Nobody likes Zucchini

[Scrufdog]

I bought some Zucchini today, chopped it up into nice pieces, dropped one in the tank with a weight, and its basically being ignored. A cherry shrimp appeared to give it a nibble, but none of the fish care.

When giving zucchini to bottom'ers, should it be frozen or thawed? Anything to do to make my SAEs, Otos, or anyone else want to eat it? I'm gonna leave it in overnight and see if anything looks different with it in the morning.

[Kashta]

Ah, you need to steam it or blanch it... microwave it. Makes it softer for them to eat it. They also may not have had it before, so they'll have to figure out that it's food.

[7itanium]

I NEVER blanch or cook my zuchini in any way-- just cut it in pieces and put it on a veggie clip

you have to throw it in there about 4-5 times before they will register that its edible though.. and some fish may be picky and require it to be blanched-- but mine dont mind

[pinkertd]

I only blanch it for young pleco fry to make it softer for them to eat. I have yet to get an oto to eat any of it, but my SAE's who are in the tank with the plecos seem to love it. I would definitely give them several chances to figure out that it is food.

[Hooked Newbie]

I've always had to blanch it to get them to go for it. I did find these small seedless cucumbers that everyone went nuts for raw though. It may take them awhile to figure it out like other said.

[Sploke]

So far my fish have seemed to prefer it raw to cooked in any way. I just stick a fork in it to make it sink.

[bibbels]

You can also slice it up and freeze the slices. Freezing it ruptures the cells and makes it easier for some species to eat it. I do this with cucumber as well.
You can take a slice out of the freezer and drop it in as is or put it in a cup of microwaved water to thaw first if you like. The slices usually sink readily with this treatment as well.

[bettabrat]

I have yet to get an oto to eat any of it, but my SAE's who are in the tank with the plecos seem to love it.

Aww pink I bet your otos would love some, mine do!

I don't do anything special just wash, peel (paranoid I guess), and slice. I put mine on the end of a skewer (sp?) and stick it in the gravel...usually before I can get it in the tank the shrimp are going crazy! Shrimp, snails, otos, and BN plec's go crazy over the stuff...I guess they always knew it was food because I never had a problem getting them to eat it.

[Sploke]

I usually try to peel it too. My plecs don't seem to eat the skin, so it ends up being snail food or just floating around the tank.

[ksane]

You can also slice it up and freeze the slices. Freezing it ruptures the cells and makes it easier for some species to eat it. I do this with cucumber as well.
You can take a slice out of the freezer and drop it in as is or put it in a cup of microwaved water to thaw first if you like. The slices usually sink readily with this treatment as well.

Yep, exactly the way I do it. Freezing it seems to make it as soft as blanching. And it's faster and easier :-) I've never had Otos but my Loaches & Cory Cats love it, along with the Plecs.

[pinkertd]

Well, I've only been leaving my zucchini in the pleco tank for about 12 hours. When you use as much zucchini as I do, you try to keep the mess to a minimum. Now mind you, I have 11 growing bristlenose in there and I use almost a whole zucchini each time! They don't eat it all so last night after I removed what the plecos hadn't eaten, I trimmed a piece and put that in the discus tank for the 2 otos in there. I'll see if it looks like it's been eaten at all by the otos after work today. And I'll also try a piece in the sids tank where I have several otos.

[Wycco]

I'll eat the Zucchini if yout fish don't! ;)

[pinkertd]

I'll eat the Zucchini if yout fish don't! ;)

Hurry up and send me your address. I think I have a spare shipping box in the garage that I can fill for you!:hitting:

[inkyjenn]

my loaches love zucchini

[fishorama]

Try making small slits in the raw or slightly zapped zucchini slice & poke in a piece of pellet or wafer. After they realize how yummy it is you don't need to do it but it may take a few tries.

All my loaches, SAEs, plecs & some barbs love it. Some plecs prefer the green part so I leave some on.

[Scrufdog]

Alright, I'll try some different ways. How often would you recommend i give it to them?

[fishorama]

2-4 times/week for all veggies including zucchini, romaine & peas. try for at least once or twice/week

[pinkertd]

Well, Haha! Guess what happens to zucchini in an 86F tank? Cooked and very messy! I didn't even think about the effect of the discus spa water!

[fishorama]

Haha! Not quite so fast at 81F & clown loaches but overnight is ok, 24 hours is not. Thicker pieces help, also another reason to leave the skin on 1 side, it holds it together.

[Scrufdog]

yeah, i got a piece out of the freezer, dropped it in water and nuked it until warm, nice and soft. A few of my shrimp went crazy for it, still no fishies, but at least its a start. Maybe at the weekly tank meeting the shrimp will let the SAEs know whats going on.