Pesticides on Vegetables

[Tigerlily]

Does anyone know whether washing zucchini and other vegetables gets rid of enough pesticides to make it safe to feed to fish? Does blanching the veggies make them safe? Should I peel the zucchini to help get rid of outerlayer that may have absorbed pesticides? Should I just buy organic veggies for the fish... or maybe stick with algae tabs?

Do you feed your fish fresh vegetables? What precautions do you take?

Thanks for your help! I don't want to make the fish sick!

 

[madasafish]

I doubt this is a serious issue. Think about it in terms of proportions. A fish will only eat perhaps 1/1000th the amount of lettuce or zucchini a human might eat, and consequently will only eat 1/1000th the amount of pesticide.

I'd say that a thorough wash and, if you feel like it in the case of veggies like zucchini, a thorough peeling (though that is the most nutritious part) is plenty. Personally, I wouldn't worry about the peeling, and I wouldn't worry about the pesticides. I've never heard about pesticide problems before.

Sometimes I feel like we worry too much about our fish. It's certainly good to ask these kind of questions, but I don't think we give our fish enough credit. Most of them are quite hardy! So, ask on, but I've adopted a less concerned attitude after getting really familiar with my fish. I'm not so worried any more! They do just fine.

I'm sure some ppl will object to that....

 

[Allivymar]

I rinse the zucchini and nuke it for 10-20 seconds. Thats it. I don't worry about pesticides, and quite frankly, my guys never eat the peel anyway.

 

[Capt.Gorilla]

How do you guys feed the fish zucchini, do you weight it and if so how?

 

[Tigerlily]

Thanks - I figured it was probably no big deal...

but you know how you get a weird idea in your head, and then you start to think about it more and more and more until it must be true....

Anyway, just needed a little reassurance I guess. Thanks! Zucchini is on the menu tonight for the fishies!

 

[Allivymar]

I slice it up into halves or quarters Cap't, nuke it for 10 secs or so, let it cool then weigh it down with those metal ties they use to keep plant bunches together.

Heh, and yeah Tiger, I know what you mean. And it won't go away until you have an answer LOL

 

[captainGregor]

I have tried giving my fish some zicchini after reading your comments and those little bastards do not seem very interested. At LFS I saw many cats feasting on zucchini, but not at my house I will see tomorrow morning whether ottos ate any of that. I am having trouble feeding ottos - every time I drop algae wafer at lights out, the barbs and zebras just decimate it, and I am not sure ottos have anything to eat, poor fishes.

 

[Allivymar]

Heh my gouramis and neons also go to town on the algae wafers for the otos. I generally drop it in at night like you, but add one at a time, so the pigs are all are occupied with the first wafer and I can sneak in the other LOL

As for the zucchini, coupla comments. I initially tried cucumber as that was one of the recommended veggies. My fish could care less and ignored it completely. I then tried zucchini. Oi. Party time. I did leave it in overnight tho; they didn't glom onto it when it first went into the tank, but by the next morn only the rinds were left and even they were chewed to bits. Just don't leave it in the tank too long as you don't want it to rot.

 

[sweetsuvvyb]

just to throw in my experience....My fish prefer cucumber over zucchini, but what they really love is lettuce and peas (although I don't give them peas too too often...kinda hard on the system). Good to try a couple of things, see what appeals to your fish!

 

[Capt.Gorilla]

I tryed to feed blanched romaine lettuce to my corys, they were very interested but unsuccesful at eating it so I mostly feed them peas, wafers and sinking goldie pellets.

 

[Sati]

Soaking, rather than rinsing will clean up veggies and fruits very well. Obviously you can't soak absorbent fruits like raspberries and strawberries for long, but you all wouldn't be feeding your fish those anyhow. Organic food varies a LOT. And organic foods used pesticides too. They're just organic pesticides. Besides the earth where pesticides have been used are riddled with the stuff, and so growing "organic" produce in that ground will inevitably end up with pesticides. So relax and enjoy your fish :]