Loaches Online Forum

Ok, this question probably makes me look dumber than I am, but I will ask it anyway.

I allways fed my clowns with frozzen food, tablets, snails...never tried with vegetables. So I did, today. I offered them a piece of fresh cucumber. Guys were checking it for a while and than they really liked it. Great!

There is only one small problem, frustrating them, and making me look stupid.

How in the name of god do you make it stay on the ground and not come back to surface.
I tried everything ( putting something on it, they would pull it out and there it floats to surface again )...so, how do you make fresh piece of cucumber stay on tank ground for loaches?

Rubber band and a rock so as to position it skin down,or a stick like a blind rod from plastic cut to fit the tank and a rubber band

Many people just stick a fork/spoon through the cucumber and let it sink, then remove it once the cucumber has been eaten. I normally remove mine after 4 hours. Some people also use plant weights and food clips that also helps the cucumber sink.

have you tried a bit of plant lead? that works untill they munch around it releasing the cucumber

I bought a couple of stainless steel screws at the hardware store. I've used the strips of plant lead, but was worried about the lead leaching into the water at some point. The screws work great, just stick one in your zucchini or whatever & drop it in.

Kate

Thank you all. I think spoon will be my choice.

Well, I guess I have difficulties with the most obvious things. Often not seeing things that are right infront of me...you know

Thanks again. And 5 clowns express their grattitude also.

I always used wooden kitchen skewers, which you can sink into the substrate - but not if you have any digging fish, obviously.

I use a plastic cable tie to attach veggies to a pebble with a hole drilled through it.

Blanch the vegies (not cucumber) 'til they sink:
Zuchini, Peas and Green Beans are some of the favorites. The fish prefer the tender inside of the green beans, so slice them lenthwise. Pop the shell of the pea, and the pea will come out in 2 pieces (if it does not get mushy)
Cook longer: Baked squash such as butternut, baked yams, boiled Broccoli stem (similar to green beans, the fish like the tender inside)

Diana wrote:Blanch the vegies (not cucumber) 'til they sink:
Zuchini, Peas and Green Beans are some of the favorites. The fish prefer the tender inside of the green beans, so slice them lenthwise. Pop the shell of the pea, and the pea will come out in 2 pieces (if it does not get mushy)
Cook longer: Baked squash such as butternut, baked yams, boiled Broccoli stem (similar to green beans, the fish like the tender inside)

Thanks. I will actually "write this down"