Tropical Fish Keeping banner

Green beans for BN plecos?

23K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  DKRST 
#1 ·
Anyone ever tried feeding Bristlenose Plecos green beans? I read somewhere they would eat them, but it gave no details. Do they get blanched and then fed, fed fresh raw, fed the cooked canned?
 
#2 ·
Hi DKRST. Yes blanch them first... for those who don't know what that means and are reading this post, place the vegetable into water, bring to a boil. Cook for a minute or 2 and then remove the veggies from the boiling water and plunge into ice cold water to cool quickly.
but for my pleco I will blanch beans, zuccini, brocolli and just drop a piece into the tank. Mine loves it. Remove what it does not finish. I think someone in here said they also use cellery but not sure.
I use the microwave and only do a spear or two at a time, cool and drop it in.
If it does not like it try a different veggie.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DKRST
#3 ·
Thanks! I feed the zucchini and will try blanching spinach (30 seconds) tonight. I'll have to try the broccoli sometime. How long do you blanch broccoli?

My angelfish have started eating the blanched zucchini and the plecos can't usually get to the zucchini before my angelfish spread it all over the tank.
 
#4 ·
I think depending on the microwave, it takes 2-3 minutes to actually boil water, but the micro will cook the veggie too if you put it in at the same time. If you boil the water first then drop in the broc, then try one minute at a time and keep checking it. You want it cooked but still firm and bright green. (Not the way our moms used to cook it till it took like army green! no wonder kids hated it LOL)
Cool it for several miinutes as it is thicker in spot than the zuccini.
My Pleco ate a 1/2 inch slice of zucinni once and ended up swimming around with the skin edge around it's head/body cause it swam thru the leftover ring. lol It was hanging on the side cleaning algae with a zuccini necklace!! And no I don't have pics... to bad!
 
#7 ·
True, plecos can eat/rasp veggies, however.... I may be mistaken regarding the precise reason, but one reason to blanch the veggies is to make them more attractive/palatable to the bristlenose plecos. They can easily rasp my plants too, but I'd prefer they not get into that habit!

Blanching keeps the vase majority of the nutrients. Blanching, in terms of why humans usually blanch them, is to deactivate (denature, for you science types;-)) enzymes and prevent additional decomposition of nutrients when the veggies are frozen.
 
#6 ·
My plecs love peas, I put the peas in a cup of boiling water for bout 2 mins then take the shell off and drop into the tank, the go mad for it , I crush it in my fingers b4 I give it the babys tho and also my other fish like it too :):):)
Posted via Mobile Device
 
#10 ·
I give my ABN zucchini or cucumber slices unblanched all the time. I just stick it on the tines of an old stainless fork and drop it in. The fork keeps it on the bottom and he never has any trouble with the tines of the fork and has never hurt himself. My angels and loaches will nibble on it too, raw's just fine, in my experience...

Just my 2 cents.

Gina
 
#11 ·
Blanched or raw might make a good TFK poll?

I'll try both and see if there seems to be any difference in preference.
Thanks to all who commented so far!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top