Hi everyone,
I gave my snail and BN a raw cucumber chunk for the first time the other day. It wizzed around on the surface, so I wedged it between two rocks. That went o.k, but today I can't get that method to work. The chunk keeps floating. Should I be cooking it to make it sink, or doing something else? It'd be handy to know this, as I'd like to see what other veggie chunks they may like, like carrot???

Snails like carrot, sweet (orange) potatoe and pumpkin. Garion kept garden snails who enjoyed cucumber although I haven't tried it with our water snails. I have tried cucumber with goldies and they eat it if it is cooked first. Weird eh? cooking cucumber.

I cook all the veges first until they become waterlogged and sink. It only takes a few minutes of boiling.

another tip to get them to sink is to get a rock or river stone put the food on top and place an elastic band on it then the rock sinks and the food has to go with it lol

Or get plastic suction clips that will stick on any tank glass surface including the bottom.

Trinket i was thinking about that too but what if you want it on the tank floor and have substrate of some kind? i think that is a bit had unles you are barebottom

Just make a gap in substrate and stick it down

I take a plastic stick that came in a pumpkin carving pack (it's not sharp) and put it through the cucumber.

now i am being smart but what if substrate caves in right over your food on the bottom

Dan- if you have deep substrate you are absolutely right it is very difficult to build a bank and clear a space without it caving in, or for that matter the fish disturbing the gravel and it all piling on top..

Here's one idea. Thinner substrate and make a space like a pond to feed.

I usually use plastic clips with the suction cups, but for the kinds that don't fit (like brussel sprouts), I spear with a plant anchor - one of those bendable lead strips used to wrap around the base of a plant to keep it down. You have to be careful, though, that you smooth the ends with a file and tuck them in tight so there are no sharp, pointy edges for the fish to hurt themselves on.

Lisa

I use a regular food clip but dont attach it to anything. I tie a string to it and clip the food on and drop it in. it goes to the bottom and stays there. I pull it out with the string. I also have tongs to reach the bottom with.

i know what you mean but the problem with my tank is that it is planted so the gravel not too deep but deep enough lol so when i try that it caves in and also my goldies are very fussy they see glass and they all push the gravel over the glass again it is quite funny lol

that is a good idea...but i would worry about that spring in the clip getting rusted and polluting the water...

hi to ya all, i dont no if this will help u at all but i put my cucumber on a fork and that sinks to the bottom, my hubby has been doing this for months with his fish(cichlids). ido it with my goldies, but a bit wary wen it comes to the bubble fish.

well i suppose that u would change the clip all the time so it wont go rusty