A question about seedless cucumbers.

[MaryMary]

Silly question, but I have never bought nor grown seedless cucumbers. Do they have a gelatinous middle, just no seeds?

I have two aquariums. For a while now, I have been feeding cucumber to my big plecostomus. The two in the guppy tank have finally gotten big enough that a small chunk won't go to waste, so I started dropping a piece in there, too. I've been picking the seeds out, because I don't want them floating about in the tank.

To my surprise, the guppies love it!! They will eat all of it, but seem to like the middle the best. The part I mostly cut out to rid them of seeds. They will bury their heads in the center, and pull backwards! Pretty funny to see!!


Yes, I will grow cucumbers for my fish.




For anyone that has fish and wants to try this - some plecos will eat them raw, mine seem to like theirs boiled. I peel them, cut them into inch long chunks, boil long enough that a toothpick slides in easily, let it cool down, and throw it in the tank. If we're not having salad before it will spoil, I cut and boil the whole thing, then freeze it.

 

[marlingardener]

MaryMary, you are actually cooking for your fish? And people made fun of me for providing warm oatmeal for the hens. At least I could microwave their breakfast.
I have no idea about seedless cucumbers--never grown them. I stick with Straight Eights, and put the excess into the back seats of unsuspecting car owners. They can do with the cucumbers whatever they wish. After tossing through a rolled-down car window, it is no longer my problem!

 

[MaryMary]

Yes, yes I am cooking for my fish.


Well, you see, the way it happened...my first plecostomus has gotten very big. The tank that he is in has river rocks in it, and they are uneven. If I drop in an algae wafer, it falls between the rocks, and he can't get at it. . (I need different gravel, but they sell that at the same place where they sell all the pretty fish!! . I'm sure you see the dilemma.) And as big as he is, he would need many algae wafers.

One day while I was looking for new fish .gravel, I noticed there was a chunk of zucchini in most of the tanks. I asked about it and learned plecos like zucchini and cucumbers. Yay!! Food that can't get away from him!!

Except he wouldn't eat it.

Online I go, to find out what is wrong with him and/or the cucumber. I found a website that said to parboil the cucumber. I started out by microwaving a chunk of it in a coffee cup. But I wound up throwing too many halves of cucumber in the compost. So now I cook the whole thing.




See? Makes perfect sense!!

 

[Beth_B]

I don't think it's weird! I used to scoop up mosquito wigglers and bloodworms for my Betta fish when I had them. They loved chasing live food and pouted in winter when they had to go back on boring fish kibble.

Anyway, I've never grown, but have bought, the English seedless cucumbers and also the small "Persian" ones from the middle Eastern grocery store. I would not describe the middle as gelatinous, just firm, almost crunchy, all the way through. And the skin is much thinner.

I don't care for whatever the common variety they sell in grocery stores but especially like the little ones.

 

[LIcenter]

My pleco's loved freeze dried tubifex worms. Not in a million years would I have thought to give them cukes tho.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

I buy them over regular ones. the reason behind them, is they cause less burping than the regular. but there are some type of seeds in them, just different surface feel. you should just buy one to see for yourself.

I mostly by them when I am making this:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tabbouleh-recipe

 

[MaryMary]

I used to scoop up mosquito wigglers and bloodworms for my Betta fish when I had them.

I tried mosquito larvae for the guppies! That's what they mainly eat in the wild, and were originally introduced into different areas as a means of controlling them, not as an aquarium fish! We got a few mosquitoes in the house, and that was the end of that!

I have a Betta that eats dried bloodworms. Where did you find live ones?

I would not describe the middle as gelatinous, just firm, almost crunchy, all the way through.

Ok, so it seems my best bet for the "jelly filling" they like so much is to just let my cucumbers get a little bigger than I would if they were for me! Thanks!!

Not in a million years would I have thought to give them cukes tho.

From what I have learned, they like zucchini, cucumber, and butternut squash. I've only ever given mine cucumber, but I might try him on a bit of zucchini this summer.

Here's a video I found of one with a zucchini!

the reason behind them, is they cause less burping than the regular.

I've also heard that if you peel the regular ones, there is less burping!

 

[LIcenter]

Do fish burp?

 

[Beth_B]

Cute video.
Bloodworms live in the same conditions as skeeter larvae, usually on the bottom, under leaf litter.

I have a friend who used to breed and show exotic fish. She offered to set up tanks for growing all my own "natural" fish food (bugs and such) so I could feed them year around, but I politely declined.

Yes fish burp! I used to have Oscars; one of their regular meals were live goldfish. Which they'd gulp in one bite, then swim lazily around burping up clouds of glittery little orange scales.

 

[MaryMary]

I used to have Oscars; one of their regular meals were live goldfish. Which they'd gulp in one bite, then swim lazily around burping up clouds of glittery little orange scales.

Um...uh... that sounds oddly kind of pretty.


Oh!! I forgot - @marlingardener, the guppies also get a treat of hard boiled egg every now and then!! Tiny little slices; they eat the yolk first, but they'll eat the white, too. I give them extra protein, because they are baby-making machines!! Supposedly, protein will help bring on their color faster. I think it's a defense mechanism; they don't get the beautiful colors until they are 3-4 months old.

 

[LIcenter]

Fish fry love egg yolk. Put it in a stocking (panty hose) and let it sit in the water. As it dissolves they chow down on it like nobodies business. I used to breed many tropicals way back when.

 

[MaryMary]

Licenter, do you think that method would work for baby food? Actual, pureed, human baby food? I read that I should give the gups peeled peas, it aids in digestion and keeps them from getting bloat. (Moves things right along!)

I don't want to peel peas!! I bought baby food and was going to use gelatin to make a thick fish food gel. (Oh, how I love You Tube!! ) But if you think they would be able to get it out of a stocking, that might be easier and quicker!

 

[LIcenter]

Licenter, do you think that method would work for baby food? Actual, pureed, human baby food? I read that I should give the gups peeled peas, it aids in digestion and keeps them from getting bloat. (Moves things right along!)

I don't want to peel peas!! I bought baby food and was going to use gelatin to make a thick fish food gel. (Oh, how I love You Tube!! ) But if you think they would be able to get it out of a stocking, that might be easier and quicker!

It will actually float out like a cloud. Very fine particles in the size they can eat. I will say, do not leave it in very long at a time, as it can cloudy up your water. You can also soak some in a small container, then use an eyedropper to squirt it where you most want it.

 

[marlingardener]

Bushynose Plecos like zucchini? Why don't the ag books tell us these things? My overabundance of zucchini (and the dirty looks from neighbors when they find a basket of squash on their porch, mysteriously deposited overnight) just may be taken care of. Now all I have to do is find someone with a lot of bushynose fish with hunger pangs.
(Sorry, but my eggs, yolk and all, go to humans. Since hens don't swim, I think eggs are an acquired taste for fish).

 

[Larisa]

Here's a video I found of one with a zucchini!

This is what happens when the aquarium has no algae ... But on the other side of smart people say that vegetarianism is good for health and psyche.
I do not argue. (With the facts)

http://diddlybop.ru/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/5b8a04bfb4183420fb40cf53a35e1232.gif