What unusual things have you fed your fish?

bumperbeetle · Jul 11, 2015

So Ive been talking to hobbyists the past few weeks and have heard of some pretty unusual things that folks say their fish go crazy over! Being a little new to the hobby, I would love to hear from all of you! What are those special little treats your fish go nuts over?

tyler1503 · Jul 11, 2015

My snowflake eels has eaten plastic before. I feed her using small plastic cocktail forks and one day she entered a feeding frenzy, bit into her food and took half of one of the prongs with her.
Since then I've been breaking the prongs off before hand so there's only one left. That way the food just slides off the end.
It was a scary few days following the incident. She didn't seem phased by it luckily

Other than that I just feed chopped seafood and nori, nothing too exotic here!

4FordFamily · Jul 11, 2015

Any bug I find in the house I throw in my tank and it lasts less than a second usually

bumperbeetle · Jul 12, 2015

Fresh Strawberry

ca1ore · Jul 13, 2015

Before nori was readily available, I used to feed my tangs broccoli florets in a clip. Some of my anthias get masago roe (though I suppose that's not all that unusual).

d2mini · Jul 13, 2015

I tried feeding them my son.... unfortunately they spit him back out of the tank.

Daniel@R2R · Jul 14, 2015

I've fed Romaine lettuce before...not sure that's unusual though...

trahelyk · Jul 14, 2015

Don't judge me, but when I was in college (more than 15 years ago) I had a lion fish who would eat bits of pizza out of my fingers. I had him for years, so apparently the occasional pizza snack won't kill a lion fish, but I nevertheless don't recommend doing this.

Breakthecycle2 · Jul 14, 2015

bumperbeetle said:
Fresh Strawberry

Really? What kind of fish?

Breakthecycle2 · Jul 14, 2015

mdbannister said:
I've fed Romaine lettuce before...not sure that's unusual though...

Only thing about lettuce is, I've read fish can't digest it. Not sure if it is true or not.

Daniel@R2R · Jul 14, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
Only thing about lettuce is, I've read fish can't digest it. Not sure if it is true or not.

I've known of tangs that lived off of romaine almost exclusively for years, so I think they can digest it. However, I've heard some pretty convincing arguments that it isn't very nutritious for them (which is why I don't do it anymore).

Breakthecycle2 · Jul 14, 2015

mdbannister said:
I've known of tangs that lived off of romaine almost exclusively for years, so I think they can digest it. However, I've heard some pretty convincing arguments that it isn't very nutritious for them (which is why I don't do it anymore).

Actually, maybe that is what I read. lol

leptang · Jul 14, 2015

I had a silver tip shark that loved carne asada, but when I feed him it the water would get oily ontop

jgraz · Jul 14, 2015

I've chopped up pumpkin a few times over the last few years and fed my fish. The tangs and wrasses usually go crazy for it. Clowns and cardinals...not so much.

bumperbeetle · Jul 14, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
Really? What kind of fish?

My clowns, tang, and moorish idol. I have also heard baby kale, peeled pea's, and asparagus are favored treats but haven't tried those myself.

I cut the green off the top of the strawberry and cut the center out a little to put the scent in the water, tie it to a rock and drop it in. They love it! I just make sure to buy organic and rinse very well before feeding it to them.

CastAway · Jul 14, 2015

Anything with garlic extract, that's pretty darn unusual!
It may be common but it is unusual.
A terrestrial bulb for an ocean species?
That just doesn't happen naturally.

Paul B · Jul 14, 2015

I collect a disgusting looking sponge growing here in New York that my fish go nuts over. My Moorish Idol lived about 5 years on it. I have also fed Plaster of Paris mixed with fish oil, bananas and clams. When I feed predators such as lionfish or anglers I use guppies that I first inject with cod liver oil.

choff · Jul 14, 2015

mdbannister said:
I've known of tangs that lived off of romaine almost exclusively for years, so I think they can digest it. However, I've heard some pretty convincing arguments that it isn't very nutritious for them (which is why I don't do it anymore).

This was standard practice in the 90s when I started in SW

Harold Green · Jul 14, 2015

After a week of trying to get a sailfin tang to eat I went to my old standby. A small can of rinsed spinach blended with raw eggs and gelled in a non stick skillet over low heat. I raised cichlids for years and made my own fish food with spinach, eggs, liver, carrot, shrimp. All blended and cooked and then spread on wax paper and frozen. I've yet to find a fish, fresh or salt that wouldn't eat it along with anemonies and other corals.