Vegetables??

[IdahoSue]

Hi!

I have a 16gal fw tank with 2 Rosy Barbs, 2 small Green Tiger Barbs, 2 Barbs that are almost black w/maroon (can't remember the name) and a dwarf plecco. We've stuck to barbs because they are so fun.

I read you can give fish vegetables such as peas after removing the skin. The Barbs LOVED the peas. Chased each other around steeling them from each other and basically entertained us for the evening.

Anyway, I want to make sure that I'm not giving them too much and giving them the right stuff.

I heard they like zuchini and to just put a chunk in there and let them go to town on it. I saw on another thread not to leave the veggie in there long enough to rot, but do I always peel the veggie? Cook it? How much and how often? Any veggies that you shouldn't feed them?

Thanks guys!

 

[i3k]

I just give all my fish cooked peas or boiled cucumber/zucchini once in a while( once a month). The cucumber/zucchini, I leave it in the aquarium for an hour tops. Then take it out and throw the left over away.

 

[JohnPaul]

Peas are great, both nutritious and good for helping clear out the intestines. Zucchini and spinach are two other good options, if you can get them to recognize it as food. (Bottom-dwellers certainly will, but barbs I'm not sure).

For any veggie, you want to blanch them for a minute or so just to help soften them up.

I wouldn't go overboard feeding fresh veggies--maybe once a week or so is fine, but in general I wouldn't do it more often than that. Commercial fish foods are nutrient-loaded in a way that standard store-bought veggies aren't, and also keep in mind that most tropical fish are omnivores and need (roughly speaking) equal amounts of plant-based and meat-based foods so you don't want to go overboard feeding them mostly veggies.

 

[IdahoSue]

thanks

Thanks for the veggie update. I won't go overboard even tho it is a riot watching them. I'll give the zuchini a try this weekend and see if they recognize it as a food source.

 

[Deep Seven]

I also recommend blanching.

Boil the veggie for a short period then drop in a cold water bath to stop the cooking. This will help preserve the vegetable, "steralize it", but won't cook it, which would destroy some of the food value.

Just a note, the nutritional value of the vegetables in our supermarkets is going down. It's partly because they breed the food to look good, grow big, and maybe taste good. As an example, 50 years ago potatos in the supermarket had vitamin A. Today they don't, it's been bred out of them. I recommend heritage and organic vegetables for nutritional value.

 

[StuG]

I also recommend blanching.

Boil the veggie for a short period then drop in a cold water bath to stop the cooking. This will help preserve the vegetable, "steralize it", but won't cook it, which would destroy some of the food value.

Just a note, the nutritional value of the vegetables in our supermarkets is going down. It's partly because they breed the food to look good, grow big, and maybe taste good. As an example, 50 years ago potatos in the supermarket had vitamin A. Today they don't, it's been bred out of them. I recommend heritage and organic vegetables for nutritional value.

Or grow your own. One zucchini plant will give you a slew of zucchini's. Moe than enough to keep your fishies happy.
It's the same with peas, and Romaine lettuce.
While Romaine can be "slightly" finicky to grow, the other two are really easy.

 

[JohnPaul]

Another bonus to using home-grown veggies is you don't have to worry about what sorts of pesticide residues might still be on them. And even a tiny amount of a pesticide residue in an enclosed space like an aquarium can be a very bad thing.

 

[FishEggs]

even with growing your own, the seeds you get are still from the genetically engineered veggies that are made for looks and size and pest resistance. you would want to get the heirloom line of whatever veg you want to grow. those are the old plants that have been passed down and not messed with as much.

 

[Cichchick79]

My fish munch on Zuccini and cukes almost every day LOL!!