Hey guys, i have a few questions about fish food. first, what kind of oatmeal do you feed your fish? Can i use quaker oats? Is it good for them?

Also, since i'm not going to get anymore peas in a while, i was wondering if i could substitute anything. Is there anything that does the same job as peas? like maybe algae wafers or veggie rounds? If not i'll just get some more peas.I was only asking becuase since i live in a big family and no one likes peas, i didnt want to get a whole bag only for the fish.

Lastly, has anyone ever tried Tetra sun died baby shrimp? Is it any good? The container says it helps support digestion, so should i feed a little daily or use it as a treat?
THanks for reading!

Sorry I can't help too much, but daphnia makes a great laxative for fish, especially if they are picky and won't accept peas. Freeze dried helps move things along just as well as frozen or live, but it does float.

Thanks for the reply, how big are daphnia? And are they high in protein? I thought freeze dried and frozen foods should be used as a treat becuase its harder to digest, or is it becuase they are too high in protein.

The size may be a problem because its like sawdust. Yes, its high in protein, but its one of the few FD foods that are good for the digestive system. I bought some originally because one of my tetras was extremely bloated. I wasn't totally sure if she was constipated or egg-bound, and she wouldn't accept any pea. Lucky for me, daphnia both relieves constipation and encourages fish to release their eggs.

What's the reason you want a pea replacement? Is it to help constipation, an occasional healthy treat, or just more veggies?

I dont like to use peas because i only use it once a week, and since my fish are still small, i only use one per week.(i have two goldfish each gets half a pea) And i cant find a smaller pack, so ussually i toss it out before i finish because its probably not good anymore. Also i heard that peas are not very nutritious, i was just looking for a snack that does the same job as peas but is also more nutritious.

Frozen peas should last forever if you tightly seal the package against freezer burn.

You could try Spirulina Algae flakes (a good quality brand with a high Spirulina %), I have found these to have the exact same effect as Peas as far as preventing constipation in fish is concerned. Also, they are a great colour enhancer and can be used as a regular dietry supplement.

Freezed dried or frozen Bloodworms, Daphnia and Brineshrimp are all very good at keeping things moving as well.

Bloodworms are as good as Daphnia and easier to feed as they're bigger.

These are all beneficially high in protein as they are "live foods". They can be used as a regular dietry supplement as well, a few times a week.

Personally, as a pea replacement I would go with Spirulina algae flakes, but these are all good dietry additions and provide variety.

Or you could try more fresh veggies

Thanks glitterfish, so there are no expiration dates on the packaging?

I will try the algae flakes, thanks for the suggestion!

You're welcome God, I mean Gold Ryu!

You'll have to look at the individual package but usually if its frozen it will go well beyond the listed date. If you kept them in the fridge, that would be a different story.

Then i dub you mrmumblebee!!

Yes, i keep them frozen.

Before this thread gets old, can someone answer my oatmeal question?

I'm not sure about your oatmeal question, is it used as a filler in pellets and flakes or something?

Do you mean like wheat-germ pellets??? I've tried Hikari wheat-germ pellets before as a supplement to staple goldfish pellets, but my fish didn't exactly go mad for them so I stopped and just added in other vegetation based stuff like Spirulina Algae flakes. Wheat-germ pellets are supposed to be very easily digested and high in protein as well. There are probably other brands of wheat-germ based fish foods. Here is the Hikari brand link of the one I tried once

http://www.hikari.info/gold/g_06.html

Oops sorry, didn't get a chance to reply yesterday. Thanks for the reply.

I meant the quaker oats that humans eat. It's 100% whole grain and 100% natural. Do you thinks it's a good idea to feed it as a supplement?

I'm really not sure, I've never heard of that before. Maybe another member can help

Ok, thanks for all your help though.

I just did a search on oatmeal(shoulda thought of that earlier), and it looks like i'll try some! I'll tell ya how it goes.

Yeah, it does sound like an interesting option. Let us know how you get on - you may start a new feeding craze!

I just fed them some this morning and they loved it! I've never seen them swim so fast to grab a peice of food! I just put a few peices into a cup with tank water and microwaved for 5 seconds, it turned soft and mushy. i'll try some raw next time and see which one they like better.

But it clouded my water like hell, good thing it cleared up quickly... Gonna do a big water change tommorrow. I'll definitely try it again but i'll feed right before a water change.

Oh that is interesting that they liked it so much. I'm not sure I would feed it without pre-soaking it at least though, I would be concerned it would swell up too much in the fish. I'm not surprised it clouded the water though, it's quite floury isn't it? Keep us updated on how you get on with it

I just fed them some raw shrimps for dinner. They seemed to like this too. Two new foods in one day and both succesful!

Wow! You are being adventurous - more than me anyway!

I remembered that there was an interesting thread not too long ago about shrimp, I'm not sure if you've seen it.

It was a discussion about raw vs cooked shrimp, fresh vs frozen and salted/unsalted. I've just re-read it now, I'm not sure what the conclusion is really, as people tend to do different things. Thought you might like to take a look though

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...5&hl=raw+shrimp

Thanks, it looks like raw wins. I think cooking them would make them harder to eat.