# Homemade fish cubes with plaster of paris?



## melissasroja

Hi everyone. I saw this on another board and wanted to ask if anyone has done it and how it works. Here is a copy of the post:

I just made a batch of plaster of paris food 'cubes' tonight, does anyone else make them? If you do what do you put in yours?
I buy the DAP brand of plaster of paris at home depot its 5.00 for a quart size cardboard carton which is a little over 4 pounds.
I mix in 2 differnet cans of fish food flakes 1 regular and 1 color enhancing and 1 can of dried shrimp pellets add water per instructions and mix well then pour mixture into plastic ice cube trays. I place the trays in front of a small fan and allow to dry for 5 days just to make sure it is completely dry. They pop right out of the trays easy when dry.
A side benefit is that the plaster of paris cubes make the water clearer thats one reason I started making these a few years ago and yes it does have that benefit.
My snails and fish love these and they store forever in a zip lock bag and last a long time.
And no it doesnt disolve fast depends on how fast my snails and large gold fish nibble on a cube as to how long a cube last but average is about 3-4 days.
I have been making and using these for a few years now and just wanted to know if anyone else does it and what ingredients you use in yours.


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## Bettawhisperer

Never heard of them. I don't know that I would want my fish eating Plaster.


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## emc7

Calcium sulfate doesn't sound harmful, both ions Ca+ and SO4 are in cichlid salts. Probably a good way to get calcium to snails. I'd never heard of it, but, now that I think of it, that's probably what those vacation feeders are. I don't know why they'd keep the water cleaner. It certainly makes sense to make your own and control the contents rather than get potluck from the store.


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## Corwin

from what ive heard they can foul the water sometimes.


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## emc7

This is off-topic but, IMO, you should never use an auto-feeder when you are gone that you haven't tested when you were home. Pet-sitters usually overfeed and vacation feeders can too. Then you get an ammonia spike and there is noone home to pull out corpses and you end up with a tank full of dead fish. Most adult aquarium fish can go a week without food and that is a safer option for a one-time trip.


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## melissasroja

I looked up the vacation feeders and they do have calcium sulfate. And most of them say they help keep the tank clear. Even the vitamin and mineral blocks have calcium sulfate. Its definitely an interesting option for someone who wants to make their own. From the sound of things the guy who's post I originally read uses these as a main feeding sorce. It seems like since the food would be presoaking at all times it would help reduce the chances of them getting too much air from eating flakes off the water surface too no?

I agree definitely test before using on vacation. I never trust anyone to feed my fish unless Im gone for a long long time. My mom once forgot to feed the fish while I was in the hospital for 1 1/2 months in pre-term labor. I came home to a tank full of fish but they werent the same fish I had when I left! She said "oh they just changed color" lol. Sad but Ill give her she was stressed.


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