Feeding Pleco's Zuchini

[black udder]

Is there anything wrong with just leaving the zuchini on the surface? My pleco's ususally hide in the plants, so if I just float the food, they'll come up and hang under it to eat.

And how much is too much? I have 3 pleco's 1=7', 1=5-6' and 1=4-5'. They will polish of a 6 inch zuchini cut in half and floated in a couple days.

I've had my tank for about a year now and I thought it looked nice until I saw some of the beautiful tanks by the folks here. I have something to shoot for now.

 

[Billsgate]

Leaving the zuchini floating is fine, as long as it's no trouble for the plecos to reach. I would put in one piece a week. Half a 6 inch zuchini should be enough for them for 2 weeks I think . How often do you give them a piece now? Do you give them anything else?
Welcome to AA!!!

 

[Menagerie]

[center:b4214de026] Welcome to AA, black udder! [/center:b4214de026]

I feed my African cichlids and 7" pleco zucchini. Usually only once a week and they finish it off within a day. I would not allow veggies or fruits to be in the tank for more than 24 hours. My pleco also enjoys peas, cucumber and green beans--and algae wafer, frozen foods, flakes.... As long as your fish are getting a varied diet, they will be fine.

 

[SerLunchbox]

plecostomus species that are herbivores love any type of squash (whether it be zucchini, butternut, spaghetti, winter or acorn) I use various squash for my fish. The one thing you have to consider is that some of these squash require a slight blanching to soften them up considerably as they can be quite hard (ie butternut squash).

 

[Pufferpunk]

I rubberband it to a rock.

 

[czcz]

i stab blanched veggies with a plant weight. When it floats to the surface the following afternoon/evening (too soft to stay on the weight), it goes to the trash.

 

[black udder]

Thanks for the great responses. I have a ton of questions I'll be filtering into the forum

 

[Pufferpunk]

I really haven't had much sucess w/my plecos finding floating zuccini, since they are bottom feeders.

 

[BASSNMAN]

Most of my fish like zuchinni. I cut it into 1/2 inch thick disks and let it float. Some times it will get in the filter wash with a pleco stuck onto the bottom. Its like a rodeo as he spins around, but won't let go,

 

[WhiteCloud]

Could someone please define the word "blanch"

Is this boiling or putting in the microwave?

How long do you boil or put in the microwave?

Does all Veggies need to be blanched...or just he zucchii/squash sort of things?

Thanks for the clarification

WC

 

[Pufferpunk]

I have never bothered...

 

[SerLunchbox]

blanching is a cooking method used to partially cook hard veggies (zuchini is so soft it doesn't need to be blanched). You need a few things:
1. boiling salted water
2. your veggies cut and ready to go
3. ice water

what you do is get the water boiling and then add your veggies. Next you wait some time (generally until the water comes back to a boil). for example i blanch carrots for about 4 minutes but only 30 seconds for tomatoes (it makes their skin easier to peel off with a turning knife). Once the blanching is done, take the veggies out with a slotted/perforated spoon or wire spider and immediately cool them down in the ice water. take out of ice water when completely chilled.

 

[Menagerie]

what you do is get the water boiling and then add your veggies. Next you wait some time (generally until the water comes back to a boil). for example i blanch carrots for about 4 minutes but only 30 seconds for tomatoes (it makes their skin easier to peel off with a turning knife). Once the blanching is done, take the veggies out with a slotted/perforated spoon or wire spider and immediately cool them down in the ice water. take out of ice water when completely chilled.

Hmmmm, my fish don't have a four star restaurant at their service, so I often use the microwave for a few seconds.

 

[Umberle]

yup, as much as I love my platties, I'm not up to oldstyle blanching. 20 seconds for most things work...up to a minute in the microwave for things like carrots. just put the cut up veggies in a bowl with a tiny bit of water and zap away.

 

[czcz]

I thought Umberle's method, with the water, was "blanching"

take the veggies out with a slotted/perforated spoon or wire spider and immediately cool them down in the ice water. take out of ice water when completely chilled.

Why? Just curious.

FWIW, my otos like a little skin on their veggies. I don't know if Plecos eat zucchini/squash skin, but worth a try, maybe.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Mine eat it all, right out of the fridge.

 

[An t-iasg]

The cold water stops the cooking process. That's what "blanching" is -- partially cooking and then stopping the cooking process. The partially cooked food may later be cooked again -- baked or broiled, for example. Right, Serlunchbox?

But for fishy foods, I just pour some bottled water out of the frig into a fish-only glass measuring cup. I put the veggie (fresh green bean, usually) and boil for 30 seconds to a minute. Frozen peas I boil for 4 minutes. You'll have to experiment some -- the first time I did a bean, I shriveled it! I slice my zucchini thin enough that I don't boil, unless maybe if it's very fresh and seems slightly hard. When I did boil zucchini it was for 30 seconds, I think. Then I pour the boiling water off and pour just a little bit of the bottled water out of the frig onto the veggie to cool it down. I let the veggie sit in that water for a few minutes or so, dump that water off, and let the veggie sit for 5 or so minutes until I feel it's not too hot or cold to go into the tank.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I don't understand why you bother to cook the veggies at all, when they will eat them raw?

 

[Umberle]

some fish have a hard time breaking up raw veggies until they start to rot. Or at least this is my theory. When I tried veggies the first time I didn't partially cook them and even though the platties tried pecking at them they didn't eat much at all. When I tried blanching, they scarffed it down.

 

[An t-iasg]

some fish have a hard time breaking up raw veggies until they start to rot.

I agree -- blanching makes the veggie a little easier for most fish to eat. In the wild, I suppose plant matter is softening in the water all the time. But in our tanks, that wouldn't be possible -- to leave veggies in all the time to soften naturally -- so blanching is the next best way. Feed the veggie, and then do what Menagerie suggests -- don't leave the veggie in for more than 24 hours. I usually put a veggie in about 10 pm, and remove it the next day around 5 pm.