Loaches Online Forum

... but at least theres a good cleanup crew!



I keep trying different kinds of vegetables to supplement the diet of Dumbkin-the-Plec, with the added benefit that the Loaches also get all different kinds of vegetables to supplement their diets as well.

I had the 'cleanup crew' of about 5 of them all going at it while Dumbkin looked on, but as soon as they saw the camera, most of them scarpered off.

cool.. ...did they leave a big mess?

Cool.
My sailfin pleco will eat broccoli, but he doesn't seem that fussed- he prefers a nice algae wafer.

Actually, there wasn't a terrible mess from the Broccoli -- but there was a horrible disaster with the Mushroom Experiment.

My loaches are the official taste testers - they're the first to dive into whatever flawed vegetable experimen I try out (pumpkin was the last failed try). I usually stick to the cucumber/zucchini combo, and you can see the Zebra (Zipper) in the background pecking away it that.

I tried zuchini... my common pleco and clowns wouldn' go for it =(

I also tried zuchini and the fish looked at me like I was nuts for even offering it to them. Do you have to do something to entice them to try it?

For my guy i usually have to boil/steam the greens a bit before i offer them.. I dunno if you did or not.

If i dont get a chance to it somtimes takes a day or two before he'll touch them.

my orange guy is a freak for zucinni

Pixelated_Pirate wrote:I tried zuchini... my common pleco and clowns wouldn' go for it =(

I did not succeed with clowns yet, but my common loves it,... The essential trick is to soften it first, 12sec/turn/8 sec in microwave does this perfectly. He likes cucumbers (must soften) and honey dew too...

That sounds easy enough. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for the hints.

I must be lucky -- i just peel, cut into wedges, and put a piece of cuc and zucchi on the back of a spoon, the rest in the fridge. Nothing else.

As soon as i start putting it in the water, its a mob of loaches until plec can get to the top (once i tap on the side of the tank to let him know its there, hes right up to the surface).

I've actually grown a veggie garden of cucumbers and zucchinis just for the fish - darn things are eating better than me!

linarite wrote:That sounds easy enough. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for the hints.

Three more hints:

1. Skin it. I have been told that the glossy substance on commercial Zucchinis is toxic. They don't eat the skin anyway.
2. Cut it to 1/4" slice, this is what my timing is intended for.
3. For Common, there is no need to fasten the slice, my fish is strong enough to grab a floating slice and hold it while eating. For BN's (who also get zucchinis) it is a headache, because they tend to dislodge half-eaten pieces and then cannot finish them.

Good luck.

Pealing the veggies is another good idea. Didn't try that one either. Adding that to the list.