Feeding fish with other than fish food?

[poconojoe]

I see there was a recent thread about fish food.

It got me thinking there should be a sticky listing things people feed to their fish other than designated fish food. If there is already a sticky, I apologize. Maybe post up that link if it exists.

I know some people feed peas, cheerios, watermelon.

Maybe we can start a list of what is ok and how to feed each item.
For example, peas...I think they should be raw and I think there was mention of pulling the skin off. How do you pull the skin off a tiny pea? Or maybe they weren't raw, maybe frozen peas?

 

[Mgessert]

I feed greens from my garden daily. My goldfish like kale, spinach, lettuce, bok choy, and collards. They don’t like beet greens, mustard greens, or cabbage. They also get goldfish pellets every day, mainly to keep the nitrate levels up for my plants, which I don’t otherwise fertilize.

 

[poconojoe]

I feed greens from my garden daily. My goldfish like kale, spinach, lettuce, bok choy, and collards. They don’t like beet greens, mustard greens, or cabbage. They also get goldfish pellets every day, mainly to keep the nitrate levels up for my plants, which I don’t otherwise fertilize.

Do you just throw a big piece of those greens in or do you chop them up?

 

[rubyduby]

I see there was a recent thread about fish food.

It got me thinking there should be a sticky listing things people feed to their fish other than designated fish food. If there is already a sticky, I apologize. Maybe post up that link if it exists.

I know some people feed peas, cheerios, watermelon.

Maybe we can start a list of what is ok and how to feed each item.
For example, peas...I think they should be raw and I think there was mention of pulling the skin off. How do you pull the skin off a tiny pea? Or maybe they weren't raw, maybe frozen peas?

You blanch the peas quickly in boiling water...I think 1 minute...and then the skin comes off easily. you just squeeze them and the pea pops out in two little half spheres I use frozen peas....

 

[poconojoe]

You blanch the peas quickly in boiling water...I think 1 minute...and then the skin comes off easily. you just squeeze them and the pea pops out in two little half spheres I use frozen peas....

I would think they don't float. More likely sink, correct?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Well, you've already named a couple of my fish's favorite snacks. Watermelon (OMG!! How they LOVE this!! Well, except for Yukon, who doesn't eat it at all) and Cheerios. They also love cantaloupe, but it must be chopped into little bite-sized pieces (unlike watermelon, they can't chomp it off the rind) They also like oranges, but again I have to break the segments into bite-sized pieces.

 

[addy1]

there should be a sticky listing things people feed to their fish other than designated fish food

done! I have heard of others feeding dog food.

 

[poconojoe]

done! I have heard of others feeding dog food.

Maybe cat food for catfish?

 

[Lisak1]

Maybe cat food for catfish?

haha!

I think it was @callingcolleen1 who used to feed her big koi high quality puppy chow.

 

[Mgessert]

“Do you just throw a big piece of those greens in or do you chop them up?”

I just toss whole leaves in, and they chop them up.

 

[poconojoe]

“Do you just throw a big piece of those greens in or do you chop them up?”

I just toss whole leaves in, and they chop them up.

Awesome.
I gotta get on the band wagon and start giving my fish some of these "treats".

 

[YShahar]

You blanch the peas quickly in boiling water...I think 1 minute...and then the skin comes off easily. you just squeeze them and the pea pops out in two little half spheres I use frozen peas....

Beats using a tiny itty-bitty peeler any day! ;-)

 

[researcher]

I've wondered about this but was too lazy to follow up. Now -- no excuse. Thx for the input and ideas. I'll try some new things for my goldfish and see who salutes .....
Mitch

 

[Ronfire]

Mine like the grass hoppers that land in the pond, the visiting children also like to catch them and feed them to the fish.

 

[netvine]

Goldies love fresh cut up blueberries too