feeding banana

Alright, let’s settle this.

Bristlenose are omnivorous, meaning they will eat anything that they can. Their base diet as we are all aware is algae growing on submerged rocks, logs etc. however, they have been known to eat almost anything. They do love a good feed of meat if they can, scavenging dead fish, the odd lucky catch of a shrimp or water bug or even as campfire stories (aka. forum stories) evidence would suggest actively hunting. we all know that having too much of the protein rich food is bad for them as it leads to issues such as bloat. The question of them eating fruit is as far as i am concerned obvious.

THEY WOULD DEVOUR FRUIT!!! and what’s more is that they would come across a lot of it. Let’s remember that these fish come from the Amazon basin, where the number of trees is stupidly high and most of them produce some sort of fruit. During the wet season when the rivers flood and much of the forest floor is covered in water giving bristlenose and all the other fish access to the stuff that has fallen. This sudden increase in food supply is one of the big drivers of breeding activity.

Now, we know they eat it, and we know that they love it. Does this mean we should feed it to our precious fish at home...hrmmm, tricky one. As has been pointed out the issue here is not if they eat it or even if they like it. The issue is water quality. Remember that the amazon drains an area about 2 million square kilometres LARGER than Australia and most of that is tropical RAINforest. For those of you who have not seen this river, you simply do not understand the sheer volume of water we are talking about here!!!! A river so large you cannot see the other side for the curvature of the earth! With a visible current to boot! One bit of fruit dropping in here will not make a bit of difference, dropping a bit of fruit into your tank on the other hand will. The fruits that break up quickly will be an issue so I tend to avoid these unless i know the fish will be able to consume it fast enough. For example, Pumpkin is a soft vege that i feed. I do not put it in breeding tanks as it will take too long for them to eat it. On the other hand, in the grow out tank it will be gone in a matter of hours so there is no issue there. However, i do keep a close eye on it as there is often over $1000 worth of stock in my grow out tank and I don’t want them going fins up for the sake of a bit of pumpkin.

Finally, the crux of the whole matter. I am currently not feeding my fish cucumber as they currently cost about $2.50 for one. I don’t eat cucumbers of a regular occasion as they are bland and boring, I prefer steak and chips. So there is no way i am going to pay that much for a cucumber just to feed my fish. Last i checked Bananas were upwards of $15/kilo cos of the bad weather in Aus. If i could afford a banana, which I cant, THE LAST PLACE IT WOULD BE GOING IS INTO THE DAMN FISHTANK!!!!!

Last time I seen cucumber in the shop they were $1.70 each doug so I have a few in the fridge Oh and the Vietnamese bakery around the corner is selling bags of cucumber for $1 again so got a couple bags from them too. Fresh cuc every 2 days for my bn
As for bananas the only time they aren't worth eatin is when the go black, at which point I wouldn't feed em to my bn :| And as doug stated they way too expensive at the moment to try on bn lol

Hi Doug,


Thank you so much for your detailed reply.

This is really informative...thanks doug

Whilst we care for our fish, I think its easy to get carried away with the idea of providing variation for them. If their natural cannot be matched within captivity...I say stick to what you know. Every now and then I may try something different, for example today I have stuck a bit of pepper in there, however I will keep a very close eye on whether its being eatten or not and take it out in a few hours.

In response to banana...maybe if you do try it - keep the skin on to stop the majority of it being broken down in the water? But with this...have to be washed good in case pesticides have been used or go for organic.

Anyway...thanks for the food for thought

Morice wrote:

Mmm.

It's a very interesting thought regarding feeding banana. Probably the strangest thing I have fed my bristlenose is almonds. They jumped on them as soon as it hit the gravel.

Keep us updated.

You did not mention what kind of almond you gave them.
However, I would avoid bitter almonds, since they contain Cynide (5-10 mg per almond!!!).

Hi

I had tried to feed my fish banana a few years ago but found it didnt do the water much good and the fish wouldnt really eat it, so never tried it again.

Wonderfully informative thread.


especially Mary's input.

now i don't have to do so many experiments. here in india, cucumber grow easily so they are everywhere. but fruit is expensive. i guess between cucumbers, algae on glass, algae wafers, and the odd left over food bit (tetrabits, dried yolk bits, for my other fish that remains on the gravel), my baby longfin should do well.

Hi Romi,

And what about watermelon? I think your BNs would die to get some peel.
Have never tried, but when the season come, I surely will.

By the way, just for fun, what kind of veggies/fruits are available in your part of the globe?
You know, might give an ide for others.

Best regards,
Mary

hi mary,

we have the usual fare, spinach, fenugreek leaves, carrots, french beans, pumpkin, round gourd (Praecitrullus fistulosus), bottlegourd (Lagenaria siceraria, ok, maybe that is exotic , bitter gourd (Momordica Charantia, oops, maybe this too), ridge gourd (cant find scientific name), cabbage, cauliflower.

i think ridge court is rather like a courgette, but my bristlenose is small. i am afraid to experiment.

if i knew any more indian bristelnose lovers like myself, maybe i would have some information for you if they are suitable too, but i don't.

what all have u tried feeding from your culture's traditional vegetable basket?

regards,
Romi in New Delhi.

watermelons are available in the summer season here. so i will just wait to try that tip you gave

Romi wrote:

what all have u tried feeding from your culture's traditional vegetable basket?

Hi Romi, there is a list of veg and fruit that people have tried HERE

It's always advisable to wash any fruit or veg before use in case they have been sprayed with chemicals

Yep, just as Jim points to one list of greens our BNs like.

As he said, a good wash is a must.
In addition, I always deep freeze them.

Wish you good luck.

@jim&Mary

thanks, friends. i will give all of them a shot as and when they become available in delhi in the usual food market.

You're welcome, but do not forget to give us some feedback about your personal experiences.
That might help fellow BN keepers.