# How to feed Mbunas fresh veggies?



## joiseymike (Feb 8, 2009)

I've seen a thread or two where someone mentions casually that they feed their mbunas zucchini slices, carrots or other veggies. I like the idea of supplementing their normal diet with fresh veggies now and then as a treat.

How should I start to get them acclimated to eating fresh veggies? Normally I feed them New Life pellets (mixed 1mm and 3mm), and I give them freeze dried bloodworms for dinner every other week.

I saw on an old old post, something about tying veggies to a pebble to make it sink, so last night I tried that with three baby carrots, who still reside exactly where we put them. The fish were acting hungry when I added the carrots last night, and I've only fed then a light snack this morning (pellets, about half what they'd usually get) since then.

Does anyone have any input? Am I completely barking up the wrong tree here? I was led to believe they'd nip at the carrots, but maybe I'm mistaken. Or they just don't like carrots. Either way, I thought it would be a good idea to ask around before trying for round two with zucchini.


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## joiseymike (Feb 8, 2009)

So doing some searches, I see that carrots are probably too tough for my swimmy little buddies in Club Malawi. I'm going to try again with some zucchini, which people seem to have good results with. Stay tuned...


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## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

The only thing my mbuna accept is a big leaf of romaine lettuce.
I stick it between the two parts of my mag-float and they graze on it for a few hours.
They usually eat the whole leaf.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

You can also blanch some spinach leaves, attach them to a rock with a rubber band, and see if they will graze on that.

I've never had mine go too crazy over zuchinni. Plecos like it, but my mbuna pretty much ignored it.

I also used to feed them an orange slice now and then.

I would stop feeding the bloodworms, though. That's a big "no - no" with mbuna. They are thought to cause bloat.


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## joiseymike (Feb 8, 2009)

Since I posted, I have tried a few things.

1. Zucchini - Sliced into four 1/4" slices, and boiled until nice and soft. Tied 2 whole pieces of them to rocks, let one whole piece sink, and diced one piece into small chunks.

Results: The middles got slowly eaten out of the slices tied to rocks first, and next the whole sunken piece. They munched on the diced zucchini, which eventually all got eaten.

2. Romaine lettuce - floated a few leaves into the tank.

Results: Some light grazing, removed after 24 hours.

I'm going to try some of the romaine leaves/spinach leaves again tied to a rock, I like that idea. I didn't even thing for a sec about anchoring them in with the mag-float... great idea!


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## football mom (Feb 19, 2006)

My fish go crazy for green peas. I remove the skins, and drop in the inside bits, they go crazy for them. They will swim right inside a net to get them. Makes it easy to catch them when I need to!


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