Cucumber

[daveg6529]

Hi,
I  read on another part of TTF that a slice of cucumber placed in the tank is a welcome addition for the fish to feed on. My questions are,
Do I take the skin off first?
Where do I put it as it floats?
How long do I leave it in the tank before removing it?

 

[mike455555]

iv never done it, but iv heard people doing it and seen picks, tie it down to a rock (and put the string/fishingline out the tank so its easy to pull out) 
leave the skin on, as it will just go to mush when you take it out
...and dont quote me on this but overnight? or for afew hours... 

 

[fluttermoth]

I poke a stainless steel teaspoon or fork through it and leave it in overnight. 
 
Cucumber is quite poor in nutrients though; you can feed lots of other, better things; blanched green lettuce or spinach, melon rinds, slices of apple, courgette, sweet potato, peas.

 

[Livewire88]

I put a piece of Cucumber in my tank once a week, to prepare I cut a thick slice and then cut the middle part away with the pips, then cut round the edges to remove the skin. 
 
Mainly put it in the tank for my Ottos to feed on snack on but it is mainly water anyway so not much use to fish but they seem to like it, I have never seen any fish feed on the Cucumber during the day so I leave it in the tank over night, in the morning you can see that it has been nibbled at during the night, also I never leave it in the tank for more than 24 hours. In that time it does not disintegrate so is nice and easy to remove.  

 

[Mikey1]

use an elastic band to tie it to a rock, that will keep it on the bottom of the tank,
 
you can do this with whatever you like, cucumber, zucchini, lettuce, etc etc

 

[TheStretchedElf]

I might try this sometime. Do you think neon tetras and platies would appreciate a bit of cucumber?

 

[Mikey1]

I might try this sometime. Do you think neon tetras and platies would appreciate a bit of cucumber?

 
 
most people do it for bottom dwellers like plecos

 

[TheStretchedElf]

I might try this sometime. Do you think neon tetras and platies would appreciate a bit of cucumber?

 
 
most people do it for bottom dwellers like plecos

Ah, ok. I plan on getting some kuhli loaches soon so maybe I will try then.

 

[HHH]

What i do is boil it for about 1-2min depending on the size of the slice then dunk it in cold ice water and it should sink. You might also want to try zuchinni as it is more nutritous for fish than cucumbers.

 

[TheStretchedElf]

Never heard of zucchini lol. Freezing makes sense as well as it should make it denser than the water so it sinks. I think.

 

[fluttermoth]

Zucchini is what they call courgettes in the US, Stretched Elf

 

[the_lock_man]

I poke a stainless steel teaspoon or fork through it and leave it in overnight. 
 
Cucumber is quite poor in nutrients though; you can feed lots of other, better things; blanched green lettuce or spinach, melon rinds, slices of apple, courgette, sweet potato, peas.

 
How do you prepare melon rind, FM? Is it a case of the fish snack on whatever melon fruit is left on the rind?

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes; the fish get the rinds once my kids have finished with them!

 

[the_lock_man]

So just drop the rinds in, no other preparation necessary?

 

[fluttermoth]

Well, I give them a wash under the hot tap first!
 
Apart from that no, they just go in when I switch the tank lights out. I've never bothered giving them watermelon, but all my plecs love galia, cantaloupe and honeydew