# Gel food



## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

What do you all think of the new repashy gel based food? Seems interesting. Here is the ingredients:

INGREDIENTS: Whole Krill Meal, Alfalfa Leaf Meal, Whole Squid Meal, Stabilized Rice Bran, Whole Sardine Meal, Dried Brewers Yeast, Spirulina Algae, Chlorella Algae, Carrageenan Algae, Dried Kelp, Konjac, Carob Bean Gum, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Taurine, Potassium Citrate, Calcium Propionate, Schizochytrium Algae, Phaffia Rhodozyma Yeast, Paprika Extract, Calendula Flower Powder, Marigold Flower Extract, Rose Hips Powder, Turmeric Root Powder, Malic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Canthaxanthin, Potassium Sorbate, Magnesium Gluconate, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract and Mixed Tocopherols (as preservatives), Vitamins (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Choline Chloride, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta Carotene, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement).


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

It makes absolutely no sense to me. Why on earth would anybody chose to buy a fish food that they had to basically make themselves? What is the purpose of having the food sit on the bottom of the tank until it has all been eaten? Maybe it's a good idea for certain types of fish. It's certainly got me interested, maybe somebody can explain a little about it.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I've been a diehard NLS user for 5+ years and all of my fish have done wonderfully on it, no complaints. But, I've ordered some Rapashy foods and may just make the complete switch. And it wasn't easy to get me to even consider this. I throw away all free food that I get from conventions, etc., I'm that committed to NLS. But, the versatility of Rapashy food really got me hooked on giving it a try. Coat a rock, feed your fry all day. That's just one reason why you'd leave food sit at the bottom of the tank. Look at how many fish are grazers and graze all day long. That's another reason to leave food all day long. You can use a grater to make pieces of various sizes to simulate pellet feeding. Supposedly the food doesn't spoil or foul the water. We'll see.

This guy has long been known for his quality reptile food. Nothing but quality ingredients in his fish food. Mixing it up yourself eliminates the need to add 'binders'. NLS is one of the better ones in this regard with just one binder and no fillers or junk ingredients. Binders are necessary in all pellet foods, btw.

But, again, the versatility has gotten me really interested in this product, as long as the quality is there, and it seems to be. My order is on the way, we'll see.


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

I'm interested for basically every reason you stated *prov*. I thought it was genius to leave the mixing to the consumer to avoid binders.

Do you mind telling me what mix you went with? Community? I'm probably going to be ordering soon behind you to see if I like it myself.

*Noddy*,

apparently, the mix is good for two weeks after you mix it as long as you refrigerate. I can handle spending 5 extra minutes a week to give my fish a quality food that they have to expend some energy to get. I have to admit it was really neat seeing the video of mbuna rasping it off rocks. Besides, you can always feed pellet if you don't have the time to mix.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Do you mind telling me what mix you went with? Community?


I ordered a little of each of the four, since I was undecided and wanted to get an order in. I'll probably settle on the 'community' mix because I have many mixed tanks in terms of dietary requirements. But, I don't see harm in using any of them in any of my tanks.


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

Hey Prov356 the Repashy gel food is awesome,you won't be disappointed in ordering it.

My fry and bottom feeders go nuts for this food.The top/mid feeders will eat it if I smash it up.Some fish takes more time but that happens quite often when switching to a different food item.

I thought about coating a rock too with it,which will be very natural.

The food can be mixed up in minutes and the gel last up to 2 weeks in the fridge,very easy.

The food goes to the bottom where the fish feed and not all over like powder and pellets.Much less pollution from not getting sucked into a filter or into holes in rocks to rot.

This food bridges the gap between live food and dry food like no other!


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

dmiller, Does it fungus or go bad if it sits uneaten?


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

Any idea on how to gauge how much you need?


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## AlphaWild (Apr 9, 2009)

I'm looking forward to trying this stuff as well. There must be plenty of others too, as my local supplier was all sold out when I went to get some! I'm hearing that it's incredibly palatable for finicky eaters from those that have used it. It can be mixed up ahead of time and frozen long term as well. One other plus that I didn't see mentioned in the thread was the very reasonable price.


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

Hi Everyone,

I thought I would drop in and let you know that I look forward to hearing your feedback. My formulas are ever evolving based on the feedback I get from folks like you.

My products are well known in the Reptile hobby, but I realize that I am most likely a complete unknown in the fish world. My animal passion actually started with fish. I started with African Cichlids in the early 70's. I was most fond of the Julidichromis and Lamprologus back then and spawned quite a few species. Somehow, my passion turned to Reptiles..... then to Amphibians, now I am back some 35 years later completing a full circle and setting up tanks again!

The entry in to the fish food arena was spawned out of a diet I started working on several years ago for raising tadpoles, most species of which, are grazers. I figured if I could come up with a firm gel based diet using the best available ingredients, that this could allow them to graze all day long. Tadpoles grow incredibly fast, and when fed once or twice a day, just don't grow as well as when they are allowed to graze. Binge and purge type feeding also resulted in much higher mortality.....

Anyways, I have put a lot of passion into these new formulas and hope some of you find them enjoyable to work with. By no means do I expect, or claim that these will be a replacement for a quality flake or pellet, but I do think they will find their niche. I am really enjoying browsing various forums right now and studying the feedback.

I have several more formulas in the final stages. One of which, I think might get some attention here. It is an Algae based (35% algae blend) Vegan formula (using isolated plant proteins in addition to that from Algae). It contains no animal protein of any kind but is still a high protein formula. Green and Blue Green Algae's are typically 50+ % protein, so I don't get the logic when people say that algae eaters need low protein diets. They just need the right kind of protein IMHO.

The target species for this formula will be Tropheus, Petrochromis, and other Obligate Algae eating fish and inverts.... Nerite Snails go nuts for it too.

Cheers, Allen Repashy


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

prov356 wrote


> dmiller, Does it fungus or go bad if it sits uneaten?


It suppose to hold up for 24 hours in the tank but the food is always gone in way less time in my tanks.If it did happen to go uneaten and fungus over at least it is in one spot to be siphoned out instead of everywhere.

The Tylomelania snails really enjoy eating the gel food too.

Great food Allen =D>


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

dmiller328 said:


> prov356 wrote
> 
> 
> > dmiller, Does it fungus or go bad if it sits uneaten?
> ...


It definitely will not fungus over. How long it lasts depends on how much water you mix with it when you make it. Less water makes a firmer gel that lasts longer. The water temperature and bacteria load of the aquarium can also play a part. In general, it will last 24 hours. Some have reported more than two days but I see no need for this. If you want it to last that long, then either you are going on vacation, or you are really lazy 

My recommendation is that you use what you expect to be eaten in 12 hours and adjust according to what you find, or don't find after this amount of time.

Cheers, Allen


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Thanks Allen for chiming in.

I was thinking of two things in regards to how long the food would last, vacation feeding, and having the food stay in a condition long enough for it to get eaten. Less waste to vacuum out.



> I have several more formulas in the final stages. One of which, I think might get some attention here. It is an Algae based (35% algae blend) Vegan formula (using isolated plant proteins in addition to that from Algae). It contains no animal protein of any kind but is still a high protein formula. Green and Blue Green Algae's are typically 50+ % protein, so I don't get the logic when people say that algae eaters need low protein diets. They just need the right kind of protein IMHO.


Trying to understand, but find all of this somewhat confusing. Making many different formulas just confuses me even more. I wonder if you could respond to the following.

One of the benefits for me with feeding NLS is that I just concern myself with pellet size. I keep fish together that would tend to have different diets in the wild without worrying about them getting what they need. And they've done very well with this. So, why all the different formulas? I know many are like myself and might be discouraged from switching to Repashy foods if now we have to concern ourselves with only keeping certain types of fish together. Seems to be a step backwards. I know you have a community formula, but that then implies that maybe I'm compromising by feeding it.

Regarding the ingredients. It's been suggested to me that an ingredient list can be deceiving. Fish need and benefit from by-products, not just the fillets. How would you respond to that?

I know there are plenty of studies out there on human nutrition, but what about fish nutrition, specifically hobbyist fish nutrition? Has anyone undertaken what cichlids really need to thrive, and the best way/form to deliver that in a food, or are we just limited to using common sense, logic, and results at this point? In other words, if you got the makers of the big name brands of food together to defend their ingredient list, what would they tend to use to support it?

All ingredient lists seem to vary quite a bit. Is there a source of unbiased information where someone like myself could determine what the best ingredients truly are? Or a source that would go into detail about typical ingredients and how one stacks up against another?

I received my order for your food today. I got 8oz of the four different varieties. Not sure how I'm going to try these out. No plan in mind. I may just start with one and use it until gone and then go to the next. Now just wondering if I shouldn't stick to the community food. I've got a variety of old world cichlids. Any suggestions?

Thanks


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

[quote="prov356"



> One of the benefits for me with feeding NLS is that I just concern myself with pellet size. I keep fish together that would tend to have different diets in the wild without worrying about them getting what they need. And they've done very well with this. So, why all the different formulas? I know many are like myself and might be discouraged from switching to Repashy foods if now we have to concern ourselves with only keeping certain types of fish together. Seems to be a step backwards. I know you have a community formula, but that then implies that maybe I'm compromising by feeding it.


Not sure how giving choices is a step backwards. NLS has more than one formula. The nutritional profile of many of my formulas is quite close. The main difference being palatability because different species are attracted to different "flavors" All but my "Meat Pie" are suitable for community use, so which ever product gets the best overall feeding response in you tank is going to work just fine.



> Regarding the ingredients. It's been suggested to me that an ingredient list can be deceiving. Fish need and benefit from by-products, not just the fillets. How would you respond to that?


I totally agree, that's why I use whole organisms as the backbone of my formulas.



> I know there are plenty of studies out there on human nutrition, but what about fish nutrition, specifically hobbyist fish nutrition? Has anyone undertaken what cichlids really need to thrive, and the best way/form to deliver that in a food, or are we just limited to using common sense, logic, and results at this point? In other words, if you got the makers of the big name brands of food together to defend their ingredient list, what would they tend to use to support it?


Honestly, most of the big box type companies are severely limited by cost when it comes to formulation and don't use the ingredients that premium foods use. The only place nutrition is researched, is where there is high commercial value in doing it...... Most research is done of aquaculture species in order to maximize production and minimize cost. There is no financial incentive for huge nutritional studies in ornamental species, especially when you consider that EACH SPECIES would require it's own extensive research.

We, as hobbyists, are forced to look at the available aquaculture publications, and look for similarities that we can use as the backbone for developing ornamental diets..... moving forward from there with as you put it, "common sense, logic, and results. 


> All ingredient lists seem to vary quite a bit. Is there a source of unbiased information where someone like myself could determine what the best ingredients truly are? Or a source that would go into detail about typical ingredients and how one stacks up against another?


There is no central database of knowledge for fish food ingredients that is going to help you. Only hundreds of hours reading scientific publications is going to start to give you an understanding for it. It is a fascinating subject, but it is time consuming. I have been digging into this stuff for more than 15 years and the only thing I am comfortable saying is that the more I learn, the less I know!



> I received my order for your food today. I got 8oz of the four different varieties. Not sure how I'm going to try these out. No plan in mind. I may just start with one and use it until gone and then go to the next. Now just wondering if I shouldn't stick to the community food. I've got a variety of old world cichlids. Any suggestions?


The Community Plus should be a great product and would be my goto for most tanks. The Soilent Green would be a good choice if you have a lot of rock picking species, but like I said, as long as everyone eats it, you are good. The Meat Pie makes a great fry food because if it's higher protein levels.

Off to work.

Allen
Thanks[/quote]


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> The main difference being palatability because different species are attracted to different "flavors" All but my "Meat Pie" are suitable for community use, so which ever product gets the best overall feeding response in you tank is going to work just fine.


That's good to know, that's what I was looking and hoping for. I just don't want to worry about adding a 'wrong' food to a tank, meaning one that won't meet their nutritional requirements.



> I totally agree, that's why I use whole organisms as the backbone of my formulas


So, that would be the whole squid meal, whole krill meal, etc. I understand.



> Honestly, most of the big box type companies are severely limited by cost when it comes to formulation and don't use the ingredients that premium foods use. The only place nutrition is researched, is where there is high commercial value in doing it...... Most research is done of aquaculture species in order to maximize production and minimize cost. There is no financial incentive for huge nutritional studies in ornamental species, especially when you consider that EACH SPECIES would require it's own extensive research.
> 
> We, as hobbyists, are forced to look at the available aquaculture publications, and look for similarities that we can use as the backbone for developing ornamental diets..... moving forward from there with as you put it, "common sense, logic, and results.


That's what I suspected, thanks. Good to know.



> There is no central database of knowledge for fish food ingredients that is going to help you. Only hundreds of hours reading scientific publications is going to start to give you an understanding for it. It is a fascinating subject, but it is time consuming. I have been digging into this stuff for more than 15 years and the only thing I am comfortable saying is that the more I learn, the less I know!


I don't want to play fish nutritionist. You've convinced me not to try to spend the time. I'd rather let someone else do that and just enjoy my fish.



> The Community Plus should be a great product and would be my goto for most tanks. The Soilent Green would be a good choice if you have a lot of rock picking species, but like I said, as long as everyone eats it, you are good. The Meat Pie makes a great fry food because if it's higher protein levels.


Thanks for that as it's reassuring and very helpful in getting a plan together.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Prov, would you feed this food to your Tropheus?


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

If I still had them, yes, I'd try them on it. If the answer to that was no, then I wouldn't be trying it at all.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I'll admit, it has me interested. I'm not sure that I would feed it to Trophs myself though. I don't want them nibbling on food all day or just pigging out on a chunk of food until it's gone. I also can't see it working well for cyps/paracyps for that matter, seeing as they eat the food only when it's in the water column and not on the floor of the tank. I have no doubts about the quality of the food, I just don't think I keep the type of fish that it would suit.


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## KraKstar (Aug 15, 2011)

can someone pm me the link to buy this stuff? im interested....


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

You don't have to feed it in blocks, I don't intend to. You can grate it into smaller pieces. Google it for sources and videos, etc. There are a lot of creative ways out there to feed.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

prov356 said:


> You don't have to feed it in blocks, I don't intend to. You can grate it into smaller pieces. Google it for sources and videos, etc. There are a lot of creative ways out there to feed.


I didn't realize that, I have only seen a video of it geing fed in blocks. I'll do a search. Thanks.


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

Also keep in mind that once you mix the powder with water you are diluting the nutrients. At first this turned me off, but I actually thinks its a better way now. The fish can feed over a period of time (anything from 1-24 hours, some say longer) and still get the same nutrition as they would from a pellet. Instead of digesting one nutrient packed meal like pellets the fish are digesting a less nutrient dense food over a longer period of time.

If you do some research, the main argument against the food is based on aquaculture. Again, I bought into it at first, but after stepping back and thinking about it I don't think I want to treat my fish like "stock". My fish are not cows that I want to pack on weight and size as fast as possible, so I don't think farms that raise fish for food consumption are a good comparison. I'm sure you will find the thread I am talking about if you look into the food.

I imagine the tropheus would feed until full and then continue to graze on the food for the rest of the time.

I won't be converting totally from pellets, but I can for sure see feeding this food three or four times a week.


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

noddy said:


> I'll admit, it has me interested. I'm not sure that I would feed it to Trophs myself though. I don't want them nibbling on food all day


That's kind of what a Tropheus was born to do  In habitat, it takes a lot of grazing and picking at rocks to get a full belly and by the time they have eaten enough to do that, they are likely ejecting what they ate at a rate similar to their intake rate. It is more natural for a grazer to graze until full, take a break, and then graze again, than it is to eat as many pellets as they can in five minutes, completely empty their gut, and wait for hours before the next binge feeding opportunity arrives.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Allen Repashy said:


> noddy said:
> 
> 
> > I'll admit, it has me interested. I'm not sure that I would feed it to Trophs myself though. I don't want them nibbling on food all day
> ...


Now that I see you can spread the food on a rock, it is something I would try. I certainly wouldn't have them chewing on a block of food all day though.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Allen Repashy said:


> I have several more formulas in the final stages. One of which, I think might get some attention here. It is an Algae based (35% algae blend) Vegan formula (using isolated plant proteins in addition to that from Algae). It contains no animal protein of any kind but is still a high protein formula. Green and Blue Green Algae's are typically 50+ % protein, so I don't get the logic when people say that algae eaters need low protein diets. They just need the right kind of protein IMHO.
> 
> The target species for this formula will be Tropheus, Petrochromis, and other Obligate Algae eating fish and inverts.... Nerite Snails go nuts for it too.


That's great to have you posting information about the food on this forum. When will the algae based food be available? I have trophs and petros and would be very interested in trying it out.


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

zimmy said:


> When will the algae based food be available? I have trophs and petros and would be very interested in trying it out.


The Soilent Green is Algae Based but does contain aquatic organisms also. The Vegan Algae formula should be out by the end of the month. Honestly, I am just waiting for a good photo, and to decide on a good name for the product. Probably going to use an Oto unless someone on here can send me a nice Tropheus pic to use. As far as names..... the Beta Test name was "Super Green" but it just hasn't grown on me. If anyone has a good name idea, please throw it out there.

"Green Grazer", "Algae Grazer" "Super Grazer" maybe?

Here are a couple links to Ted Judy's video for those of you who haven't seen them.


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## KraKstar (Aug 15, 2011)

just watched your vids. so how do you store this product? i only have three tanks of three different species and wouldnt need much to feed them daily. i have a very active lifestyle and i have time to feed when i wake and feed when i go to sleep. i saw the rule of how much for fry but is there a general rule so your not feeding juvi to adult cichlids to much? i know cichlids are opportunistic eaters and i have had a problem of over feeding. another question, *** got mbuna in one tank, haps and peacocks in another and comps and calvus in the last tank. would i benifit from different varities of your food or would the community suit me to make things easier? im guessing personal preference? my comps and calvus and finicky eaters and even NLS doesnt intregue them unless i starve them. thanks for the help.


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

"Strictly Green"

"Green Acres" :lol:

"Envy Green"

"Algae Buffet"

Super Grazer sounds good too though

Someone send Allen a great Tropheus pic for crying out loud


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> That's kind of what a Tropheus was born to do In habitat, it takes a lot of grazing and picking at rocks to get a full belly and by the time they have eaten enough to do that, they are likely ejecting what they ate at a rate similar to their intake rate. It is more natural for a grazer to graze until full, take a break, and then graze again, than it is to eat as many pellets as they can in five minutes, completely empty their gut, and wait for hours before the next binge feeding opportunity arrives.


I had the same thought. The way I fed mine they gorged themselves, being the little pigs that they were. Very unnatural for them. Grazing is much more natural.

Allen, I think I read where you can change the hardness of the end product by adding more or less water? What's the best ratio of water to mix if you want to get something that adult fish like tropheus have to work on for a while and can't just scrape off the rocks in a short time?


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## jeffmo78 (Dec 5, 2006)

Some name ideas for the Vegan Algae formula:

Vegan Supreme, Veggie Pie, Algae Delicacy, Vegan Delicacy, Simply Vegan

Maybe free samples for whoever came up with the name you choose (assuming you dont choose a name yourself :lol: )

Eitherway having it on the label would be reward enough imo!

Jeff


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

prov356 said:


> > Allen, I think I read where you can change the hardness of the end product by adding more or less water? What's the best ratio of water to mix if you want to get something that adult fish like tropheus have to work on for a while and can't just scrape off the rocks in a short time?


Mix it at 2 parts water to 1 part powder. This will give you a really firm gel. It also will set really quickly, so you need to be ready to pour it. if it comes out too thick to use this way, you can mix more water back in and try it again.

Allen


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

My food came in yesterday. Initial thoughts, easy to mix up and I bought some small Glad containers to store the food in. So preparation and storage is simple enough.

As far as feeding, the apistogrammas, Alfaro cultratus, Heros Sp. Atabapo and the pike went for the food, but the N. Gracilis ignored it. So pretty good success rate once they figure out the big block is food. I do have to watch out where I put it in the apistogramma tank, the females go beserk if everybody starts congregating around their caves.

I read some people complaining about a smell, but I did not notice anything crazy? My NLS smells worse than the repashy food when I open it.

Everybody else that mentioned trying let us know how your fish respond. Or better yet share some tricks on how to get fish like my neolamp gracilis to start feeding on the food.


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## eeztropheus (Jan 10, 2010)

This is the first I've heard of this type of food. After watching the videos I really want to give it a try.

As a tropheus keeper and total fish addict I think the name GrazeAholics would work well... :thumb:


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

Hey Aaron,

Mash a little bit of the Repashy food up and feed it to the N.gracilis as they are not used to it yet.

The mid water feeders take a little more time to figure that it is good food and mashing it really helps.Also make a small batch with a little more water to make it more like a thick soup.

I can't believe someone would complain about the smell of this food,it smells like fresh algae to me.The fish like the smell but I would not eat eat personally.

If they think that smells bad they should get a nose full of Prime or better yet the dry form Safe.


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

Yeah, I agree the smell was not bad at all, my girlfriend was visiting while I made the stuff and she never mentioned a smell. She complains about the NLS smelling. I have only tried the shrimp scoufle though, maybe the meat pie smells worse?

I will try making a softer version. They ate some when I tore off some little pieces for them, but to be honest its easier to feed a pellet to them in that tank since it has a good bit of rock work and current.

On a brighter note, the food is working well with my Atabapo. They currently have fry and take them into their mouths every time I walk into the room, but I did catch a glimpse of the fry picking at the block of repashy.


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## jeffmo78 (Dec 5, 2006)

My "Soilent Green" order came in yesterday. I plan on "baking" it this weekend. My plan is to pour it into a large sized freezer ziplock bag and lay it on my counter top so it spreads out in hopes of producing one large wafer sized piece of food that i can then freeze and break off pieces as i see fit to feed my various fish with. My only concern is how much it will want to stick to the sides of the bag and that once it sets and is frozen how difficult will it be to seperate it from the bag. This concern led me to a second plan. Laying out wax paper and pouring it onto the wax paper. This should produce the same this wafer size plus i could make multiple "pancakes" of food in various sizes and thicknesess. Anyways its mad scientist time at my house this weekend. I'll post pictures of my creations.

:fish:


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Tried some yesterday with my mbuna and fry tanks. First I fed blocks, which they totally ignored for a few minutes, until they realized what they were. After that it was game on, they were gone in 5 or 6 minutes. Later on in the day I took a rock out and reheated a few blocks for spreading on the rock, so the fish could graze on it. I found that the food doesn't stick well to wet, algae covered rocks. They ended up tearing large pieces off of the rocks. Today I'm going to try using a plastic bag to spread the liquid more into the rock instead of just spooning it on.
I also tried a block in a 10g fry tank. As I expected, they totally ignored it. However, within a few minutes they were like angry bees attacking an exterminator. I checked back about an hour later, there was still about half a cube left and all of the fry had big (little?) bellies.
I might try string with icecube trays as well, so the blocks hang in the water, otherwise the blocks tend to get trapped under rocks.


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

Great feedback GTZ. No matter what you do, It won't stick to a smooth rock. You need to use something coarse... like lava or coral and it will stick until it's gone. The back side of tiles works great too because it is made for grout to stick to. Rough wood holds it well also.

Cheers, Allen


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## Ollie (Sep 22, 2009)

Hi Allen,
Are these foods going to be availible in the UK?

Regards

Ollie


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

Hi Ollie,

It will be available online in bags from http://www.repashy.co.uk/ and retailers will be able to get the jars from EuroRep. The first shipment is planned for Middle of March, so it should be available by April 1st if all goes according to plan. I don't think the first shipment will be very large because the demand is unknown, so feel free to contact these guys and let them know you do want to see these formulas over there.

Cheers, Allen


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## FishFlake (Mar 7, 2010)

I've been using the Community Plus for 3-4 days in 2 of my tanks. My Rainbow cichlids completely ignore it. I've tried using it in blocks, small pieces, shreds, mushed up. No reaction at all from them. I've fed them nothing else during that time. The food is still there at lights out, but gone in the morning, so I suspect the BN plecos are liking it.

In my tang tank, it's totally different. Of course they'll eat anything, but their enthusiasm over this food is a few notches higher than for any other food. My calvus are especially excited about it compared to their usual diet of NLS and X-treme.

I'm looking forward to trying it with shrimp, corys and rams.


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## jeffmo78 (Dec 5, 2006)

I mixed up my batch of food Saturday 2/18 and proceeded as planned. Poured it into the large freezer bag and layed it on my counter worked as suspected into making one large wafer shaped piece. My roomate came over as well and mixed his Commmunity up. The smell when I mixed mine (I used boiling water and added the poweder to it) was minimal. But my roomate chose to mix it then zap it in the microwave as per the instructions. The microwave method stunk up the whole house! I imagine since there is a fan running it broadcasts the smell over a longer period of time. So if you are smell sensitive...use the boiling water directions.

I spread the scrapings from the mixing bowl onto two flat rocks and the current in my tank was able to dislodge the gel from the rocks. I had a couple rocks to chose from one a boulder/granite type rock and the other was some lace rock. I think next time I'll try the lace rock the granite is not a very pourous rock therefore I believe this to be why the food did not stick well. Nevertheless the fish didnt seem to care. In my mostly mbuna tank the food was devoured by all. The Trewavasae pigged out big time. In my Nasuta/Cyps tank the Nasuta didnt seem to mind gorging on it at all. The also took little time to indulge on this new delicacy. The Cyps however didnt take to it much. The ones that did eat mearly mouthed it spit it back out then mouthed it again. My guess is it will take some time for them to adjust to eating it or I'll have to try squishing the food into smaller bits. Until then they'll have to settle for NLS.... :roll:

As for the remaining food. It sits flat in my freezer as I type this waiting for me to break the next chunk off and feed. I do have a couple of questions. When i remove it from the freezer and break a piece off. Should thaw that piece out before I feed it. Will it harm my fish if I do not? After freezing it and thawing it can it be stuck to a piece of rock? Or will that only work after my initial mixing of the ingrediant when it is still in a more liquid form? Currently I just break a piece off and soak it in a small glass of aquarium water to allow it to thaw and then just toss the chunk in the aqaurium. For the curious, this food sinks.

All in all. I like it. I'll more then likely get more when this is gone. It's fun (maybe just a little messy) to have raw ingredients and "make" the food myself. It seems....a little more natural then feeding pellets. I hope others keep posting their findings in this thread so the working knowledge base for this food can grow.


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## littleolme (Nov 1, 2011)

Any other updates from those who are trying it? I've been following this thread closely and want to try it, I'm just not 100% convinced of whether I should by the community or the soilent green.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

It's going to remain a niche food for me. Nothing against the food. I'll use it to feed fry. But, my fry haven't been attacking it like I'd hoped. So far, they've ignored it. My adults aren't sure about the consistency. Lots of taking it in and spitting it back out. It does eventually get eaten. Takes time, I know. I'm also lazy and don't like preparing the food, even though it's very easy. Still extra steps and feeding isn't my favorite thing as it is. I've got a good routine down with what I'm using that works really well, so like I said, it'll be a niche food same as microworm and decapsulated brine eggs. I don't see myself making any major changes to the main feeding routine right now. But, I'll work with it more in time.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Still using it, mainly for fry (they love it) but every few days for adult mbuna as well.
I have yet to try it smeared into a rock, poured on doesn't adhere well.
I tried the string and ice cube tray method, both refrigerated and frozen, each time the cube gets pulled off the string within 30 seconds.
Next I'm going to try shaving it, or dicing into small bits.
Before, with the larger chunks, the water gets quite cloudy, so hopefully the bite sized bits will get eaten before they have a chance to cloud the water.
I've been alternating between Community and Soilent and haven't noticed any difference in preference.


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

I'm going to feed what I have, but my fish are not showing much interest in the food, so I won't repurchase. Not like everybody else seems to be experiencing anyway. My main complaint is the food is messy and I'm not sure how much to feed.


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

I make much more mess feeding my fish pellets than the Repashy gel food.Pellets get sucked up into the power filter if not turned off,on the top of sponge filters and under rocks where they rot.The gel food goes straight to the bottom of the tank where the fish feed.Any cloudiness in the water clears up in no time at all.Not all fish will like to eat it and many takes some time to get used to it.I start feeding them a very small amount and then come back in a couple hours to see if it is gone.I then adjust accordingly the amount given just like any other type food.Anyone used to feeding frozen fish formulas will have no issue and pellet feeders will take a little time to get used it.It looks like a large amount of gel food given but 75% of it is water and it is almost impossible to overfeed the fish with it.

With that said I am still going to feed most of my adult fish mainly pellets as it is the best bang for the $.For fry the Repashy food works great.My Dwarf Sumbu fry love it! As well as the C.furcifer and gobies.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

I added some finely diced pieces to a cup with tank water. Swirled and dumped. This worked better for keeping the water clear. There was enough for everyone as evidenced by all of my fish looking like they were brooding


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

My fry are just not going for it, I have been trying to get them to eat it since I got it. I crushed it up, fed it whole, ect, but no takers. Of course they will pick at it from time to time, but that is about it. I have not tried any other formula besides the shrimp souffle though.

Idk if I agree pellets are messier, according to how you feed I guess.

For fry, I can swipe my finger along the microworm culture and the small guys can eat on that all day since the worms live for several hours. So no need to replace that. I do wish I had something similar for when they get larger, hence the interest in Repashy.


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## tjudy (Jul 27, 2006)

Great discussion of a great food! I use the food almost exclusively now (full disclosure... I am also a distributor of the food), but when I started with it I was thinking I would only use it for growing fry. Repashy is uniquely suited for providing grow out tanks with a ready source of food for the fry to feed on all day. By playing with amounts I have figure out how much to feed for 100 fry to be able to eat on it all day. It is great to see fish with full constantly full bellies, and the increase in growth rates are reflecting that.

Then I expected to have to change the water more often... but that has not been the case. Traditional dry foods contain a lot of relatively indigestible binders that end up passing through the fish and increasing the nitrogenous waste load in the tank. Repashy has a lot less binder (5% compared to 20%+) and the binder is a more easily digestible algae protein. Short answer.... there is a lot less poop on the bottom of the tank. When I feed the bristlenose plecos zuchini or pellet food, I get long strings of **** all over the bottom of the tank. This does not happen with Repashy. I am assuming that this indicates that a higher percentage of the food is actually being used metabolically by the fish.

I have a page with information, videos and comments about the food if you are interested in seeing it: www.tedsfishroom.com/repashy


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## ahud (Aug 22, 2009)

Tjudy, (or anyone else)

Hopefully we can get this discussion going and I can learn something. I know next to nothing about food and if any questions or comments sound personal I promise I do not mean them that way. Usually these food threads take the bad road and I would hate to see that here.

First of all, a lot of people that are pushing the food comment on how much the fish like it. That does absolutely nothing for me and I wish there were more facts instead of just generic comments such as "the fish go nuts, the fish attack the food, ect". Not to mention, that has not been my experience at all, everything except my apistogramma and Alfaro cultratus ignored the food even after multiple feedings. I think these generic comments hype the food up a bit, and make it tough to get better answers. Not to mention it is kind of useless info, I have had fish that refuse NLS at first, but after starving them I get them accustomed to it

Second, since the food is 75% water would that not make the fish poop more? I would see that as being the reason for more poop versus the use of less binder. Thoughts?

Third, since the food is 75% water how do you know how much to feed? Do you try to feed what the fish will eat in 8-12 hours or is there some other type of method?

Fourth, RD (A fellow from MonsterfishKeeper who was sort of snarky, but I thought he raised some good questions) stated that since the food has so much water that it is actually way less nutrient dense than a pellet. Is this a bad thing? Again, how do we know how much to feed? *Can the fish even eat enough of the gel in an acceptable time frame to get as much nutrients as they would from a pellet?*

Fifth, have you tried all of the formulas? Are any taken with more gusto than others? I don't understand why my fish turn up their noses at the shrimp souffle, the fry even blow it back out instead of eating it!

As an aside, I have no idea if our fish even need as much nutrition as we give them via pellets. After all, they are not livestock that we are trying to fatten up as much as possible. I hear people that have seen wild fish so that our tank kept fish look fat. I wish food was not such a difficult topic! I think this hobby has more myths, tall tales, ect then any other. Not to mention everybody is an expert and that contributes to the problem.


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## dmiller328 (Nov 17, 2008)

I don't think anyone here is "pushing" the food, even Repashy stated that he believed this is a niche food. The purpose of this forum is to comment on our personal experience and what works for us personally,there is nothing "generic" about that.My experience with the Repashy food is for the most part positive but there are certain species that like it much better than others such as the algae grazers and rock pickers.Fish that eat in the water column don't go for it nearly as much.I do have some Tang killifish that will eat it as it falls.

When it comes to water content of the food, it is actually more like them eating animals and algae in the wild that is mainly made up of water. This does not cause them to poop more. Looking at many packages of frozen fish food and many times it will state the protein% in wet form and dry.

When most feed pellets they are eaten within a few minutes while the Repashy is stretched for an hour or more.I don't know for fish nutrition,but for us humans spreading out the food over the course of the day keeps our metabolism much higher than just eating one big meal.

I have given out samples to people that was interested in trying it b/c it is not for everyone or every fish.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Any word yet on when the Vegan Algae formula will become available?

I'd like to try it with my trophs and petros.


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

Honestly, the only thing holding things up at with the Vegan Formula at this point is a good photo of a Tropheus or Petrochromis so I can finish the label! hint hint.

Photographer get's their name printed on every label..... anyone...... Bueller?

Allen


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

I'd be all over that if I stocked either


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## littleolme (Nov 1, 2011)

I took the plunge and picked up a 2 oz pack of Soilent Green at the DRAS annual auction from one of the vendors to try it with my mbunas and bushynose plecos.

My acei, yellow labs, rusties and plecos all love it and took to it immediately. It took my saulosi a bit to figure out it was food but once they did, it was eaten pretty quickly. My acei fry also took to it immediately. I'm not sure the term "grazing" applies, my fry seemed to eat for about 4 hours constantly until it was all gone! The adults ate it all in minutes.

I find the consistancy a bit loose when following the recommended mixing directions, I think I'll mix it with a bit more powder next time I make it so it's a bit firmer. I might try to apply it to a piece of lace rock and see how that works out as well. Whoever said it stinks, I agree, I'm glad I mixed it outside. As far as water clarity, it was kind of messy in the water column with my adult fish as they tore into it pretty quickly but I have an AC70 with a skimmer and it cleared up pretty quickly. Within 30 minutes I couldn't find a trace of it anywhere in the water column or on the substrate.


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## lufbramatt (Jun 6, 2011)

This stuff sounds great and could be a solution for feeding my syno. lucipinnis catfish- their previous favourite food, tetra wafers, had to be stopped after one of my comps got one wedged in it's jaw- but is it stocked anywhere in the UK? I can only find the reptile foods over here


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

http://www.repashy.co.uk/
It isn't listed yet so you may need to message them for specific ordering information.


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## AlphaWild (Apr 9, 2009)

Our club had Mr. Repashy as a guest speaker last week. I don't have much to report that hasn't already been discussed or posted on the recommended sites. I will just give my impression that the man seems to know his stuff, and is obviously more interested in producing a quality product than making a ton of money. Thanks for coming out to CAFE Alan!


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## Allen Repashy (Feb 8, 2012)

Thanks for having me out!

I had a great time at the meeting and an even greater time over the following days out seining the local streams and rivers for native fish.... The greenside darters were absolutely fantastic in their full breeding colors.

Cheers, Allen


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

For what it's worth, I have recently prepared my first batch of Shrimp Souffle. Thanks, Allen, for making samples available to CF moderators! I found the food easy to prepare, and contrary to some other reports, my fish go for the stuff like no tomorrow!

The only fry I have right now are Frontosa (Burundi), and Julidochromis marlieri 'Gombe'. Even the smallest Juli fry nibble away on the food like it's the best thing they ever tasted. After a day, the Frontosa fry looked like they were some kind of balloon variety! Another thing I noticed was that my Synodhontis lucipinnis went absolutely crazy over the gel! I have never seen them go for any other food quite like this. But even other adult fish seemed to eat more than they would if I put NLS pellets into the tank, which is what my fish usually get. I guess for fry the more they eat, the faster they'll grow, but for adult fish one will have to be careful not to overfeed!

Making the gel is no big deal, but of course feeding pellets is still more convenient. I can't see myself switching from NLS entirely, but as an occasional treat and as a convenient food source for small fry, I think I am always going to keep some Repashy Gel Food handy :thumb:


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## lufbramatt (Jun 6, 2011)

Good news about the synos liking it  I think I'll try to get hold of some of this stuff now, I've found my synos to be kinda fussy eaters.


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## lufbramatt (Jun 6, 2011)

Got a reply from the UK distributors, apparently they are trying to import it from the states but have some issues with customs that they are working hard to sort out. They indicated that it should be available around July.


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