Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Food and Feeding => Topic started by: Hampalong on May 26, 2018, 12:07:35 AM

Title: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: Hampalong on May 26, 2018, 12:07:35 AM
Well I never knew. I tell people to feed courgette because cucumber is "not all that nutritious". How wrong I've been. It's a god damn Superfood!! No wonder fish love it.
And we should too. Lots of other handy uses aswell...
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: Matt on May 26, 2018, 07:58:01 AM
Well I quite enjoyed that... the summary of the article seems to be rub cucumber on every available surface. I have images of cleaning cupboards being replaced with mini fridges all over the country and mail order next day delivery cucumbers...  they will soon evolve and take over the world!
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: Sue on May 26, 2018, 12:31:39 PM
It's a good job fish aren't like me - I can't stand cucumber, the taste or the smell. If I buy a salad sandwich the first thing I do is remove the cucumber  ;D

Tip #4 looks interesting though, and if it's outdoors I won't have to smell it  :)
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: TopCookie on May 26, 2018, 05:32:09 PM
I'm with Sue on the cucumber question...  Once left a chunk of cucumber in the veggie draw of the fridge for far too long - it turned into the most fowl smelling liquid you can imagine...!!!  Horrid stuff...!!!  :vcross:
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: Matt on May 26, 2018, 05:46:02 PM
Ahhh yes but the draw never steamed up again, and has visibly less cellulite!

I must admit Mrs Matt is with you on the smell and taste etc.
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: fcmf on May 26, 2018, 06:11:26 PM
I'm not sure you were all that wrong, @Hampalong. Not sure about the quality of the source. However, I've had a hunt around and, although not convinced about the reputation of the source either (nutritiondata.self.com), I've had a look at courgette .v. cucumber nutritional value comparisons. NB. They refer to amounts per cup or half cup, which of course is much more than a human (or fish) would eat. Based on equal quantities of a cup, though, then:
vit.A, in IUs: courgette (248); cucumber (109) - courgette more nutritious.
vit.C in mgs: courgette (21.1); cucumber (3) - courgette more nutritious.
vit.K in mcgs: courgette (5.3); cucumber (17) - cucumber more nutritious.
folate in mcgs: courgette (36.0); cucumber (7.2) - courgette more nutritious.
calcium in mgs: courgette (18.6); cucumber (16.6) - courgette slightly more nutritious.
magnesium in mgs: courgette (21.1); cucumber (13.6) - courgette more nutritious.
phosphate in mgs: courgette (47.1); cucumber (25) - courgette more nutritious.
potassium in mgs: courgette (325); cucumber (152.8) - courgette more nutritious.
sodium in mgs: courgette (12.4); cucumber (2.0) - courgette higher value.

Hope that's helpful - although not sure how much different species of fish need these vits and minerals!  :fishy1:

Edited to add: although I eat it regularly, I didn't think cucumber had a smell at all - but then remembered what I considered a delicious smell and taste when I first tried it in a glass of water. So I'm afraid I'm in the other camp from Sue, Top Cookie and Mrs Matt.
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: Hampalong on May 26, 2018, 11:47:57 PM
They refer to amounts per cup or half cup, which of course is much more than a human (or fish) would eat...

I'm not a human (or a fish). I could eat a whole cucumber very easily. Without the skin of course, that's very bitter. Love em. A salad isn't a salad without it.

Re sandwiches, I have to take the tomatoes out... horrible things, although I can eat meals that use them as an ingredient, and I love tomato sauce.

Thanks for the extra research fcmf, nice to know I wasn't as wrong as I thought I was.

🥒
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: Sue on May 27, 2018, 10:28:13 AM
I like tomatoes  :)

I grow them, 2 in the greenhouse in case the weather is awful, and 2 in the garden in case the greenhouse ones get attacked by bugs. I have just been in the garden potting the greenhouse pair into their final pots; the garden pair will be planted out in the next few days. Gardener's Delight are so much tastier than supermarket tomatoes  ;D
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: TopCookie on May 27, 2018, 03:25:18 PM
+1 for good home grown tomatoes...   :D
Title: Re: Cucumber the Superfood
Post by: Littlefish on May 28, 2018, 09:15:09 AM
I also grow cucumbers in a grow house. Very popular in the river tank.
This is the first year I'm going to try some tomatoes outside, as they are usually in a growhouse too.