Vegetables, shrimp, roe and egg as fish food

Some vegetables are very popular fish food. Many fish species require substantial amount of fresh vegetative food. Their nutritional value is however poor. Still by feeding them, many plant eating fish species can live in a planted aquarium without any major problems.

With plecos it is advisable that a vegetable is divided in a several pieces, so their aggressions towards each other are avoided. By spearing a vegetable with a steel spoon one can sink them easily to the bottom of a tank.

Cucumber, zucchini and common nettle

Cucumber and zucchini must be offered with a skin. Some plecos prefer to eat the skin first. These vegetables can be offered for barbs, plecos and loaches. Here are some nutritional values for cucumber and zucchini. Many plecos prefer to eat at nights, so it may be advisable to leave the vegetable over night.

These plecos (possibly L075, male on the right) love zucchini and cucumber.
They also enjoy the green skin.

It may be surprising fact for someone that such a common plant as stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)can be nutritious aquarium food. Leaves must be dried first. Caridina shrimps love to eat them leaving only the veins behind. Put nettle leaves under a weight preventing them from floating. Here you can find detailed information on the nutritional values of this wonderful plant.

These nettle leaves have been drying for a few days.

Do not forget to offer your shrimps dried nettle leaves.
(Neocaridina davidi var. Yellow Fire, Total Body Length 30mm)

Neocaridina davidi eating nettle leaf.

Shrimps or "northern prawn"

Shrimps can be used as a fish food, but usually they must be peeled, rinsed (they are salty) and cut in pieces first. Shrimps have very high protein value and they contain only little fat. Shrimp pieces sink quite fast and are loved by carnivorous species.

Siamese algae eater (Crossocheilus siamensis) is well known for its superb appetite. They eat almost anything.

Roe

Roe has especially high concentration on fatty acids like Omega-3. They are tasty too and quite easy to harvest, when cooking fish. To avoid any parasite infections it is advisable however to freeze fish eggs before feeding.

Roe is an excellent fish food: nutritious, natural, tasty and cheap. Here are fresh vendace eggs.

All Nothobranchius species are carnivorous thus they love roe. Here is a Nothobranchius furzeri male (Code 2010/24).

Egg

Spotted Cory (C. agassizii) and other Cory species can smell food very quickly. They find egg yolk in a few seconds.

Eggs have very high nutritional value and they can be used as baby food when rearing young fish. You must use only fresh eggs and be careful not to overfeed. Eggs are usually cooked first and only yolk is used. Cooked egg yolk pulverizes very easily and thus it can contaminate the water.