Yes, you have read the headline correctly, you can indeed feed vegetables and fruits to your fish and other invertebrates. Almost all tropical fish will benefit from some vegetable matter in their diet, it is an excellent treat that will supplement your fish and invertebrates’ diet and keep them in tip-top shape. Now it does not mean you should only feed your aquarium’s inhabitants vegetables or fruit, flakes and pellets are a good option and should be used as part of a well-balanced diet for all of your aquatic critters. Almost all fish in the wild have some plant matter in their diet. And as good as prepared fish foods have become today, most of these modern fish food doesn’t offer much in the way of plant matter or fiber to your tropical fish diet.
Also, many vegetables and fruits offer side benefits to fish, shrimp, and snails, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic properties. Also, you are not just limited to using fresh vegetables for your aquarium fish. You can also use canned or frozen as well. This makes it even easier to have snacks on hand for all your aquarium fish and invertebrates. Just make sure they are canned in brine water, basically a solution of salt and water, when they can the vegetables before selling them. So yes you can absolutely use canned vegetables for your tropical fish or shrimp! Â Use your better judgment when preparing these foods for your fish, always thinking about the size of the fish and if they will be able to nibble on these foods or not.
What Vegetables can you use?
- Peas (With the skin removed)
- Raw zucchini.
- Raw cucumber.
- Baby Marrow.
- Lettuce.
- Spinach.
- Cauliflower.
- Green peppers.
- Carrots.
- Pumpkin.
What Fruits can you use?
- Apples.
- Grapes.
- Bananas.
- Pears.
- Mangoes.
- Strawberries.
- Raspberries.
What foods should you avoid?
- Avocado.
- Watermelon.
- Oranges.
How to prepare your vegetables and fruits for use in the aquarium.
Most importantly, you need to wash your veggies or fruits before cutting them into pieces and adding them to your aquarium. With fruits, you don’t need to do anything other than cut them into smaller pieces and then add them to your aquarium. For most other vegetables, you will want to blanch for your fish first. All that blanching means is bringing the vegetables to a slow boil in a pot, and then removing them just after the water has begun to boil. You can also lightly steam them which may be preferred for certain hard vegetables, as it makes it easier for your fish to eat and nip at.
How to feed them to your fish and invertebrate?
It is rather easy. Just use something heavy to weigh the fruit and veggies down, the easiest would be a fork. Or if you have bamboo skewers, you can just skewer the fruit or vegetables and then push the skewer into the substrate. Make sure that the vegetables have completely cooled before you add them to the aquarium, otherwise, you might hurt your fish. Also, take note, vegetables, and fruits can pollute your fish tank if you feed too much of it at once. So adding a small piece goes a long way, and always clean up any leftovers promptly the next day. Hopefully this guide will help you keep your fish healthy and happy!
