Broccoli, just the stalks?

I have read the article on feeding veggies to your fish, and all of mine love the zucchini and cucumber, but i wanted to try broccoli. So i put in just a piece of the stalk, partially cooked, but i was wondering, do you guys just put in the stalk? or do you put in the crowns (flowering part) too?

[FawnN]

I only put the stalks in. You could try frozen green beens and peas too. My pleco loves them.

With the peas, you soak them in warm water, take the skin off and then plop them in. All my bottom dwellers and even livebearers fight over them.

i know how to do the peas, but i don't eat peas so i never buy them.. lol. I make fresh veggies every night for dinner and i usually put in the veggie clip a bit of whatever i make. like tonight its broccoli and yellow squash. I of course always have a cucumber and zucchini that i use just for my fishies too if i don't feel like cooking

Also just wanted to add, this is the first time i put yellow squash in, and boy do they love it! My pleco has been at it for 20 minutes now and they angels are even picking at it. But they haven't touched the broccoli yet...lol.

[Meredith]

I used to give broccoli but it seems like lately it just sits there. I don't put the crowns in. I am afraid of someone choking on one of the little bud things. Do you slice the stem down the middle? My pleco seems to like the inside more.

well i took out the yellow squash (he ate a hole right through the middle!) i figure ill leave the broccoli in overnight and see what happens.. i peeled off the tough outside so he can get to the inside. ill see what it looks like in the morning.

[Fishyfanatic]

Ashley- You can get a bag of frozen peas from the grocery store and use them as you need them. We don't eat peas either so we've been using the same bag of frozen peas for about 4 months. The fish don't mind it.

[An t-iasg]

Fishyfanatic - I do the same thing with peas! I recently got a new bag of frozen peas because the peas had frozen together in such a lump that I couldn't separate off individual peas anymore!

AshleyNicole - I have a picture in my gallery of my pleco eating broccoli. He's eating from the cut end, so maybe it's a good idea to use a carrot peeler to get some of the tough outside off. It's fine to leave it in overnight too. It could soften a bit that way. I boiled the piece of broccoli for about a minute, or until a clean, straight paper clip went through it easily. I used the paper clip to make a hole in the broccoli, and then I threaded fishing line through and sank it for the pleco.

[Fishyfanatic]

An t-iasg- Our bag is frozen solid. I have to literally chip away at the peas. One day I left them out by accident and then I just tossed the thawed peas in the freezer. Big mistake.

[An t-iasg]

[fearlessfisch]

Oh, definitely put in the crowns! They are the best part for fish as well as for people. My fish always devour the tops first until they are little bald stalks--they love them!

hmm i guess i could just get a bag of frozen peas... As for the broccoli, i did peal off the outside and i have a veggie clip that i put it in. I also cooked it, because i was cooking the broccoli anyway.. lol. I think he just liked the yellow squash better and now he is full. its about 2:30 am (im a night hawk, couldn't sleep) and the lights are off but i can see him cleaning the glass. Maybe i will try the broccoli agian someother time by itself. I will aslo definetly get a bag of frozen peas... Do you just drop them in? do they sink? My pleco doesn't seem to like moving food which is why i love the veggie clip.

[Jherr]

ive never really tried feeding my fish vegetables, definately something to try next time

[Andos99]

I just tried broccli stalks for the first time the other night and my pleco didn't even touch it, but my black mystery snailed sure loved it. He sat on it for about 24 hours straight until I took it out.

[Fishyfanatic]

After you blanch them in the microwave, peel off the skin, and let them cool. Depending on how your fish react to the peas, start off by just dropping in a few halves. After they eat what you dropped in, then put more in. The first couple times watch closely so you don't put too much in. The peas will sink, I think. I'm not sure beacuse my Cichlids devour them before they get even 2 inches below the surface. If you accidently put in the skins, the fish will just spit them back out so be sure to get them out of the tank.

[fearlessfisch]

My rainbows, betta, and neon tetras don't pay much attention to vegetables, but my gouramis and plecos love broccoli and spinach, and I sometimes see the guppies take a nibble, too. The pleco is the only one who eats zucchini, but that is probably because I don't cook it, and it is too hard in texture for the others.

Also, I remember that it took a time or two before the gouramis discovered that they love veggies. They ignored them the first couple of times I put them in the tank, but now they are there almost as quickly as the pleco is. When I had severum, they were very greedy veggie eaters too.

[feeder_guppy]

What can guppies eat, can they eat cucumbers? and whatever else?

[cJw]

When I feed broccoli, I just give 'em the stem (never tried the crown) - microwaved for 30 secs, sliced up the middle so it tasty middle is easily available. Didn't have a pleco @ the time, but the otos sure loved it!

[Big C]

I have a bag of frozen peas and one of frozen lima beans just for the fish. I shell them and through in the tank. there gone over night. None of my fish eat zuchini. Not even the golden nugget, but they love broccoli, the whole thing!, and cucumber.

The angel and the gourami are the most avid veggie eaters. The tetras love small pieces of peas and even corn kernels. They swim around with their mouths full!!!!

The cucumber gets wholly overnight so i think the GN takes a few shots at it after light are out!