Cardinal Tetras and Zucchini

[Bobby24]

Hi All,

I boiled a bit of Zucchini and put it into my tank to feed my Ottos, Siamese Algae Eater, Snails and Shrimp. However what was very surprising that my Cardinal Tetras went absolutely berserk and started feeding on the zucchini. I have kept Cardinal Tetras in the past for years at a time but never seen them eating any naturally occurring vegetative matter in the tank or veg foods in the past, but these guys just loved the zucchini. Having said that I have never fed any fish zucchini in the past, have any of you had a similar experience.

Bobby

[CrazyCatPeekin]

Many of my fish will pick at the zucchini that I add for plecos and snails...neons, glowlights, serpae, kribs, angels...I have seen them all go for it. When I had tiger barbs they would swim around the tank with it and steal it from each other; that was fun to watch.

[Danno79]

I agree, my tetras will grab a piece of vegetabel and steal it from each other. It's a bit like watching a soccer game.

[acitydweller]

my cardinals actually feast on any food i drop in the tank, which puts my corys and amanos at a disadvantage since i primarily feed them sinking foods so i learned to feed flakes first to get their bellies full then feed the rest of the guys afterwards.

Its great to give them a mixed diet when possible.

[PlantedRich]

I often feed zuke for my bristlenose and find they have to fight my cichlids for a share. I never bother boiling it and just strap it to a small flat rock with rubber bands.

[Algae Beater]

i add nearly a whole zucchini to one of the displays in the store I manage, chiefly its added for the fly river turtle, but the massive school of clown loaches really goes beserk for it as well

[Bobby24]

Thanks All,

I actually put a chunk of of it on to a blunted hook, line and sinker and leave it in the tank for a couple of hours, it is easy to then to just pull the lot out of the tank, drop any snails that have latched on back into the tank. I find it easy doing it this way and it does not foul the tank.

Regards,

Bobby

[kevinmichael77]

How long do you boil the zucchini for and how big of piece can you use? I have 6 ottos in my tank and I'm sure they'd like the treat. Do you tie it down or just drop it?

[Bobby24]

I do not know how long the zucchini was boiled, my maid boiled it for me, say about 3 - 4 minutes, in my experience Zucchini cooks very fast.

I just put it on to a the hook like you would bait and drop it to the Bottom, the sinker anchors it in place, I like it this way so I can take it out and dispose it when I think they have had their fill. I'd say it is about a square inch. I am sure your Ottos would love it, when the Zucchini goes in its a mad rush, shrimp, fish and even the snails..I do not feed them very often because I need these guys to eat up all the algae, so unless I feel algae is in short supply I put in the zucchini, more for the Nerite Snails than anything else. All the best.

[kevinmichael77]

Thanks bobby24!!

[Jadenlea]

I use the disposable wood bbq skewers that you can get at the store. Stab through and into the substrate.

In my fish tank I don't need to take it back out. Pretty much all my fish eat it, though I put it in for the otos, pleco and shrimp. they eat every bit of it including the peel in about 24 hrs.

In the shrimp tanks I leave it in about 24 hrs and remove. I nuke it for 25 secs per side.