not ordinary food

snafu

AC Members
Just wondering if anyone else 'experiments' with food for fish and bottom feeders. For instance, cucumbers and zucchini for plecos.

I have found my crawfish like carrots sliced in small chunks they can carry, and thin sliced deli ham. They will rush out and drag it back under a rock and guard it till it is gone.

My plecos love grapes cut in half - they suck out the meaty part and leave the skin the next morning

something in there eats cantalope - I think it is the red claw crabs

Anybody else have fish with varied diets?
give us some ideas....
 
experiment at your own risk... LOL
as far as dangerous? I wash everything to make sure no chemicals or foreign substances make it into the tank.
Dunno if anyone else has had bad experiences, but so far I haven't, and the fish are growing.
 
I know this will sound stupid, but how do you get the food to sink? I have tried tying the food to a rock but that just never seemed to work very well. Maybe I'm just not doing it right. Any tips?
 
I use those lead weights that come with plants - for cukes and zucchini, just unfold the weight and stick it through the slice near the rind. Bend it a little and drop it in. The slices will stand up then.

A lot of times there will be a pleco on each side muching :cool:

clips with suction cups work well for leafy types, such as lettuce and spinach

The biggest thing about fresh food is not leave it in the tank longer than two or three days. if it isnt gone by then, they pobably just dont like it.

New fish might not eat it at first, because they are used to eating flakes or pellets, but they will adapt, and do much better with a varied diet. How would you like to eat pringles twice a day for the rest of your life? :rolleyes:

try something new, your fish will thank you...:p
 
I have fed my plecos zuchin,cukes, pumpkin, carrots, turnip, swiss chard, spinach, romain lettuce(my plecos dont' really seem to like the leafy green thought).

I havent' tried any fruits as i thoguht they woudl be messier then the veggies but i have heard of people feeding apples,oranges, peaches. you can pretty mcuh try and veggie or fruit if you watch and make sure that if it isn't eaten to take it out.


To make them sink i stick everything to the end of a fork and tied some fishing line to the end of the fork.That way teh veggies stay down and when they are eaten i can jsut pull out the fork,no getting wet.
 
My dad and I have fed our plecos boiled green beans for years. No sinker required.
 
Hmmmm....green beans... I have an 8" pleco that might like those...

Val- mine never went for the leafy stuff either - but I am getting lots of good ideas now... Heheh
 
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