Fruit and vegetables
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ADsnail
Aquarium Advice Freak
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- Nov 18, 2020
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- 433
I give our goldfish lettuce, spinach, cucumber, and peas. Once or twice a week, and just a bit - like 1 or 2 peas, or 1/4 lettuce leaf, 1 spinach leaf, or 1/4 of a slice of cucumber. Steadily, just not a lot at once. I don't give them broccoli (too stinky and they don't touch it) or starchy vegetables.
Blanching is important, and it is easy. Some here don't do it and are not a fan of it, but I'm sticking to my training from an old aquarium expert: boil the veg for one minute and let it cool. This breaks down the fibrous outer layer and allows easier access to the food. You may not do it with lettuce (a few people here have reported they do just fine without blanching lettuce) but peas definitely need a little prep to be edible. This means squeezing it so the inner soft part pops out of the outer husk, after blanching. I'm talking about the round outer layer of the pea itself, not the big long pea pod that houses several peas. Creatures can't access a pea unless it is popped out of that outer layer.
Most veggies will float, which could appeal to some fish. I skewer them on a chopstick, pushing the food about halfway up the stick so it stays put for them to nibble. If I want snails to eat it, skewering the veg so it stays at the bottom of the tank will do it.
I also give them dried bloodworms and dried crustacean food ( small containers found at aquarium stores) on occasion. They love both.
Blanching is important, and it is easy. Some here don't do it and are not a fan of it, but I'm sticking to my training from an old aquarium expert: boil the veg for one minute and let it cool. This breaks down the fibrous outer layer and allows easier access to the food. You may not do it with lettuce (a few people here have reported they do just fine without blanching lettuce) but peas definitely need a little prep to be edible. This means squeezing it so the inner soft part pops out of the outer husk, after blanching. I'm talking about the round outer layer of the pea itself, not the big long pea pod that houses several peas. Creatures can't access a pea unless it is popped out of that outer layer.
Most veggies will float, which could appeal to some fish. I skewer them on a chopstick, pushing the food about halfway up the stick so it stays put for them to nibble. If I want snails to eat it, skewering the veg so it stays at the bottom of the tank will do it.
I also give them dried bloodworms and dried crustacean food ( small containers found at aquarium stores) on occasion. They love both.
pauldadams1984
Aquarium Advice Activist
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2018
- Messages
- 108
I read somewhere that peas aid digestion and helps to prevent swim bladder disorder.
So I give my fish a weekly treat.
I often have fish, chips and peas on a Friday, so half way through cooking (before adding a pinch of salt and seasoning) I scoop some out. Remove the skin (as that can cause a blockage) and chop the 2 halves of the pea up into tiny pieces so it's easier for the fish to swallow. A little fiddly but worthwhile.
It's quite cool watching them devour it.
Yesterday I froze a load too - check out YouTube, there's a guy that gets his fish fed by hand via an ice cube, which Is what I'm planning on trying
So I give my fish a weekly treat.
I often have fish, chips and peas on a Friday, so half way through cooking (before adding a pinch of salt and seasoning) I scoop some out. Remove the skin (as that can cause a blockage) and chop the 2 halves of the pea up into tiny pieces so it's easier for the fish to swallow. A little fiddly but worthwhile.
It's quite cool watching them devour it.
Yesterday I froze a load too - check out YouTube, there's a guy that gets his fish fed by hand via an ice cube, which Is what I'm planning on trying
Colin_T
Aquarium Advice Addict
Goldfish need a lot of plant matter in their diet and aquatic plants like Duckweed and Ambulia are readily eaten. Freshwater and marine algae are good foods and can be grown at home or bought from supermarkets in the Asian food isle.
Fruits and vegetables can also be used but make sure they are free of chemicals and don't feed potatoes or onions (or onion relatives).
Commonly used fruits & veg include pumpkin, zucchini, spinach and peas.
You can also feed them on raw or cooked prawn/ shrimp. Get some frozen prawns and keep them in the freezer. take one out and defrost it. remove the head, shell and gut (thin black tube in body) and throw these bits away. Use a pair of scissors to cut the remaining prawn tail into little pieces and offer a few bits at a time. let the fish eat as much as it wants. Do this a few times a week.
You can also use marine mix (consists of prawn, fish & squid) or marine green (consists of prawn, fish, squid & algae or spinach).
If you have aphids in the garden, most fish will eat them. Just put a small bucket under the flower with aphids on and tap the stem. The aphids should drop into the bucket and you can feed them straight away or freeze them for use later.
Small flies, mosquitoes and moths can be fed to fish, as can ants and ant eggs. Again make sure they are free of chemicals. If you have flour or grain in a bucket without a lid, you might get weevil moths & larvae in the flour. These can be sieved out and fed to the fish.
Big goldfish can eat small earthworms. If you have a worm farm you can pick out a few small worms to feed the fish. You can use bigger worms too but they need to be cut up and that is pretty gross so i prefer smaller worms that are fed whole.
Fruits and vegetables can also be used but make sure they are free of chemicals and don't feed potatoes or onions (or onion relatives).
Commonly used fruits & veg include pumpkin, zucchini, spinach and peas.
You can also feed them on raw or cooked prawn/ shrimp. Get some frozen prawns and keep them in the freezer. take one out and defrost it. remove the head, shell and gut (thin black tube in body) and throw these bits away. Use a pair of scissors to cut the remaining prawn tail into little pieces and offer a few bits at a time. let the fish eat as much as it wants. Do this a few times a week.
You can also use marine mix (consists of prawn, fish & squid) or marine green (consists of prawn, fish, squid & algae or spinach).
If you have aphids in the garden, most fish will eat them. Just put a small bucket under the flower with aphids on and tap the stem. The aphids should drop into the bucket and you can feed them straight away or freeze them for use later.
Small flies, mosquitoes and moths can be fed to fish, as can ants and ant eggs. Again make sure they are free of chemicals. If you have flour or grain in a bucket without a lid, you might get weevil moths & larvae in the flour. These can be sieved out and fed to the fish.
Big goldfish can eat small earthworms. If you have a worm farm you can pick out a few small worms to feed the fish. You can use bigger worms too but they need to be cut up and that is pretty gross so i prefer smaller worms that are fed whole.
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