Angels and eating plant material

[sobersteve323]

I've read that angels sometimes like (need?) to eat some plant material. My two year old angel never took to eating veggies such as peas. A few weeks ago it began nibbling on my amazon sword. Doesn't tear them up but a few leaves have bite sized holes in them.

Is the plant eating something that comes with age? His diet hasn't changed which is omega one flakes and bloodworms as a treat.

Just curious.

 

[Rivercats]

Actually angels do want more plant matter as they age. I feed cooked, deshelled peas every 3rd day along with reg food and have recently gone to softening a couple 1/4" slices of peeled zucchini and hanging them on veggie clips daily. I put them in the tank mid-morning and take them out the next morning when I feed. Mind you I have 12 adult angels but after they got the idea of eating the zucchini there is none left by the next morning. But they have almost completely stopped munching on my plants now.

 

[sobersteve323]

Good to know! I'll have to see if he takes to zucchini. So far he spits out shelled peas when I feed it to everyone else. The plant eating just came out of the blue to me lol.

 

[Rivercats]

Yep it does, one day they decide to taste and it's down hill from there. When you feed the peas smush them up between your fingers alittle as that makes them easier to eat.

 

[sobersteve323]

Do you cook yours first? I nuke them first and then tear it into small pieces after smashing so my platy can eat it too. Just wondering if maybe the angel doesn't like the mushy texture?

 

[sobersteve323]

Or maybe it just doesn't like peas lol. Go figure since its the easiest veg to buy and store.

 

[Rivercats]

Don't give up on trying to feed them. All my fish eat them and prefer them smushed up into easier bite pieces. You could try fasting your fish one day then cook, deshell, and smush the peas some. I don't make mush, just make them so the fish can get them apart easier. Anyway only drop in 3 or 4 smushed pieces at a time and see if when hungry they don't give them a try.

 

[Angel_fish]

It varies with angels but generally they dont eat plants in tank. They do like zuchinni, corn, peas, even bananas. They seem to not really like most aquarium plants though.

 

[Rivercats]

It varies with angels but generally they dont eat plants in tank.

Actually adult angels like plant material in their diets and will readily eat alot of different aquarium plants and they also enjoy hair algae. Most any soft leaf aquarium plant is fair game especially plants like Rotala Wallichii, Cabomba, and like plants. Then very tiny leaved plants like Dwarf Baby Tears and another favorite.