Feeding Peas: A Photo Tutorial

[Trillianne]

Peas are an excellent addition to your fish feeding diet and have been frequently recommended when you have fish that are getting a bit bloated from constipation. Peas are incredibly high in fiber.

I happen to use frozen peas, but you can do this with fresh or canned peas. (Mostly because I don't actually enjoy eating peas myself). I use a cappuccino mug for my pea-making that fairly accurately reflects my opinion of peas when I plan to serve them... but any bowl or mug will do.



Measure out a serving of peas suitable for your tank inhabitants and add just enough water to cover them at the bottom of your bowl.



Microwave them for 1 minute on high. Remove from the microwave and fill your bowl the rest of the way with cool water from the tap.

Drain off the water from the peas. (I just use my hand held lightly across the mouth of the mug.)

At this point you may have some peas that during cooking skinned themselves. If they haven't popped out of their fine skin, you will want to peel off that outer skin skin. Just use your fingernail to puncture the outer skin layer and with a gental squish the two halves of the pea should pop right out.

In this photo you can see some pea-innards at the top of the mug, with a pea skin slightly to the left above my remaining non-skinned peas.


Lastly you just smush that pea right between your thumb and index finger and drop it in the tank. Smushing makes them fall a bit slower so your top and mid level feeders can get at them more before they land on the substrate. It also makes it fairly simple for the smaller mouthed fish to take a bite out of a big pea. (Just pitch out or compost your pea skins.



As a final note, since peas are lighter in color, your fish poo will turn to be a bit pea-colored as well. That's perfectly normal.

[Ellen4God]

Great tutorial!! I'll be using this once my tanks are up and running!!

[youngbreedy15]

Will it be Suitable for 3 young tetras and 2 young guppies and a pleco bottom feedrer? I am aware that i will have to feed them very little amount since my fish are small.

[Trillianne]

Peas are suitable for most fish. You will just want to adjust the amount of peas you feed to meet the amount of fish you have.

[Pamela2Heaven]

Great tut - you do exactly as I do. I just fed everyone a round of peas last night. BTW - I feel the same way you do about eating them myself - yuck!

[MrJim]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Trillianne again.

thanks!

[AmyLynn]

Feeding the tanks peas is so much fun. The betta girls seems to get the most enjoyment out of them. Even my tiny Magnolia turns into a ravenous shark with her peas. She shakes them and carries them around the tank. We just giggle crazily at her.

[Rue]

Excellent!

BTW...luv your mug...

[Trillianne]

Thanks for the replies guys.

And as grouchy face as that mug is he makes me smile. I am thinking i got him at the local dollar store several years ago. Worth every penny!

[icefreeze57]

How do we figure out how many peas to put in per fish?