supposed to be for making frozen alcoholic drinks easily.

I put mine in my mom's glass dish (with lid) until it sits, chop it into cubes and put it in a plastic ziplock baggy and then into another one. That way, no one complains about the smell.