# How can I Make Gelatin Food Less Messy?



## Fluval (May 17, 2012)

I made some gel food for my goldfish. I got some Omega One goldfish pellets, little pieces of celery, carrots, peas, and oatmeal. I blended those all together, and mixed in gelatin and put it in the freezer.

I just took it out after about 3 hours. Its solid. I cut a little piece out and dropped it in the tank. My common scarfed it down, but it made lots of debris. There are now little tiny pieces of gel food floating around my tank.


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

You could get a Sucker Fish if you have enough space for it. Or any Bottom-Dwellers that like to eat Vegetable based foods.


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## Fluval (May 17, 2012)

LebronTheBetta said:


> You could get a Sucker Fish if you have enough space for it. Or any Bottom-Dwellers that like to eat Vegetable based foods.


Remember, its a coldwater tank. I don't know of any coldwater suckerfish sold locally. Shipping is like $35. :|


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## LebronTheBetta (Apr 23, 2012)

Oh, yeah. I forgot. WHOOPS. ;(


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Welcome to the wonderful world of goldfish. 
You could try some larger snails like apple snails.. Goldies will eat smaller snails so don't bother with those. Usually with goldies you have to vacuum tons and tons.


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## Fluval (May 17, 2012)

Olympia said:


> Welcome to the wonderful world of goldfish.
> You could try some larger snails like apple snails.. Goldies will eat smaller snails so don't bother with those. Usually with goldies you have to vacuum tons and tons.


That is a good idea, but the food flunks don't exactly sit on the bottom, they are floating. Little pieces of debris break off and float through the tank. Maybe the filter will get them over a few hours.


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## teeneythebetta (Apr 29, 2012)

The filter should get some, others will settle down onto the gravel eventually... Siphoning will help (you wouldnt believe how much stuff comes out from under the gravel!)


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## MyRainbowBettaFish (May 9, 2012)

you could use a turkey baster to siphon all of the debri out....thats about all i can think to do


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## Fluval (May 17, 2012)

teeneythebetta said:


> The filter should get some, others will settle down onto the gravel eventually... Siphoning will help (you wouldnt believe how much stuff comes out from under the gravel!)


I do siphon my water, its just that I can't siphon it every day. :l


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## kfryman (Nov 7, 2011)

What size tank do you have? And what is the filter rated for? I know goldfish need 2x the amount of filtration then the size of the tank. That should have the water circulating fast enough to get rid of the food.


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## Fluval (May 17, 2012)

kfryman said:


> What size tank do you have? And what is the filter rated for? I know goldfish need 2x the amount of filtration then the size of the tank. That should have the water circulating fast enough to get rid of the food.


I have a 29 gallon tank. My HOB filter is rated for 30 gallons, and I have a homemade sponge filter which features chemical, mechanical, and biological filtration which is worth at least another 20 to 25 gallons. I just don't have it plugged in at the moment because its night and it agitates the water a bit, and the bubble sound annoys me.


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## thekoimaiden (Oct 19, 2011)

I've got a few points to make. 

Gel food is great for goldfish, but I think you've gone about it in the wrong manner. It's best to follow recipes that have already been made by experienced and knowledgeable goldfish keepers rather than make your own. Oatmeal should not be used as it is a grain and can cause bloating issues in fancies. Your source of protein should be fresh fish and not pellets as all pellets contain wheat which is also bad for the goldfish GI tract. Gel Food Recipes This has some gel food recipes that require a blender, but I prefer babyfood gel food recipes. This is the one I use from the GAB: 



Wendylove @ the GAB said:


> 6 jars of baby food, garden vegetables 4 ounce size
> can of salmon [small can tuna sized]
> cup of boiling water
> 4 packets gelatin
> ...


The GAB Baby Food Gel Food Recipes It makes roughly a half-year's worth of food for me; it costs about $15; and is one of the healthiest things I can feed my goldfish. 

It's easiest to hand-feed goldfish gel food. That way you can regulate who gets what and how much. It also prevents food from falling on the bottom. I do not recommend getting an algae eater. 

Your tank size is entirely too small for a common goldfish. Even with a strong filter (your filter on that tank should be rated for a 55 gal and up), it will not provide enough swimming room for a fully grown common goldfish. Common goldfish should be housed in a 55 gal minimum. A 75 gal or larger is better. And a pond is best. A 29 gal is suitable for two smaller fancy goldfish, but even then I don't recommend this size tank for goldfish. A 40 gal as a min is best.


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