Feeding Veggies

[dan2x38]

I've been feeding my fish fresh veggies like brocolli & zucinie. If I buy these fresh sometimes they do not all get used or there eaten then there is none to feed my fish. I've found frozen brocolli but not zucinie. I bought some zucinne how should I prepare it before freezing it for later feedings?

[fishycanuck]

slice it up and freeze it individually so it is easy to get one piece out for the fish.

[beowulf]

slice it up and freeze it individually so it is easy to get one piece out for the fish.

I agree, best way of doing it.

[dan2x38]

slice it up and freeze it individually so it is easy to get one piece out for the fish.

Would I blanch them 1st?

[beowulf]

I don't think you would have to, at least I didn't.  Freezing them and the thawing them should have the same effect on the fibres in the veggies.

[Dr. Ashtray]

I use canned peas, which I take out and freeze individually.  After they are frozen I take the skin off easily by gently squeezing the pea.  peas have quite a lot of protein and vitamins and are loved by Crayfish, shrimp and pretty much any other living inhabitant in a tank.  Everything I have goes mental when I throw some de-skinned frozen peas into the mix.  For larger fish I recommend Chick-peas.  I have never used them but have seen their work.  I sold three large fish from an Indian restaurant in the Glebe.  Two were 14" koi.  The other was a 12" silver pacu.  They had been living in the same 75 gallon corner tank for 15 years.  I have seen lots of fish in the standard 125 gallon tanks in restaurants with various forms of growths etc.  These fish were in Pristine condition.  Healthy as can be and 100% can-fed vegetarians.  The were fed mainly chick peas, broccoli, carrots, and peas.  The owners had pre-cooked all vegetables and let them cool down before feeding the fish.  I couldn't believe how healthy the fish were.  The vegetarian diet was kind of an epiphany for me.  I now use peas regularly with lots of success.  I do know that zuccini and the cucumber varieties are great for algae eaters.  I put them in raw or frozen in slices as mentioned in an earlier post. 

The tank the koi and pacu resided in is now a beautiful community tank with a school of Wakefield White Endlers in it as well as a couple different Cory shoals, a royal clown pleco, clown loach, two farlowellas, cherry shrimp, amano shrimp, spiky nerites, ruby red nerite, Ramshorns and pond snails, and a school of black phantom tetras.  Looks a lot better than with three fish sitting still because they are too frikkin big to move anywhere.  If you want to check it out whilst enjoying an amazing Tandoori chicken (wrap/lunch/dinner).  Goto Humphrey's on Bank @ Clemow and bank.  I always loved seeing a real tank at a restaurant so I created one at a restaurant I liked!! 

Cheers!!

Jeffrey...

[washefuzzy]

I've been to Humphrey's to check out the tank of white endlers and it looks awesome.

[Laura]

Dr Ashtray - you forgot to mention two of the biggest SAE I've ever seen!

I feed a fair number of veggies, mostly because of my snails, but I've found out lots of other fish and shrimp like them too.  I always blanche or freeze it, but kale and zucchini are my standards, but they like brocolli, chickpeas and other veggies too.  I found brocolli made my tank stinky but other than that lots of fish seem to enjoy them.

[sas]

Seems to me we had a discussion about this recently?. Be darned if I can find it
       Vegetables kept for any length of time in the freezer need to be blanched. The blanching process is essential to kill chemical enzymes in the food that cause deterioration while stored. Veggies when frozen unblanched actually become tougher and develop a bad flavor as well as losing color and also vitamins.
      Having said that I don't think fish care about color? or toughness, but bad flavour and loss of vitamins I think is an issue.

[dan2x38]

I bought a batch of zucchini grocery shopping Sat. Last night I cut it all up bag, tag, and froze... No blanching...

I saw a SAE at BA Innes several months back it must have been close to 10" with a very thick girth like an ID shark. They said he was a rare size but sometimes they do get that big. I half one getting a fair size. Will have to post em' one day.

[Dr. Ashtray]

I did forget to mention the SAE's in there.  There are three, one must have been hiding.  I noticed them yesterday when I went in to clean the tank.  They are really girthy and probably hitting the six to seven inch mark.  They are probably the best brush algae eaters when they are small but pretty much eat everything they can at the size they are at now.  The amano shrimp are quite active in there as well.  You don't see the clown loach or the royal clown that often, but they are quite beautiful and growing fast.  The clown is hitting four inches and the royal clown pleco is around the same.  When I put them in the clown was 1.5" and the Royal was about 2.5"  Normally the Royal Clown Plecos grow really slow but eventually get large.  I have one almost ready for a new home currently living in my 55 gallon.  I will let people know when it is ready.  Probably within the next year sometime.  It will be hitting 8 inches by then.  Pretty slow growers.  Its eyes have to be about as big as a sweet pea right now.  Those SAE's were originally in my Endler tank until I noticed a considerable lack of fry one day, I moved them into Humphrey's that day.  They don't really affect the colony of White Endlers I have in there.  The Endlers actually work against themselves because of the fact they have a lot of Guppy genetics and regularly hit the 2.5" mark and become fry hoovers.  It is actually a good way to keep the population in check, leave some big females in there, bye bye fry!

Jeffrey...

[OrchidNow]

We can feed vegetables to fish?
How?

I have goldfish in one tank and platys and danios in the other.

[dan2x38]

We can feed vegetables to fish?
How?

I have goldfish in one tank and platys and danios in the other.

Goldfish will love you! The other characters you mention also love veggies. Add some broccoli, kale, zucchini, carrots, peas, cauliflower... blanch them and remove the skin. For the first veggies mentioned use a clip to stick to the glass you can get at any aquarium shop. Can also use other inventive ways.

Veggies keep your fish from not becoming constipated. It is also healthy for them just like us. I've even seen fruits feed to fish like oranges...

[OrchidNow]

Cool. OK...Now the semantics. Do I slice them up or mash them to a pulp? Although not sure how it would stay in the water. I'm so worried about water! And I really dare not go to a fish store. I always want to buy fish!!! And I nearly got another tank....so I can have more fish.

[dan2x38]

Cool. OK...Now the semantics. Do I slice them up or mash them to a pulp? Although not sure how it would stay in the water. I'm so worried about water! And I really dare not go to a fish store. I always want to buy fish!!! And I nearly got another tank....so I can have more fish.

I can't help you and no else can with MTS...  Good Luck with that! But as for veggies cut the veggies in pieces remove the skin from broccoli, cauliflower, etc. blanch them first... as for zucchini, cucumbers, etc. remove the seeds leave the peel hang a piece on a veggie clip... peas squish out of the shells then drop some into the water, I break mine up some so they don't sink to quickly... look online tons of ideas even recipes to make your own food... Oh yeah no salad dressing... LOL