# What veggies can mbuna eat?



## MetalCowgirl34 (Sep 28, 2009)

I have johanni, yellow labs, acei, and auratus. What kinds of veggies do they eat? And how often should they get veggies as opposed to flakes (I have regular cichlid flakes and algea/spirulina flakes.)?


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

If you are using a good quality commercial foor (pellets or flakes) then they do need any supplimentation. If you just want to give them something different to do every once and a while you can try a bit of zuccini, summer squash, or shelled peas.

Veggies will do a real number on water quality as they break down and have to be removed after a few hours.


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## dj_clasik (Oct 1, 2009)

you could also try duckweed or anacharis, I know zebra cichlid (psuedotropheus Zebra) are fond of it


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Duckweed is so messy, get into everything, sucked into the filters.


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## Riceburner (Sep 3, 2008)

I've given mine lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, shelled peas, watermelon rind, squash, etc.


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## Cento (Mar 30, 2005)

How about a nice stuffed Red Pepper with rice and ground beef with a hint of chipotle topped with a nice aged chedder and...... :drooling:....... oh.. I'm sorry... my wife put me on a bloody diet.. 

This has been discussed many times on this forum. As *MalawiLover* stated, if you're giving your fish quality foods, then there is no need to supplement. The nutrients in the pellets and flakes out there are arguably more nutritious then what they'd get in the wild.

Infact, some will argue that you only need to feed your fish ONE kind of fish food, if you are using a top notch brand. I myself use about 3 or 4 brands just "to be safe", but really, if you look at the top 10 out there, there is little difference in the ingredients. Am I wasting money? Hey, its a hobby; arguably I don't need to have a fish tank either... Thats the exuse I use on my wife. :lol:

As long as you're careful not to overfeed the fish, which is far more harmful and likely to occur, you're fish will do fine with processed foods..


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## hobbeslax (Nov 22, 2005)

There have been times where I run out of good quality of spirulina food. Especially in these economic times and the closing of a few of the LPS in my area :x . In a pinch I've left the house for work and put in a leaf or two of Romaine lettuce. When I come back home I simply remove the skeleton of the leaf.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

i will give mine a thick slice of zuchini maybe once a month as a treat rubber banded to a rock. they swarm around it for about 15 minutes and then the plecos tak over...after about an hour i take whatever is left out


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

Do these veggies always need to be blanched first?

Is it also important to give Haps and Peacocks veggies if they're carnivores?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

No and no. I give them unblanched cucumber and romaine. Peas would be blanched or previously frozen. If the vege is hard, like a carrot, blanch it.


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

Thanks for the response DJR.

While we're on the topic of feeding, and at the risk of a slight thread hijack, what about feeding frequency?

I read here or maybe the General Cichlid Discussion to only feed once a day and very sparingly.
This is contrary to what I've always done, and read about, with tropical fish in general.
But bare in mind I'm "old school" and have been keeping fish for about 30 years.
I always thought that multiple feedings are better than just one, becuase fish will usually feed all day in the wild.
Now, I'm careful not to over feed and if food is hitting the substrate then that's too much.
I also have a Pictus cat that will get any leftovers.

So, one small feeding daily or multiple smaller feedings?

Thanks.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

The "old school" rule was in most part to the fact that fish foods were not well researched (in terms of true nutritional requirements of different species) and an inability to manufacture highly nutritious dry foods with a shelf life.

Now the pellets and flakes pack quite a nutritional puch into a very tiny space, that has a pretty decent shelf life so less physical food is required to meet the fishes needs.

While it is true that fish would forage most of the day, often the value of the grazed food was low so volumes had to be uped and with carnivores, depending on the season and location most likely would not have had consistant meals anyway.


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## Wolffishin (Sep 9, 2009)

That makes sense, thank you very much.


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