Zucchini or Cucumber

[Brandxn]

I’d like to try giving my Ottos & Corys cucumber or zucchini but not sure which one would be better and how I would need to prepare it for them. Do I just boil it and toss it in for a couple hours? Which one do your Ottos like?

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

My Otos only eat ENGLISH cucumber (organic, skin cut off). I do nothing to prep it, just put it in a veggie clip. 

I would like it if they ate Zucchini though- so I would try that first if you haven't done anything yet. I parboiled mine (just slices boiled hard for 2-3 mins, cooled then clipped in a veggie clip) @Guppysnail feeds her fishes lots of veg you might want to look on her journal for good ideas. :-) 

[JettsPapa]

• I doubt if there's enough difference between the two to matter.
• I occasionally feed vegetables to my shrimp.  I just boil them for a few minutes so they'll sink, but it's probably not necessary.
• Just as a heads-up, some otos will eat vegetables and commercial fish food, and some won't.  You could experiment with various vegetable varieties to see if they seem to prefer one or the other.
• Also, while corys are bottom feeders, they do best with protein as a significant portion of their diet.  So while they will likely eat the vegetables it shouldn't be their primary diet (not algae wafers either).

[Guppysnail]

I put zucchini and cucumbers in raw. My plecos gobble them and by the time they are done bits have softened and all my other kids chow down. Blanched kale leaves are good. I blanch fresh green beans and open so the meat is exposed. That is a major favorite. Pumpkin, squash, bell peppers sweet potato broccoli stalks blanched (steer clear of the floret they make a mess. You can try most anything. I stay away from fruits that are sweet. They seem to cloud my tanks but I’ve heard folks even use watermelon 🤣

Edited December 13, 2022 by Guppysnail

[mynameisnobody]

Any old cucumber or zucchini works. I find that cucumber tends to be a bit messier. They love either. 

[Colu]

Cucumber are the favorite type of vegetable my bristlenose eat they also like blanched spinach and lettuce and occasionally sweet potato 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Colu

[JJenna]

On 12/13/2022 at 11:54 AM, Guppysnail said:

heard folks even use watermelon 🤣

I bet they would love the white part of the rind!

 

On 12/13/2022 at 11:43 AM, JettsPapa said:

some otos will eat vegetables and commercial fish food

My otos and hillstreams are all over the Repashy Soilent Green....I have to set out a different dish for the Mystery Snails...it's funny to see 5 or 6 of them in the dish on a 1" cube of it, I don't know how they do it, but they manage to have all sides covered. 

[nabokovfan87]

As someone who always ignores the cucumber on the salad at a restaurant.....

Zucchini all the way.

I think both work, but just make sure you remove the seeds if you're using either one.

On 12/13/2022 at 8:59 AM, Mynameisnobody said:

Any old cucumber or zucchini works. I find that cucumber tends to be a bit messier. They love either. 

Agreed

[TeeJay]

Yes I agree I think zucchini is a better choice. Holds up well in water. Way less messy 

[Tanked]

The barbs and Silver Dollars prefer Cucumber.  They always eat the pulp and seeds first, eventually getting around to the flesh.  I've never had a problem with cucumber being messy.  It might be because it doesn't last long enough, or maybe because it is anchored in place by the fish sticks (s/s skewers).