Anyone feed their tang real veggies?

[Moe_K]

I once read a thread on old reefs.org where a guy mentioned he regularly fed his tangs not only romaine lettuce, but thinly sliced carrots, cauliflower leaves, broccoli, and spinach.

I have recently fed my yellow tank something that looks like mini-oak leaves from a mixed green salad. I wash it well, and pop in the microwave for 5 seconds. The time in the microwave is to burst some of the plant cells. The guy on RDO thought it was a good idea.

Anyone else feed their tang veggies?

Anyone try broccoli? That I'd like to see.

 

[Scott]

I sneak my lima beans under the table to mine. I hate lima beans.

 

[Moe_K]

I will not tell my kids that trick, Scott.

 

[nichols]

I will not tell my kids that trick, Scott.

No problem Moe. They'll learn that trick on their own!
I've fed my tangs thinnly sliced zucchini from our garden last year. Didn't think about the microwave. I blanched it in boiling water.

 

[wrassefan]

I've done broccoli with tangs in the past...quick blanch to break it down a bit

 

[deuceb]

jays aquatics has all those in his premixed reef food

 

[Shenlung]

I've seen thin slices of cucumber used at petco....fish seem to approve of it.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Whenever I cook brocolli I chop some up and toss it into my tank. Tangs and even other fish like it. I've also often feed some grated fresh carrots. I've fed lettuse and zuchinni.

 

[Matt L.]

Word has it that the nutrition still isn't as good as what's available from the dried algae sheets we feed.

I've done it in the past and the fish seem to love it, but I only feed a combination of different dried algaes now.

Matt

 

[Moe_K]

I've done broccoli with tangs in the past...quick blanch to break it down a bit

What's the process in blanching something?
Dunk it in boiling water for a few seconds?

 

[Doherty]

What's the process in blanching something?
Dunk it in boiling water for a few seconds?

Depends on what it is..... it could be seconds to 1min-2
Thin stuff like lettuce would be a few seconds, to soften it a bit, other stuff like broccoli prob would take a few min.

 

[Sherri]

I feed my wabbit romaine and he poops up a storm ....

 

[stevenp]

I used to feed romaine etc but stopped after a LFS told me that they only feed lettuce etc because it's cheap, and it doesn't offer the same nutrition as nori.

Also, fresh vegetables are not found in the ocean so I can't help but wonder what happens when the uneaten scraps decompose in my tank. It's probably not a big deal, but nori is so cheap and my fish seem to love so I don't see a need to try anything else.

 

[Moe_K]

I used to feed romaine etc but stopped after a LFS told me that they only feed lettuce etc because it's cheap, and it doesn't offer the same nutrition as nori.

Also, fresh vegetables are not found in the ocean so I can't help but wonder what happens when the uneaten scraps decompose in my tank. It's probably not a big deal, but nori is so cheap and my fish seem to love so I don't see a need to try anything else.

Agreed, but I'm out of nori. Can't remember to get over to the Asian market when I'm at work.

I can report my yellow tang looks fat & healthy. I wonder if land lubber veggies do the trick.

 

[OceanGuy]

I use nori and other seaweed used for sushi. I buy them either at the Asian Market in Dorchester or in Brighton, MA.

Yamamotoyama Roasted Seaweed $2.09 for 10 sheets .88 ounces from Japan
Tokyo Sushihane Roadted Seaweed $1.50 for 10 sheets .88 ounces From China
and
Hanayaki Nori Roasted Seaweek $1.89 for 8 sheets .56 ounces

I make sushi with some of it and give the remaining parts to the fish. Some times I do by bags just for the fish though.

The tangs expecially love it. One Hippo Tang is almost 8" and the Hawaiian Yellow Tang is almost 6".

This is a lot cheaper than buying it at the fish store and on a classroom budget it does just fine.

 

[Chuck Spyropulos]

I still do only Nori....hard to find now. But I finally have a source on the North Shore: Whole Foods Market in Swampscott. Funny that my fish hate the green seaweed sheets that are easy to find in most supermarkets. They will only eat the toasted brown/purple variety. Fussy fish.