Article Fresh from the Fridge

By Nathan D'Addio

There are many foods that are in your refrigerator that are suitable for freshwater aquarium fish to eat. This article will examine why fresh food is important, some vitamins that are necessary and foods that provide these vitamins, including how to prepare them.

Fresh food is important because: " Fish require supplements that dry foods most likely won't provide " Fish require a varied diet " Vitamins and minerals keep fish healthy and improve colour " Breeding fish require more vitamins and minerals " Fish have different feeding habits (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore) All in all, fresh foods are very important for fish health.

Vitamins and what they do

Vitamins are essential for fish health because they help the body perform a number of vital functions. Vitamin A helps with vision, reproduction and cell growth. Vitamin B controls food break down, nutrients and enzymes Vitamin C aids with Cell development, blood, healing and gums Vitamin D helps bones and immunity Vitamin E is involved with cells, immunity and metabolic processes Vitamin K assists with Blood clotting (healing) Vitamin M/B9 (or Folate) is related to healing, blood and muscle tissue

Foods, preparation and what vitamins they provide

Cucumber is an excellent source of vitamin K and has some vitamin A and C. Cut it into medallions about 1.5 - 2cm thick and boil the cucumber until it sinks. You can feed it by dropping it into the tank or propping it up on a bamboo satay stick. The skin holds most of the vitamins, so don't chop it all off. Lettuce contains large amounts of the vitamins A, K and C and contains a little bit less vitamin M. I recommend a type of lettuce called Green Leaf (that's what the vitamins are based on) but most types of lettuce will do fine. Boil the lettuce until it sinks and the water it is in has turned a green colour. Drop the lettuce into the fish tank or spike it into a satay stick. Zucchini, like cucumber, contains the vitamins C, A and K. Boil it up and feed it like cucumber. Zucchini and cucumber are relished by catfish (especially plecostomus catfish). Peas contain a large quantity of the vitamins A, B and C plus some vitamin K and M. Buy frozen green peas (available at supermarkets) and boil for 10 - 20 minutes (depending on how soft or hard you want them). Once the peas are boiled, remove their skins by squeezing the outside. Drop the peas into the aquarium. Spinach is one of the best sources of vitamins for aquarium fish. It contains a huge amount of the vitamins A, K and M with a small amount of vitamin C. Prepare, boil and feed as per lettuce. Red capsicum contains the vitamins B and C. Boil it up until it sinks then drop it into the aquarium or feed it off a satay stick. Egg yolks contain the vitamins B, K and M. Eggs are easily hard boiled in a pot. Once the egg is boiled, remove the yolk. The yolk can be fed like it is or mashed up and diluted with water. Do not feed too much egg because it can pollute the aquarium's water. Carrots provide a small amount of vitamin K and a large amount of the vitamins A and C. Cut the carrots into medallions about 1 - 1.5cm thick and boil until they sink or soften enough for your aquatic pets to bite into. Drop the carrots into the tank (they are too thick for satay sticks!).

I cook the ingredients by boiling the kettle and then pouring the hot water into a mug. I then drop the items in and put foil wrap over the top. This works for me (slowly and safely) but you can place the ingredients in a pot and boil/blanch them that way. The cucumber and zucchini can be cooked and then frozen for later use, but all the ingredients are best used fresh. Many of the foods listed above contain more vitamins than what is listed. This is mainly because the extra vitamins were in very small quantities. Lettuce and spinach contain cellulose, which is indigestible. These greens must be boiled to remove it.

Foods fresh from the fridge are extremely important in keeping and breeding fish. They provide vitamins that can't be matched by dry foods and help vary a diet for carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. Food from the fridge can even help improve the colour of your fish. Vitamins also play an important part in a number of vital functions. All in all, fresh foods will keep your fish healthy.

 

If you boil it to cook it yes, it does release the vitamins into the water it's boiling in. If you only boil it for a minute or two it's okay. The point of this is only to make it sink, not to cook it. If you are able to or want to tie it down you can skip the boiling part.