SAFE Fruits and Vegetables for your tank

[7Enigma]

Hi all,

I have been feeding the normal cucumber, broccoli, and tried an orange slice, but wanted to know what else people have been feeding their fish. I'm hoping maybe we can get a large list of different fresh fruits and vegetables that are safe for most/all fish (and the ways they are prepared for serving), and just as important a list of fruits and vegetables that are harmful/fatal to fish. Also any specialty foods that help in certain circumstances such as peas for constipation, garlic for increased immune system, etc.

For instance as I already mentioned raw cucumber, partially cooked broccoli, a slice of orange, partially cooked pea (skinned and dropped into tank) are great suppliments to most/all fish. As with all foods they should be rinsed in tap water prior to adding to the tank to make sure no pesticides or chemicals are present, and if your really cautious you could rinse in tank water before adding to the tank (but I think this is a bit overkill IMO).

So let me hear your ideas!

Things I'd love to know in particular: are raw peeled bananas, partially/fully cooked potatos, cooked carrots, partially cooked skinned kidney beans all healthy and appetizing for the fish?


justin

 

[SerLunchbox]

zucchini (not blanched), carrot (blanched slightly), cucumber, peas, butternut squash, potato are jsut a few off the top of my head that my fish will eat

 

[7Enigma]

"butternut squash, potato" raw or blanched as well?

And I know this will sound canabalistic, but what about tuna? (as in a piece or two from a can). Should be high protein, and should have some good fish oils. I know I'm aweful...

 

[SerLunchbox]

tuna from a can, no. That is far too processed for fish. A more meatier food would be 81/100 P/D raw tail off shrimp. Chop that into much smaller pieces. The more processed a food is, the less good it is for an aquarium.

As for butternut squash, if it is close to the seed core, i would leave it unblanched (as it is fairly tender in that area) whereas the top should be blanched (fairly hard) ... as for the potato, it depends on the fish you want to ggraze on it. for most fish blanch it well, but for the fish like panaques then i would leave it raw.

 

[Zagz]

I have feed cucumbers and zuc, both blanched and unblanched. Watermelon without seeds, honeydew melon, canteloupe, oranges, peas, broccoli, lettuce, and spinach. So far so good with one exception, the goldfish loved the orange slices so much they went crazy and made a huge mess of pulp in the tank, they destroyed the 2 orange slices in an hour! Massive filter cleaning was required. LOL

 

[7Enigma]

Zagz,

After seeing goldfish and other fish go crazy at my local PetSmart, I bought an orange just for the fish. Threw a large slice in there expecting amazing fun. Nothing. The fish didn't even look at it. All it ended up doing was making a pulpy mess in the tank. I might try again later, but for now, my barbs don't seem to care.

Keep up the great replies. If I get another bunch, I'll edit the original post with all the ideas and the members responsible for posting them. This might turn into a great starter thread for beginners that only have flake food at the start and want to suppliment with something else.

 

[Zagz]

No one but the goldies seem to go crazy for the oranges. Don't know what it is, but the goldies go absolutely nuts.

 

[tropicfishman]

doesn't adding these things make your tank a mess?

 

[SerLunchbox]

doesn't adding these things make your tank a mess?

not really. My fish generally clean it all up VERY fast!

 

[tropicfishman]

cool i'm gonna try it, i can always do a water change if things go bad lol

 

[QTOFFER]

doesn't adding these things make your tank a mess?

If you leave the veggie in too long, it might become slimy and sprout fungus. I can say from experience that zuchinni turns into a disgusting slimy mess after 12 hours, and broccoli stalk makes the water stink of broccoli after about 24 hours. I never tried offering fruit. I'd probably start with apple and pear. Banana would probably turn nasty fast because it's soft.

Adding fresh veggies is trial and error. Some fish will go crazy over one veggie and completely ignore another. For instance, not one of my fish will even touch carrot slices, but blanched peas are devoured as soon as they hit the water. Some of my fish enjoy leaf spinach and partially cooked lima beans. You have to just try different things.


We have a very good article on the subject.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=42

 

[degbowl]

I've fed banana to my goldfish. I only put a small amount in. They eat it before it gets a chance to reach the bottom of the tank. They love it.

 

[lovemybarbs]

would any of this be interesting to my fish?? I have cantelope right now. should I try it?? Will it kill my barbs? What about my frog?

 

[SerLunchbox]

I can say from experience that zuchinni turns into a disgusting slimy mess after 12 hours

damn ... zucchini never lasts more then 3 hours in my tank

 

[Zagz]

Canteloupe will not hurt the fish or frogs, they will either like it or not.

 

[MarcoDaVinci]

I use spinach leaf and lettuce, boiled for 20 seconds. It prevents my fish from eating my plants.
I have also tried oatmeal, it goes to the bottom of the tank and my pleaco loves it.

I have angel fish and they love MEAT; turkey, beef, raw fish, shrimp.

 

[krap101]

oatmeal? wouldnt that make the water like.. soupy?

 

[Zagz]

I've heard of others feeding their fish oatmeal as well. I'd be interested in knowing if it does anything to the water.

 

[QTOFFER]

I never thought of oatmeal for the fish, even though I feed it to my mice regularly.

My concern would be that since it's processed, alot of nutrients may be immediately introduced into the water.
Also, I would be concerned that it would swell up in the fish' stomach and create a blockage if too much was eaten quickly.

I'll give a teentsy bit a try tomorrow - presoaked.

 

[Devilishturtles]

My fish go nuts for spinach, and pretty much any other leafy green I give them.