Ratvan's Old School Pico - Rockwall Pico v2

[MetaTank]

That fish market looks pretty epic. I’d love to wander around there for a while! And those zoas do sorta look Iike magicians, in any case, something special! And I like the idea of making your own frozen food! My fish and corals seem to Iike the one I made, and it’s just squid and shrimp...but I would like to go to an Asian market and get some crab roe and other odds and ends to make a more complete food at some point too! 

[Tigahboy]

4 hours ago, Ratvan said:

I will keep an eye out for the Roe, didn't think of trying eggs. I have an Asian Wholesalers nearby, but can only get Nori there (2.5KG LMAO) 

However Leeds Market has a dedicated Fishmongers area, something like 50 stalls, essentially another dozen rows like the shot below

Took a quick tour at lunch today and think i should be okay with some of this in a blender

 

So both myself and Benny should have some nice fish to eat shortly....

Might see if i can get some of those empty shells as well lol

That fish market looks amazing.  Would definitely like to check that out!

[Ratvan]

@MetaTank, @Tigahboy. It's pretty good. Especially if you go about 30 minutes before closing as people just want to shift stock. 

 

Hope my freezer is big enough for all this. Fishmonger was packing my bags tight.

5lbs razorclams

5lbs clams

5lbs shell on prawns

5lbs shell off prawns

 

Only went I  for 1lb of clams and prawns. At least me and benny will eat well this week

[Tigahboy]

Just now, Ratvan said:

@MetaTank, @Tigahboy. It's pretty good. Especially if you go about 30 minutes before closing as people just want to shift stock. 

 

Hope my freezer is big enough for all this. Fishmonger was packing my bags tight.

5lbs razorclams

5lbs clams

5lbs shell on prawns

5lbs shell off prawns

 

Only went I  for 1lb of clams and prawns. At least me and benny will eat well this week

Ask @MetaTank for his fish/coral pie recipe.  It probably calls for all of those items as ingredients.  

[748S911]

7 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

@MetaTank, @Tigahboy. It's pretty good. Especially if you go about 30 minutes before closing as people just want to shift stock. 

 

Hope my freezer is big enough for all this. Fishmonger was packing my bags tight.

5lbs razorclams

5lbs clams

5lbs shell on prawns

5lbs shell off prawns

 

Only went I  for 1lb of clams and prawns. At least me and benny will eat well this week

Feeding a 🦈? 😂 

[Ratvan]

Oh that sounds nice. Ill take it.

 

Got fish pie recipes though. And chowders. I think I need something from @Snow_Phoenix, I ate something amazing over there and all I can remember is the word "lala" which I think is clam?

 

@748S911. Lmao nope just 1 adult Male and his goby. I live on seafood, the Mrs and in law on chicken. 

[748S911]

Ohh nice love seafood too 😋 

 

I’m making  filipino bbq chicken street tacos tonight! 

[asting]

I see you are qting, which is very responsible. On single specimen tanks, I almost feel like just putting directly into the display.  Are you going to qt all corals and inverts. 

[Ratvan]

15 hours ago, 748S911 said:

Ohh nice love seafood too 😋 

 

I’m making  filipino bbq chicken street tacos tonight! 

Very nice I made myself some Grilled Razor Clams with Garlic and Ginger. 

 

Lovely. 

 

Anyways Fish Tank, otherwise i'll have to rename the thread again. 

 

So I decided last night that I was fed up of fishing out my Hermit from the HOB filter, so I made a crab guard. This morning the HOB had a distinct lack of Crabs. YAY!

 

Also my Green Paly's are acting even more strange than usual, Along with the receding grey patch they now have what I can only describe as blisters on the lip of the mouth

5 hours ago, asting said:

I see you are qting, which is very responsible. On single specimen tanks, I almost feel like just putting directly into the display.  Are you going to qt all corals and inverts. 

Thank you, I will be QT everything from now on. The Nudi's have put me off putting straight into the display. I also want to get into better habits as I will be getting a larger tank at some point in the future so may as well attempt to train myself in good practise. 

[Snow_Phoenix]

47 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Very nice I made myself some Grilled Razor Clams with Garlic and Ginger. 

 

Lovely. 

 

Anyways Fish Tank, otherwise i'll have to rename the thread again. 

 

So I decided last night that I was fed up of fishing out my Hermit from the HOB filter, so I made a crab guard. This morning the HOB had a distinct lack of Crabs. YAY!

 

Also my Green Paly's are acting even more strange than usual, Along with the receding grey patch they now have what I can only describe as blisters on the lip of the mouth

Thank you, I will be QT everything from now on. The Nudi's have put me off putting straight into the display. I also want to get into better habits as I will be getting a larger tank at some point in the future so may as well attempt to train myself in good practise. 

Those clams look tasty! 😋

 

Tank looks good despite the nudi problem. If it makes you any happier, my pico is currently overrun by red flatworms so we're pretty much sailing in the same pest-infested boat. 

[Ratvan]

6 minutes ago, Snow_Phoenix said:

Those clams look tasty! 😋

 

Tank looks good despite the nudi problem. If it makes you any happier, my pico is currently overrun by red flatworms so we're pretty much sailing in the same pest-infested boat. 

Oh they were. Trying something else tonight, probably have a go at a chowder

You mean these things?

 

 

 

I've seen a few of these but less and less lately since I have been dipping. If i see one it gets sucked into a pipette and offered to Benny for a snack.

[Snow_Phoenix]

1 hour ago, Ratvan said:

Oh they were. Trying something else tonight, probably have a go at a chowder

You mean these things?

 

 

 

I've seen a few of these but less and less lately since I have been dipping. If i see one it gets sucked into a pipette and offered to Benny for a snack.

Yep, those things. They're horrid. 

[Ratvan]

How I left Benny this evening. Surveying his kingdom (and an empty office) on his favourite bit of rock. With a nice full belly. 😅😅👍

 

[This guy is extra salty]

Love the fish and please share some of the food.

[Ratvan]

6 hours ago, This guy is extra salty said:

Love the fish and please share some of the food.

Ask and Ye shall receive

 

Made Benny some fish food cubes last night, forgot to take photos of how I cut and stored this (used Eggcrate to get little blocks), tastes fairly good in my opinion. Needs something like Paprika though to give it a lift. 

 

I also added some Garlic because people seem to feed fish garlic on a regular basis. 

Love this little "herb" grinder 😎

My gelatin was out of date (note colour) but added it anyway, seems to have worked.

And prior to baking...

 

I however got a little hungry while making this so whipped up a dish of Prawns in Garlic and Parmesan, along with a few clams, mussels, whelks and Eel (jellied - of course, have to keep the roots), the Eel is still setting but should have some nice fishy snacks over the weekend

 

MMMMMMMMMMM Jellied Eel

[seabass]

The prawns look delicious.  Not sure how I feel about the eel.   But I'm pretty sure it's better than I'm thinking.

 

Nice job on the reef tank food.

 

[Ratvan]

Love me some jellied Eel. 

Anyways been fragging the sump zoas again. Water change and very slight clean of glass and done.

[A.m.P]

I love eel, even after getting food poisoning from it being improperly cleaned (blooded in other words, nasty bit that).

 

From what I've read garlic is more trendy and doesn't actually seem to do much, it may actually contribute to poor water quality or even poor livestock health by causing long-term damage to organs. /Shrug could be wrong though, don't have the article lying around any more.

 

NVM I found the rant:

Disclaimer, I trust anything with sources and science over the "Moral" marketplace and trends lol.

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2213228

[Ratvan]

1 minute ago, Amphrites said:

I love eel, even after getting food poisoning from it being improperly cleaned (blooded in other words, nasty bit that).

 

From what I've read garlic is more trendy and doesn't actually seem to do much, it may actually contribute to poor water quality or even poor livestock health by causing long-term damage to organs. /Shrug could be wrong though, don't have the article lying around any more.

 

NVM I found the rant:

Disclaimer, I trust anything with sources and science over the "Moral" marketplace and trends lol.

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2213228

Yeah I heard about that a few years ago, I've never had problems with it and it contains Allicin which has natural anti parasitic properties. It was the same for Tea Tree Oil (Natural Anti Bacterial) but i didn't stop using that either....

 

I've never seen anything other than anecdotal evidence for or against. I remember my Dad using it years ago when he had his tank.

 

I'll keep on my diary of feeds and if anything happens to the tank I can hopefully track back and stop adding garlic if needed

[A.m.P]

Oh, by-the-by, your cooking and presentation look wonderful, good on ya.

[Wendy]

Oh my gosh, you're making me SOO hungry for some seafood! 

Looks delish!!!

 

I love little Benny, he's a real cutie (;

Hope he likes your homemade food.

 

Sorry to hear about your nasty nudis & your flatworms. I am also battling those darn flatworms... sigh...

 

Your tank is coming along great & it's amazing to see what your zoas look like as they open up!!

[MetaTank]

7 hours ago, Ratvan said:

Ask and Ye shall receive

 

Made Benny some fish food cubes last night, forgot to take photos of how I cut and stored this (used Eggcrate to get little blocks), tastes fairly good in my opinion. Needs something like Paprika though to give it a lift. 

 

I also added some Garlic because people seem to feed fish garlic on a regular basis. 

Love this little "herb" grinder 😎

My gelatin was out of date (note colour) but added it anyway, seems to have worked.

And prior to baking...

 

I however got a little hungry while making this so whipped up a dish of Prawns in Garlic and Parmesan, along with a few clams, mussels, whelks and Eel (jellied - of course, have to keep the roots), the Eel is still setting but should have some nice fishy snacks over the weekend

 

MMMMMMMMMMM Jellied Eel

See, now your fish food looks like it has better ingredients than mine, lol...but did you say you baked it? Or am I just confused? Anyway, how is the fragging going? How are you getting the zoa off the rock, just peeling the mat?

[Ratvan]

3 hours ago, Amphrites said:

Oh, by-the-by, your cooking and presentation look wonderful, good on ya.

Thank you. GCSE cookery showing through. 

1 hour ago, Wendy said:

Oh my gosh, you're making me SOO hungry for some seafood! 

Looks delish!!!

 

I love little Benny, he's a real cutie (;

Hope he likes your homemade food.

 

Sorry to hear about your nasty nudis & your flatworms. I am also battling those darn flatworms... sigh...

 

Your tank is coming along great & it's amazing to see what your zoas look like as they open up!!

I love abenny as well. Not seeing him till Tuesday due to bank holiday so I have my fingers crossed.

1 hour ago, MetaTank said:

See, now your fish food looks like it has better ingredients than mine, lol...but did you say you baked it? Or am I just confused? Anyway, how is the fragging going? How are you getting the zoa off the rock, just peeling the mat?

No I baked it, it's the gelatine that I have here, it's used to make pork pies and is unflavoured but based on pork. Needs to be baked for 20 minutes otherwise it does not set in the freezer. I'd have jelly/jello cubes if I didnt bake it.

 

I actually tried to cut the rock but all the zoas came up in one sheet. It was all on this mat/sponge thing.....So I chopped it up and chucked it on frag plugs.

 

Just one more rock to go with the potential Magicians Zoas and I can start looking to trade and get something else in the tank. 

 

Really thinking about a theme now. 

[MetaTank]

9 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

Thank you. GCSE cookery showing through. 

I love abenny as well. Not seeing him till Tuesday due to bank holiday so I have my fingers crossed.

No I baked it, it's the gelatine that I have here, it's used to make pork pies and is unflavoured but based on pork. Needs to be baked for 20 minutes otherwise it does not set in the freezer. I'd have jelly/jello cubes if I didnt bake it.

 

I actually tried to cut the rock but all the zoas came up in one sheet. It was all on this mat/sponge thing.....So I chopped it up and chucked it on frag plugs.

 

Just one more rock to go with the potential Magicians Zoas and I can start looking to trade and get something else in the tank. 

 

Really thinking about a theme now. 

So you baked the entire mix? Or just the gelatin? Are you feeding the tank a cooked seafood dinner? Out of curiosity, why did you add gelatin to the mix, and do you think that will have an effect on the tank or filtration? When I made my mix, I just added barely enough distilled water to make it into a paste during blending, then spread it out in a thin layer and froze it. Then once the puck was frozen, I just broke it into little pieces and tossed it in a bag. 

 

I do like your mix of seafood and the addition of veggies. I may need to incorporate some nori and some crab roe into the next batch...I’m really digging the “make our own frozen food” experiences, and I’m so glad you made a mix as well! 

 

How well does it break apart in the water? Does it stay in cube form with the gelatin, or does it melt and release all the goodies into the tank?

[Ratvan]

Baked the entire mix so it was more dense and would sink. Dont want floating foods in the tank. 

 

I spread it out and froze it over some eggcrate so I can get little 15mm cubes and cut that down. I did not consider the filtration to be honest. I didnt use it today as there is a public holiday Monday so dont want to leave something new and untried for 3 days unattended.