Veggies For The Bests

[maurizio]

I've read that not only the rainbows, but even my archers would benefit from some veggies in their diet.

Anybody with a direct experience with flakes, and which ones, or other ways these carnivores would accept veggies?

 

[nmonks]

I'd be surprised if archers ate vegetables to be honest, but some carnivores go for peas when they're hungry, and if you snuck in some veggie flake with the regular kind, they might eat that.

Most if not all carnivores benefit from some green foods: I'm told that even cats (the most obligate carnivores among mammals) consume the gut contents of their prey so that they can obtain vitamins not present in meat.

Cheers, Neale

 

[HX67]

Could't agree more with Mr Monks.
All carnivores do get veggies in their diet.

Felines and all Canine species are known to go for the intestines of their prey before anything else. The reasons are still a bit under debate (bacterial/enzyme content of the stomach is a strong guess for motivation), but the fact remains that they get the contents of the stomach of the (typically) phytophagous prey they get.

I have been fiddling with strict carnivores, such as snakes and even with those, the vegetable content of nutrition is an issue.

I prepare and freeze a mixture for my fish.
The ingredients are:

-shrimps, with shells
-white fish (pollock)
-mussels (no shells)
-spinach
-peas
-banana (no peels)
-beef (pork) heart
-juice from a lemon
-garlic
-eggs and their shells
-beef liver (not pictured, the only ingredient that I cook before mixing everything)
-carrots (missing from the pic)
-spirulina powder
-vitamins
-gelatine

Everything is run through a mixer.
I bag it in thin bags, cool it down to let the gelatine work and then freeze it.

This is how it looks frozen and ready to feed:

I have yet to keep a species of fish refusing this food. The shrimp-mix floats for awhile, when you toss it in the tank frozen straight from the fridge, so the surface-feeding insectivores like archers and Pantodon seem to find it tasty and convenient. Well, mine have, anyway.

And my mudskippers seriously love this stuff!

 

[snazy]

Could't agree more with Mr Monks.
All carnivores do get veggies in their diet.

Felines and all Canine species are known to go for the intestines of their prey before anything else. The reasons are still a bit under debate (bacterial/enzyme content of the stomach is a strong guess for motivation), but the fact remains that they get the contents of the stomach of the (typically) phytophagous prey they get.

I have been fiddling with strict carnivores, such as snakes and even with those, the vegetable content of nutrition is an issue.

I prepare and freeze a mixture for my fish.
The ingredients are:

-shrimps, with shells
-white fish (pollock)
-mussels (no shells)
-spinach
-peas
-banana (no peels)
-beef (pork) heart
-juice from a lemon
-garlic
-eggs and their shells
-beef liver (not pictured, the only ingredient that I cook before mixing everything)
-carrots (missing from the pic)
-spirulina powder
-vitamins
-gelatine

Everything is run through a mixer.
I bag it in thin bags, cool it down to let the gelatine work and then freeze it.

This is how it looks frozen and ready to feed:

I have yet to keep a species of fish refusing this food. The shrimp-mix floats for awhile, when you toss it in the tank frozen straight from the fridge, so the surface-feeding insectivores like archers and Pantodon seem to find it tasty and convenient. Well, mine have, anyway.

And my mudskippers seriously love this stuff!

Wow, amazing idea.

 

[HX67]

Wow, amazing idea.

It is, isn't it?
Can't take credit for the idea, though. Lots of different recipies and mixtures out there, and they've been done for ages.

I feel it's well worth the effort. And even the cost.
And again, fish love it.

 

[maurizio]

Gorgeous, HX!
I remember you posting this before... Perhaps it's in your log...

Just to get an idea of the proportions, do you add ALL that can be seen in the picture?

 

[HX67]

Yep, that's about what goes into one serving.
Except the vitamins, not a full can of those, or the spirulina or gelatin.

But the rest goes in, plus liver and carrots.