Feeding Greens

[merlyn2221]

Does anyone feed romaine lettuce (blanched leaves), cooked de-shelled peas, zucchini, spinach (blanched leaves), or other green veggies?

How often do you feed it? Is it safe to feed it daily? What about this thing I saw at the lfs called "cichlid salad" made by Ocean Nutrition? Anyone ever use it?

The two lfs I deal with both give the Africans there Romaine leaves, and they don't even blanch them.

Let me know what you guys do. I'd like them to have as much "natural" food as possible, but don't want to harm them or give them the dreaded Malawi bloat.

[jonah]

The reason we blanche them is to break down the cellulose, making it easier to digest. Nobody wants a constipated cichlid. I usually throw the romain in the freezer until I'm ready to feed it. That'll break the cellulose down too and it's less messy for me.

Mbuna won't get Malawi bloat from eating greens. You could feed them every day if you wanted.

[Overawed]

OK, I might be in trouble here. I feed my fish a can of LeSeur small peas every week. I just pour them into a tupperware bowl and refrigerate them after I feed the fish. I don't de-shell them, the shells usually end up in the filters. Is it bad to feed them cold refrigerated peas?

[jonah]

I don't think cold food is that good for them, but I don't think it's going to kill them either. I think most people squeeze them out so the fish don't have to digest the shells. I don't feed peas though. Just never have tried them.

[Overawed]

Hmm maybe I'll warm them up before-hand in the micro-wave. My fish love peas!

[jonah]

A few minutes in a warm bowl of water would probably work too. I'd worry about going too hot in the microwave. Just picture biting into a burrito that's frozen on the edges and molten lava in the center. :shock:

[Overawed]

:lol: :lol:

Good point Jonah!

[merlyn2221]

Kevin and Jonah:

Ok, so after I got up from the floor, laughing about the LaSeur canned Peas, I realized that you guys never told me if I could give my fish (who yes, are better fed than I am, just like Kevin's apparently) the other items on the "menu," i.e. zucchini, spinach and that "cichlid salad" that I mentioned. I'm wondering now if I should blanch those as well because of the cellulose? What do you think?
Oh yeah, Kevin, I'll be taking out billboards all along the Eastern Seaboard to tell the world you feed your fish those LaSeur peas! :lol:
Seriously, I am so glad that someone has the knowledge to help me with my questions. No one here has steered me wrong, and thanks to this site and its members' help, I have a beautiful setup with fish I love.

Thanks guys! :D

[jonah]

I've never tried the cichlid salad, but the zuchinni and spinach are both good. I'd blanche them too.


I had peas with dinner tonight and I was tempted to share the leftovers with my fish instead of my dogs. :wink: