Loaches Online Forum

When you feed dojo loaches veg, do you dice it very small or just leave it in a big chunk? I know that I should give them some to vary their diet more but I'm a little scared that they will swallow a too-large bit and choke.

I have a couple 10+ inch dojos as well as some about 5 inches long. So far the only vegetables I've fed my guys have been shelled and unshelled green peas. They don't have a problem eating them in one gulp; however they seem to "chew" them after swallowing. They chew calmly, not as if they are choking.

Mine are only around 4 inches and I can't imagine that they would be able to fit a whole pea in their mouths, lol. Half a one might be ok though.

To be safe, chop up the peas in a grinder and just give them small chunks. They should be able to handle that.

Haven,t tried peas yet, is that thawed frozen peas, do you cook them first? I 've so far tried mine on courgette, cut one medium size into four.
I also cut the skin off but there are so many different ways on Youtube then I boiled the pieces for 3 minutes, dried off and cooled down and they LOVED IT also gave them cooked asparagus stalks which I usually throw away,
I tjhnk these are their favourite, also well blanched spinach . Gonna try broccoli next. I don't chop any of these up just weight down if needed
and let them nibble off what they want,

I start with frozen peas. Rinse them in hot water enough to defrost, then pop them out of their shells (a thin, almost clear covering). Then the peas often split by themselves into half, and are very easily broken into smaller bits. I never bothered to cut, break or mash them any smaller. They are tender enough that most fish can nibble whatever size suits them.
All other vegies:
Very tender items like cucumber and soft leaves: do not cook. You might need to stick a spoon through them to make them sink. Great way to feed most Loricariads.
Slightly firmer vegies: Firmer leaves like kale, soft vegies like zucchini, broccoli stems, many frozezn vegies-Cook just enough until they sink. If you slice them finer then they do not need much cooking (a minute in the microwave with a little water is enough).
Harder vegies such as pumpkin, sweet potato or butternut squash: I will bake to just about the same tenderness that we like. Don't overcook- the vegies will fall apart in the tank.

As has already been noted, larger and more mature fish are better able to break up their food, so could be served larger pieces or less cooked vegies.
Younger fish, and especially fry need finer, softer food. For fry food that makes a cloud in the water might be best. This is why fry are often raised in a separate tank. That cloud of food in the water makes for easy feeding, but makes a mess of the tank. Then the tank will need cleaning more often.

i tried cucumbers last night, fish didn't show much interest - granted I mostly have members of the botid family which might explain why?

I do not feed my weather loach (or any of my loaches) vegetables, as they are already carnivores and vegetables dirty the tank. I feed him carnivore pellets and seafood, which he does very well on.

Seafood might contain more salt then the food they would find in nature. However, chances are this excess salt will be excreted to the water without any problems.

That is, this could be an extra argument for sufficient waterchanges