Is adding a cucumber to your aquarium beneficial or not?

[darnasuspect]

I stopped by the LFS with my wife yesterday, and she spotted them adding cucumbers to a pretty active pleco tank. Now she's keen on trying this with our own tank.

I've kept fish for years, but I've never thought of just throwing sliced veggies into the water. Is this a good idea or can it cause problems?

I'm assuming you'd remove it after a few hours to prevent it from rotting in the tank?

[sidthy]

You can safely leave it in for a day or two without worrying about it causing problems. Just be sure to remove it before it starts breaking down and becomes a mess. I'd recommend using organic cucumbers, as non-organic ones can contain pesticides that you wouldn't want in your tank.

[belleora]

You can definitely introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables to your tank, as you've seen with the pleco tank and cucumber. The cucumber is a great option, being long and easy for multiple fish to access and eat. I've found that par-boiling and then blanching the vegetables makes them softer and more palatable for the fish. For example, boiling the veg for a couple of minutes, then plunging it into a bowl of ice-cold water, works well. The timing may vary depending on the vegetable - I only rinse spinach, for instance.

It's not uncommon for the fish to take some time to recognize the new food source, especially if they're not used to eating fresh foods. You can use veggie tank clips to hold the food in place or weigh it down with a fork to prevent it from floating. If you're looking for inspiration, I recommend checking out some pleco feeding channels on YouTube or searching the forum for ideas. Many other fish and inverts, such as shrimp and snails, also appreciate the occasional treat.

When it comes to uneaten food, it's essential to remove it before it breaks down and produces ammonia. I tend to feed items like this just before the tank lights go out and then remove any leftovers by morning. However, the risk of ammonia production depends on various factors, including the type of food, the tank's stocking level, and the presence of live plants. As a general rule, I try not to leave food in the tank for more than 12 hours to avoid any issues.

[sidthy]

You can definitely introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables to your tank, as you've seen with the pleco tank and cucumber. The cucumber is a great option, being long and easy for multiple fish to access and eat. I've found that par-boiling and then blanching the vegetables makes them softer and more palatable for the fish. For example, boiling the veg for a couple of minutes, then plunging it into a bowl of ice-cold water, works well. The timing may vary depending on the vegetable - I only rinse spinach, for instance.

It's not uncommon for the fish to take some time to recognize the new food source, especially if they're not used to eating fresh foods. You can use veggie tank clips to hold the food in place or weigh it down with a fork to prevent it from floating. If you're looking for inspiration, I recommend checking out some pleco feeding channels on YouTube or searching the forum for ideas. Many other fish and inverts, such as shrimp and snails, also appreciate the occasional treat.

When it comes to uneaten food, it's essential to remove it before it breaks down and produces ammonia. I tend to feed items like this just before the tank lights go out and then remove any leftovers by morning. However, the risk of ammonia production depends on various factors, including the type of food, the tank's stocking level, and the presence of live plants. As a general rule, I try not to leave food in the tank for more than 12 hours to avoid any issues.

I have to respectfully disagree, I've found that veggies soften in water and release different compounds at various stages of breakdown, which affects their taste. This means that some fish might prefer them when they're still firm, while others will wait until they've softened up a bit. In my experience with plecos, they usually go for them when they're still hard. I've never seen the need to blanch anything - just toss it in unblanched and let the fish decide when they're ready to take a bite.

[graye]

This summer, I'm planning to grow and freeze zucchini - you know, the one you guys call by a different name over in the UK. I slice it into coins, separating each one with wax paper, and then freeze them solid. Once they thaw, they're soft and perfect for all the herbivores, especially my Loracarids - they just love it. I've considered growing cucumbers too, but to be honest, they're not that nutritious. I do agree with sidthy on not blanching, but I do like to remove the empty rind at the end of the day, just to keep things tidy.

[sidthy]

This summer, I'm planning to grow and freeze courgette, a veggie my herbivores, especially Loracarids, just love. I cut it into coins, with wax paper between each coin and freeze it solid. The freezing process softens it once it thaws again. I find it's a great way to provide them with a nutritious treat.

[belleora]

I never bother with blanching, just toss the veg in as is and let the fish figure it out. As for how long to leave it in, I'd say a day or two is fine, just keep an eye on it and remove it before it starts to break down.

[sidthy]

You can definitely introduce a variety of fruits and vegetables to your tank, as you've seen with the pleco tank and cucumber. The cucumber is a great option, being long and easy for multiple fish to access and eat. I've found that par-boiling and then blanching the vegetables makes them softer and more palatable for the fish. For example, boiling the veg for a couple of minutes, then plunging it into a bowl of ice-cold water, works well. The timing may vary depending on the vegetable - I only rinse spinach, for instance.

It's not uncommon for the fish to take some time to recognize the new food source, especially if they're not used to eating fresh foods. You can use veggie tank clips to hold the food in place or weigh it down with a fork to prevent it from floating. If you're looking for inspiration, I recommend checking out some pleco feeding channels on YouTube or searching the forum for ideas. Many other fish and inverts, such as shrimp and snails, also appreciate the occasional treat.

When it comes to uneaten food, it's essential to remove it before it breaks down and produces ammonia. I tend to feed items like this just before the tank lights go out and then remove any leftovers by morning. However, the risk of ammonia production depends on various factors, including the type of food, the tank's stocking level, and the presence of live plants. As a general rule, I try not to leave food in the tank for more than 12 hours to avoid any issues.

It seems to me that the key thing with cucumber is not to let it disintegrate into the water. I only pull it out when I can see it's about to break apart, usually after a couple of days, by which point it's pretty soft. If the fish are still eating, I leave it in; otherwise, I take it out once they've lost interest.

If your fish only eat it once it's softened, then blanching it beforehand might be a good idea. I've noticed that different species have their own preferences - Pterygoplichthys and dollars tend to go for the seeds first, so I give them a quarter or half slice of cucumber, cut lengthways. BNs, on the other hand, seem to like the skin.

[belleora]

You can safely leave it in for a day or two without worrying about it causing problems. Just be sure to remove it before it starts breaking down and becomes a mess. I'd recommend using organic cucumbers, as non-organic ones can contain pesticides that you wouldn't want in your tank.

If I can leave it in for a couple of days without issues, I can definitely relax my morning removal rule. I've been erring on the side of caution, but it's good to know I have some leeway.

The fact that you mention your fish eating the seeds first and the skin later is interesting - I've noticed my otos tend to go for the softer bits of veg, probably because they don't have the same rasping abilities as plecs. In my bigger tank, I only have a couple of small plecos, and the rest are livebearers and occasional cory visitors, so it's not like they're eating it down to the rind or anything.

I'm curious, do you have a large number of plecos in your tanks, plus the sailfins? And how do you find their eating habits differ from each other?

[sidthy]

I've kept a few Pterygoplichthys over the years, mostly one at a time, and I've got a soft spot for the Gold Spot - they only get to a foot long, which is relatively small. I've also had a few of the bigger species, but those were rescues.

Their big raspers mean they can handle unblanched carrots, no problem. But I should probably add a caveat - I've usually kept larger fish, so my filters have massive bacterial colonies compared to those in smaller tanks. That means I can leave veg in for longer without worrying about water quality. In a smaller tank with smaller fish, it's a different story.