Cucumber Query

[highfire]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I've tried a search, but couldn't find a specific answer.
I often put cucumber in my tank but am not sure how long it is safe to leave it there for. I'm sure if I left it all day my fish would just eat all day! Having said that, they do like to graze and I would imagine the cucumber should ideally be left for quite a while for the fish to graze over a period of time.
My question is how long can I leave it in my tank before I ought to start worrying about it polluting the water?
Thanks for any help!

 

[d3tained]

I would say 2-3 days max

 

[Bex]

I would say only about 24hrs or so. Last time we left some cucumber in for 2 days, when we went to get it out, it just broke up in our hands and we had to scoop out all the bits.

I would say keep an eye on it after 24hrs and when it starts to look fluffy and soft get it out. The fish also seem to lose interest once it's gone soft anyway so no point in keeping it in after that.

Or you could try courgette as it is harder and will last a lot longer if your fish are only picking at it. Our plec demolishes cucumber within a couple of hours anyway!

 

[BigIan]

never really had this problem as my plec demolishes it as soon as he sees it, but 24 hours is max

 

[highfire]

Thanks for the quick replies, people. I am off to put some in right now for their evening snack before lights out!