Fish Feeding Advice Please

I crush the flakes in my hand as well. I reckon that if I'm only feeding a few flakes, the more particles there are the more chance there is for everyone to get some.

It could be that the fish don't like the gel those delica things are in. I've only used them once or twice as I find frozen cubes easier to deal with.
You will have to buy some equipment as I don't think SWIMBO would approve of you hijacking the kitchen things - a tea strainer and a cheap sharp knife. And if you happen to have a spare tile left over from doing the bathroom, that'll come in handy too. Save a small yoghurt pot or some such (I favour those individual cheesecake pots)

Squeeze the delica gel into the tea strainer and wash the gel off, and feed what's left in the strainer. When you've used it all, get some frozen cubes of bloodworm and brine shrimp. Use your new knife and the spare bathroom tile as a chopping board to chop a portion off a cube. With bloodworm, shave layers off as that also chops up the worms.  Deposit the rapidly defrosting bits into the yoghurt pot and add a bit of tank water. The water goes red with bloodworm - unless I've choped the bits up so small they'd go through the strainer, I strain them then feed the bits. I also strain brine shrimp and wash to remove any salt.


If the broccoli debris includes just the tiny flower heads, yes you can try those. Microwave them in some water to blanch them first, then keep an eye on if the fish actually eat them. If they do, good, feed that again. If they don't, siphon it out before it goes off.
With peas, you'll need to mash the insides up quite small for your fish. Turn the filter off just before you drop it in, but don't forget to turn it back on 5 mins later. If you leave the filter running, it'll get sucked up before the fish can get it. Voice of experience 

Hi Ken,
My lot love a bit of courgette...I originally put some in for my otos before I had a good crop of algae for them...but all the fish went crazy for it. Same goes...get thickish slice, say about 1/4 inch, (sorry, I do old money ) put a few drops of water with it in a cup or similar and microwave it for around about 20 seconds , just to soften it slightly, make sure it is cooled and drop it in to the tank. If it floats, hold it down with something...a rock... or a tank ( ) or put a stainless steel fork through it and let that weigh it down.
I hook any they haven't eaten out after a couple of hours.

Bon appetit, fishies

Resa
 

You can use cucumber, but courgette has more food value.

My husband doesn't like courgette either. I used to feed it a few years ago. I bought just one, sliced it then froze it on a sheet. When frozen, bag it. The advantage with that is that you don't have to microwave it after thawing as the freeze-thaw process softens it.


I can't think why on earth I stopped feeding it 

Cheers, 
Guess who went out for a meal tonight and slipped a bit of cucumber into the doggie bag.   
(We've also got a parrot who goes mad if we don't bring him back a tidbit.)

Said (washed) cucumber slice is now weighted down under a few rocks awaiting attention... 

I nearly got a parrot when I was a kid. My brother and his mates had one in their cabin on the ship he was based on. When the ship was going in to dry dock for a refurb, the parrot needed a home, and my brother thought I could have him. Unfortunately, when my mum heard his repetoire, she soon put the kybosh on that idea
He did have rather a foul beak on him I must admit...but it sounded so funny
If someone entered the room he would instruct them to "shut the f****** door, and wipe your f****** feet!"

Does yours have a similar vocabulary?

I've spotted some real weird funny behaviour in a couple of my Tetras after they've been fed...
I checked it up online and it doesn't seem to be anything to worry about, maybe you've seen this before?

For a while after feeding, two of my Tetras have the habit of hanging almost motionless for a few seconds, nose down in the tank.  Almost immediately they snap out of it and carry on as if nothing's happened.  I read that it's probably because they've stuffed themselves too quickly on flake and it's temporarily upset their system as the food expands inside them.  They seem fine after about an hour.

The funny thing about it is that one of the other Tetras has noticed this and the moment they start "dipping" he bangs into them which sends them vertical almost instantly.  I think he's having fun with them, taking the Micky.

Here's a couple of pics of what I mean (darn, I wish those Endlers would slow down long enough to get a decent picture.  Your photos are fantastic Jesnon - what's your secret?)

Thanks Sue, I'll give that a try.

Even stranger, one of the 2 affected ones has taken a delight in dipping into the bubble stream while like that.  The effect of the bubbles is the same as him being bashed by the other fish and he goes nose down immediately.  It's almost as if he's enjoying the sensation!   

Thanks for the vote of confidence Jesnon! Glad to be of service. Those tips were on the following threads.

Here

and Here

Yeah, really weird behaviour Jesnon.  Unfortunately it seems there may have been a problem after all as one of the poor wee things died overnight.  So that leaves me with 4 tetras and 4 "Endlers".  That's not enough Tetras for comfort according to the Community Creator (and one of them is definitely a bit of a bully) so I think I'll buy another 3 today to calm things down again.

Re the parrot:  he's quite vicious too with everyone else but me.  I can do almost anything to him but woe betide anyone else who gets too close.   

Thanks for the photo tips Steve, I'll have a play with my camera settings.  I don't hold out much hope though, it's only a Nikon Coolpix.  There's plenty of shooting options like indoors, macro, portrait etc but no ISO or shuuter adjustments by the looks of it.

Sorry to hear about your tetra :-( I wouldn't buy any more just yet as the dead fish may have produced some ammonia. If you keep an eye on your water and leave it a couple of days I guess it might be ok to add more then (Sue and the others will know better though!)

Ha he sounds exactly like the parrot I looked after! Perfectly lovely to his owner but with a sharp beak for anyone else! The time he decided to land on my head was both amusing and terrifying!

Some cameras even have an 'aquarium' mode, I know my old point and shoot canon used to anyway which would be worth a play with!