How Long Do You Leave Cucumber In The Tank For?

[Lizzie71]

Someone told me you need to leave it in for 2 days before ottos will even look at it, but by that time it's falling apart and polluting in the water.

How long should I leave it in there? TBH I never see the ottos eating it anyway

 

[kribensis12]

I say a few hours, but that's me!

 

[PRW1988]

I work at petsmart and we only put it in for 3-4 hours or it'll start to deteriorate and muck up the water quality.

 

[celaeno]

i have a blanched zucchini slice in my tank for 2 days before i change it. make sure you don't overcook it and it'll take longer to start falling apart.

 

[PRW1988]

Cooking vegetables actually reduce the over all vitamins and healthy stuff in the vegetables, which is why cooking them is a bad idea.

 

[businesslamb]

24 hours as it starts to get soft and breaks up. The Kribs and bristlenose seem to lose interest by then but they go nuts when it first arrives.

 

[Lizzie71]

The ottos never touch it as far as I can tell anyway, I can't believe they haven't starved to death!

 

[PRW1988]

Otos may go after it at night, you may not see it, but they most likely do

 

[jennybugs]

I leave a slice of cucumber for my otos overnight and replace it the next morning. Never leave it in for more than a day as it does rot into the water rather fast, as will any green veg.

Your otos will be finding algae, especially if you have bog wood they'll be happy with chewing on the algae on that too. Keep on with the cucumber. They'll have a taste evetually.

'Blanching' courgette isn't cooking it PRW1988, it's just slightly softening it enough for the fish to eat.

 

[aaronnorth]

i put mine in at night as this is when bottom feeders are most active then take it out in the morning so it is usuallly in about 10hours

 

[jennybugs]

i put mine in at night as this is when bottom feeders are most active then take it out in the morning so it is usuallly in about 10hours

Snap

 

[raptorrex]

I work at petsmart and we only put it in for 3-4 hours or it'll start to deteriorate and muck up the water quality.

oh and who told you that? you will need to have a very bad filter system in the tank for a bit of cucumber to cause problems with your water, even if you leave the thing to totally rot

Cooking vegetables actually reduce the over all vitamins and healthy stuff in the vegetables, which is why cooking them is a bad idea.

true, however, simply cutting it will loose as much "good stuff" as cooking does. i always snap or break mine up. blanching or cooking, simply increase the speed of degeneration of the veg. lead or stainless steel weights will be a better way of making the stuff sink.

'Blanching' courgette isn't cooking it PRW1988, it's just slightly softening it enough for the fish to eat.

err yes it is cooking. another way of saying blanching is "par boiling" or part boiling. it may not be fully cooked, just part cooked.

indeed many fish and inverts, like part rotted veg matter, some like Plecos and RTBS like it nice and fresh. so pop it in fresh and let it break down. unless you have a really duff filter, two or three days should see it finished, with no ill effects to your water stats.

 

[jennybugs]

I'll stick to my method thanks

 

[raptorrex]

I'll stick to my method thanks

it is right to be on the safe side with anything you put in the tank, but the uneaten fish flakes, your fish miss, are far more likely to affect the water of your tank than a bit of degenerated cucumber.
we all have our own way of doing things. that is how the hobby moves forward.
but incorrect statements about the degeneration rate, and it effects on peoples tanks, is less than helpful to those who read this thread in the future.

 

[jennybugs]

I do not believe any of my statements to be incorrect/or to cause detriment to anyone who decides to act on what I may have commented on (apart from maybe saying that blanching isn't technically 'cooking' something). If they are I ammend my posts accordingly and apologise immediately.