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DIY Frozen Reef Food Recipe For Fish & Corals

Reef Chili was originally a frozen fish and coral food that Ryan Batcheller formulated because he was tired of buying several different foods just to provide complete nutrition for an entire reef tank. Fast forward 15 years and Reef Chili is now the #1 selling dry coral food, plus BRS now offers a full line of single-ingredient fish foods you can mix and match to create your own multi-ingredient food for fish, corals, and invertebrates.

Why Make Your Own Food?

You can create a nutrient-dense food that is tailored to the needs of your entire tank. That means one custom formula for fish, corals, and invertebrates. Depending on the cost of frozen seafood locally and the exact recipe you choose, making your own food can also save money. It also means you do not have to store 10 different varieties of food or worry as much about whether every fish is getting the right type of nutrition.

Even if you do not want to make a frozen blend using fresh seafood, you can still mix multiple dry foods using BRS single-ingredient foods, Reef Chili powder, and a high-quality pellet. A dry blend like this is convenient and gives your fish and corals a broader mix of nutrition than a single food alone.

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Nutrition Matters

Insufficient nutrition is one of the leading causes of poor fish health in captivity. Nutritious foods that are appropriate for the animals in your care can help increase vitality, improve coloration, support immunity, and contribute to a longer, healthier life.

"Nutrition is our biggest failure and opportunity" - Ryan Batcheller

Ingredients for frozen Reef Chili

What You'll Need

It is best to buy tools and keep them specifically for making fish food for sanitary reasons. The knives will take a beating and the food processor will carry a fishy smell after use. Trust us, you will not want to use these tools for your own food afterward.

Tools

  • Food processor with cheese grater blade
  • Cleaver
  • Cutting board
  • Large mixing spoons
  • Disposable pans or containers for mixing

Storage Supplies

  • Ice
  • Quality plastic freezer bags with thick walls
  • Vacuum sealer and bags, optional
  • Freezer space for flat-packed portions
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Download The Recipe

Download a PDF version of the Frozen Reef Chili Recipe.

The ingredients below can be chosen based on your tank's inhabitants and are designed to be built upon one another starting with the Primary Proteins Mix. Work in progression and add additional ingredients based on the nutritional requirements of your fish and corals.

This recipe makes approximately 4 pounds of frozen food and was designed to make the best use of the liquid ingredients so you do not have leftovers. You can adjust the overall amounts, just do your best to keep the proportions consistent.

Frozen Reef Food Recipe Ingredients

Base Recipe

Primary Proteins Mix

This is the base of the different recipes and starts with grocery store seafood, freeze-dried ingredients, and quality pellets to help round out the nutrition.

For Tangs, Rabbitfish & Blennies

Herbivore Blend

Many reef fish are herbivores, most notably tangs, rabbitfish, various blennies, and other grazers. To accommodate these species, add seaweed and algae-based foods to the Primary Proteins Mix.

For Small Fish & LPS

Small Active Fish And LPS Corals

Small, active fish often have small mouths, small digestive tracts, and high energy demands. Anthias and chromis are common examples. These ingredients add small, nutrient-dense particles that can also be consumed by many LPS corals.

For Mature Reef Tanks

Food Supplements

Adding supplements to the food mix can benefit both fish and corals. While not required, they are a useful option for biologically established or mature reef tanks that can handle the additional nutrient input.

For Coral Feeding

Coral Food Additions

This list is tailored for corals that benefit from suspended small-particle foods in the water column. You do not need to use everything on this list. Reef Chili alone can be enough.

Prepare the ingredients and tools Prepare the mixing trays with ice Liquid and dry ingredients measured out separately Chopped frozen ingredients Mixing ingredients together Plastic bags filled with Reef Chili fish food

Preparation And Storage

Keep everything frozen. Be sure the seafood is clean and pure. Remove shells or tails from shrimp and other shellfish and check ingredient labels carefully to make sure there are no additives or chemicals. If frozen water is encasing the seafood, chip away as much as possible before using it. Do not defrost the frozen ingredients and attempt to refreeze them. This can result in mushy food.

Work fast, keep all tools as cold as possible, and keep ingredients frozen. To save time, mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl before you start chopping. This lets you quickly add them to the frozen mix without stopping to measure each ingredient.

1

Prepare Your Mixing Trays

Add a layer of ice inside the bottom tray to keep the food cold while you work.

2

Measure Liquid Ingredients

Measure the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl so they can be added quickly later.

3

Measure Dry Ingredients

Measure the dry ingredients in another bowl and keep them ready for mixing.

4

Chop Frozen Ingredients

Chop frozen ingredients one at a time in a food processor using the grater blade. Blenders and traditional chopper blades tend to create mush instead of chunks. If frozen pieces are too large, use the cleaver and cutting board before placing them into the food processor.

5

Mix Everything Cold

Add chopped ingredients into the cold trays, then mix in the liquid ingredients followed by the dry ingredients. Mix quickly by hand with large plastic spoons and keep everything cold.

6

Package Into Portions

Package the food into individual flat freezer bags about 1/2 inch thick or use cube trays if preferred. Vacuum-sealed bags work great but are not required. Portion into amounts your tank can consume within about one month.

7

Freeze And Store

Place the food into the freezer and keep it frozen until use. Share extras with friends or sell it locally if you make more than your tank needs.

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Feeding Tip

Break off or thaw only what your fish and corals can consume quickly. Overfeeding even high-quality homemade food can still raise nitrate and phosphate.