What non- traditional foods do you feed your fish.

[Brandon p]

Do any of you feed foods that were not made as flakes, or processed fish food. Things I like spinach and cucumbers are more of what I’m asking about. That would include treats 

[Colu]

I feed cucumber blanched spinach and lettuce to my bristlenose and   duckweed and peas to my goldfish

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Boiled squash, bell pepper, green beans, zucchini. 

[Copper Ridge Life]

I've done blanched organically grown zucchini and cucumber slices. I peel them but don't know if this is necessary. I've also fed blanched romain and red lettuce and kale. Kale was definitely not a favorite with my plecos and I've not fed it again. My male did however thrash it around the tank voicing his apparent displeasure. Unsalted French cut canned green beans is a huge hit. Not sure if you've tried Repashy gel foods but I've never had a fish who didn't devour it after figuring out it was food.

[Brandon p]

On 11/23/2021 at 1:17 PM, Copper Ridge Life said:

I've done blanched organically grown zucchini and cucumber slices. I peel them but don't know if this is necessary. I've also fed blanched romain and red lettuce and kale. Kale was definitely not a favorite with my plecos and I've not fed it again. My male did however thrash it around the tank voicing his apparent displeasure. Unsalted French cut canned green beans is a huge hit. Not sure if you've tried Repashy gel foods but I've never had a fish who didn't devour it after figuring out it was food.

Yes I use repashy. I have a few food that are what I have set to buy which I call staples that are buy in the last day of the month with most from aquarium co-op. Then boiled egg yolk is a treat to some fish

[lefty o]

once in a blue moon i'll feed boiled egg yolk.

[Brandon p]

I have feed some different foods to special fish. I have recently told the story which gave me the idea to write this thread. I had two Pacu about 14” long and 4”wide(side note, Pacu should be harder to get). These fish at basically eat what we at to a point. If we had pork chops, Tomatoes, Broccoli/corn I would cut a few small pieces of the chops, tomatoes were cut to size for them and cherry tomatoes very given whole. Broccoli and fresh corn were blanched, canned corn rinsed(I never use cream corn I thought to much sugar for some reason). The Pacu were big enough to take a good bite. I would feed very small amounts of pork and not daly. Vegetables and fruit were given most often, like bananas. Nuts were give shelled. 
 

I just was interested in the things others have tried.

 

[Griznatch]

Blanched dandelion leaves, carrots, zuchini. Green beans, and of course live foods like daphnia and baby brine shrimp. The gold fish get weekly duckweed from my tanks. Hasn't put a dent in the amount overtaking my tanks though, lol. I have a 1 gallon bag of it in my freezer, just haven't got around to making more shrimp food out of it.

[Brandon p]

@Griznatch dandelions, it would have never though about them because they don’t relay grow much, but we did eat them as salad. I have fed Hibiscus to some fish the Pacu loved it but some other fish get it blanched and they like it. 

[Copper Ridge Life]

On 11/23/2021 at 4:21 PM, Brandon p said:

@Griznatch dandelions, it would have never though about them because they don’t relay grow much, but we did eat them as salad. I have fed Hibiscus to some fish the Pacu loved it but some other fish get it blanched and they like it. 

I hadn't thought of hibiscus. We love hibiscus tea. Next time I make a cup my fish are having tea 🍵. 

[AndEEss]

Beet leaf stalks. My snails love them.

[Brandon p]

@Copper Ridge Lifei have them all around my house that I take care so the only pesticide I gets is dish soap and proper trimming. It’s nice. 

[Fonske]

Blanched (microwaved, really) carrots and zucchinis, fresh broccoli and cauliflower leaves, hard-boiled eggs (yolks for fish, whites for shrimp), small pieces of raw chicken breast and fish filet.

[Brandon p]

Sounds good to me. How hard are the carrots when fed. For the Pacu I just cut the carrots and they did not have any trouble. But for other fish I have had to cook them so much that’s what nutrients were left. I’m using canned carrots on the rare occasion I fed them. 

[Guppysnail]

Almost all veggies steamed bell peppers, baby carrots, Brusselsprouts, broccoli, sweet potatoes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, 

[Griznatch]

 

 

@Brandon p The dandelions at my house grow huge and start first thing in spring and go well into late October. We don't use any pesticides, so it' pretty much free fish and shrimp food 🙂    There's a boatload of articles on the interwebs about the benefits of them for aquariums, among other things. I hadn't tried feeding them the flowers yet but evidently those are good too?

[Brandon p]

I can remember gathering them as a 4 or 6 years old for GGmother, for Dandelion wine. I never had it now I'm going t see if any of the rest of the family has the recipe.

 

[PineSong]

On 11/23/2021 at 1:13 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Boiled squash, bell pepper, green beans, zucchini. 

I was just wondering about squash last night. I have used zuchini but not something like butternut, which is what I was cutting up last night. Do you think butternut squash would be okay?

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Haven’t use md butternut @PineSong it we’ve been using delicata squash and it’s been well received. Just make sure to boil it enough to make it soft and they’ll eat it.

[GardenStateGoldfish]

I do a steamed egg recipe that I often add garlic and sometimes powdered leftover fry food to. It’s late for me so I can’t do a whole tutorial in writing for it but I can post a video, it’s fantastic for growing fish or adults. 

[Indlers]

Bee pollen. It's a well known shrimp food, but fish love it as well. Some days my Endler's decide to ignore it, in which case the snails dogpile it

[PineSong]

On 11/23/2021 at 10:52 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

 Just make sure to boil it enough to make it soft and they’ll eat it.

It'll be a happy Thanksgiving for my piggy mystery snail!

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

@Indlersi add bee pollen to my Repashy and it really helps the bottom dwellers immunity and I just got some insane hatch rates with my young plecos. 

[Atitagain]

I never feed my tanks anything other than store bought “fish food”. Until I joined ACO. I never even considered that you could possibly give them “people food”. So now I’ve only used green beans, cucumber, and zucchini. But this thread has been an eye opener to a lot of other options. 

[Brandon p]

On 11/23/2021 at 10:52 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

Haven’t use md butternut @PineSong it we’ve been using delicata squash and it’s been well received. Just make sure to boil it enough to make it soft and they’ll eat it.

I don’t have any experience with butternut. I have never ate it and never fed it any thing. If you want to try offer a small amounts and take some time watching them.  It would feed it softer at first and don’t start on the fish that you cherish the most. If you actually know the answer let the people know. Now I’m gonna have to go  butternut and at least have it for myself and and a fish or two.

 

On 11/23/2021 at 11:20 PM, Indlers said:

Bee pollen. It's a well known shrimp food, but fish love it as well. Some days my Endler's decide to ignore it, in which case the snails dogpile it

Fun fact: My family all spend time as beekeepers, not as a hobby I was there living. I know it goes back in the family to before they moved from Germany in the early 1820’s. Bee Pollen I have feed right from the comb. It looks total different thank the pretty yellow Pollen you get. If you want to know more start a discussion and I will be there.