Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => Fish Food and Feeding => Topic started by: sjames on May 16, 2017, 09:22:21 AM

Title: Natural Foods
Post by: sjames on May 16, 2017, 09:22:21 AM
Morning, I have read a few articles about peas, courgettes etc.

Are there any given food that adds to the health of the fish for variety but doesn't cause too much of a change to conditions?

Do you 'fling' a few peas in? Kind of joking, but unsure of the way to proceed, that's beneficial but safe.

thanks
Title: Re: Natural Foods
Post by: Sue on May 16, 2017, 01:41:42 PM
You can feed various fruits & veg to fish. The most commonly used as cucumber, courgette and peas.

Courgette is more nutritious than cucumber. With both of these microwave a slice in a bit of water for 20 to 30 secs then skewer the slice onto something like an old stainless steel teaspoon. You can buy clips that attach to the tank wall with a sucker, or a device called a screwcumber though be careful with those if you have a fish just the right size to get stuck in one. If you have wood with spikey branches in the tank you can skewer a slice on those too.
We don't eat courgette very often so when I fed that I just sliced a whole one and froze all but the slice I was about to feed on a tray then packed the frozen slices in a bag. If they've been frozen they don't need microwaving as freezing softens them
Remove any left overs after 24 hours as decomposing courgette/cucumber makes a mess in the water.

Peas should be cooked first. Either cook some specially or save some from your meal. Pop the insides out of the skin and chop till the pieces are small enough to fit in the mouths of the smallest fish. Don't use many peas till you find out how fast they go as uneaten chopped peas are not as easy to remove as a slice of courgette.


I have read of sliced banana being used - skewer that as for courgette, but it doesn't need softeneng
Title: Re: Natural Foods
Post by: adenann on May 16, 2017, 02:43:07 PM
 :wave: @Sue

Don't peas have "cleansing" properties? I've read elsewhere that they can be used to cure constipation  :sick: (in fish) caused by overfeeding.

If that's correct, would you feed peas regularly (no pun intended) :rotfl: or just to add variety

Do the other vegetables and fruit have the same properties?
 :cheers:
Title: Re: Natural Foods
Post by: Sue on May 16, 2017, 03:12:52 PM
I wouldn't use any veg more than once a week except for strictly vegetarian fish which can be fed veggies more often.
And rotate the veg so that any one type is fed no more frequently that once every 2 weeks.

These veg are not part of the natural diet of fish - they don't grow in rivers and lakes - which is why I wouldn't feed them too often. Peas can be used for constipated fish, but daphnia is as good and a food that fish do come across in the wild.
Title: Re: Natural Foods
Post by: sjames on May 17, 2017, 10:14:35 AM
brilliant thanks....

re the peas, we are just talking about a cooked garden pea, is that right? ie the small round bits? I know that's poss daft but Sue you mention pop out of the skin, by this did you mean the pea case or actually the skin of the small pea itself?
Title: Re: Natural Foods
Post by: Sue on May 17, 2017, 11:09:19 AM
I mean just plain peas, like the ones in bags of frozen peas. Each little pea has a skin round it and when you cook them you can squeeze the pea and the inside pops out of this skin. Fish won't eat the skin, just the inside. If you put the skin in the tank it just sits there and rots so it is easier to use just the inside of the pea.
Title: Re: Natural Foods
Post by: Littlefish on May 17, 2017, 05:15:08 PM
Most of my gang get cooked, skinned, chopped & squashed peas once every week or so. They seem to really enjoy their pea feed.
Title: Re: Natural Foods
Post by: MarquisMirage on May 17, 2017, 06:40:06 PM
I've seen green tinned beans used straight out of the can but haven't tried it myself.  Blanched sweet potatoes are also good for vegetarian fish.