Feeding mashed green peas to discus

Question

I have been feeding my juvenile discus (3 inches / 7.5 cm each) and other cichlids in my tank with a wide variety of food like pellets, flakes, bloodworms, beef heart mix, etc. (4 feedings a day). As all my feedings include more protein intake, the chances of constipation is more and I have observed this with a couple of my fish with swollen tummies.

Based on my online study, feeding mashed peas to cichlids (approximately 3 to 5 feedings in two days a week) will help them to clean their tummies and make them more healthy. I have tried this and it helped me but would like to know the good practice in feeding them.

Is feeding mashed peas good for discus along with other cichlids?
How often should i feed them in a week?

Answer 1

I've found peas to be extremely beneficial in relieving constipation in my aquarium fish. They have a laxative effect and help to prevent blockages which could form as a result of feeding only flakes or high protein diets.

Most fish will eat peas and other vegetables. I've even incorporated peas into my own home made fish foods as a staple.

There's a few guides on the web explaining this but really, it's pretty simple.

• Cook the peas so that they are soft (and if they're frozen make sure they have fully thawed in the middle).
• Cool them down by waiting or submerging them in cold water.
• Remove the outside shell of the pea which the fish may struggle to get through. You can normally gently pinch the outside and the inner pea will shoot out of the skin. (Feeling really lazy? You can put the peas in a garlic crusher and squeeze the puree through instead of peeling)
• Mash the pea and feed to the fish.
• If the fish are less than interested you can try adding a small amount of garlic to the peas to make it more appealing to the fish.

In terms of frequency, I try to feed at least once a week with peas but my fish don't have a extremely high protein diet. I'd suggest feeding roughly 2 - 3 times per week and see how it goes. If they're still having issues increase the frequency.

Answer 2

Peas are the only thing I feed my koi. I thaw them, then throw them in; it is an organic "Pac-man" game; the orange, silver, gold characters chase the little green dots until they are all gone. It would make a funny video if I knew anything about computers.