Sale on Zucchini & yellow Squash

[ree123]

Still hoping for an answer from paddysdaddy.
(see above entry and question about steaming vs. blanching/boiling)
I would like futher explanation please.

[kyangelsncorys]

one of my small green dragons having lunch

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[ree123]

Looks just like mine. Eats the skin first, evey time.

[spoot]

Sorry, Clown Plecs not Loaches. I have tried coring them and blanching with this group. I tried plain raw with my last group of BN. Will try raw and forked to sink em close to the hidey spots my cmowns use.

[ree123]

Good idea. Let us know, here, how that works for ya with your Clown and BN Pleco's.

[kyangelsncorys]

i hang my Zucchini on the side of the tank half way up from the btm and mine still go after it, i think its what they get use to eating

[ree123]

Was in Kroger again today. Price of zucchini and yellow squash is back to $1.79/lb. again.
Glad I bought 10 lbs. when I did.
Will post again here when I find it on sale again.
Might be able to buy from local road side farmers soon who grow it around here.

Scott, aka paddysdaddy ! Please share your formula for steaming and freezing for winter use !
I really want to know how your fish take to this method, and how you do it !

[kyangelsncorys]

im about 30 days away from having fresh Zucchini in my garden

[paddysdaddy]

Sorry Rick, I must have been napping LOL. I do not have fancy plecos, just the "cheap maid" types!
With yellow or zucchini, I have sliced it, anywhere from 1/8" to 1/2", steamed it and frozen on trays/wax paper so it stayed separate and I've also boiled large squash, then scooped out the flesh and bagged it (flat in a zip lock) and frozen it. Last year, I even dehydrated some sliced yellow squash, just threw a piece or two in, it rehydrated and was consumed. I've rarely had any left to foul the water and have even seen Frontosas eating this stuff! Maybe my fish are just less well fed than yours?
Sorry I am not more help here. Might be worth noting...I feed the same foods the commercial farmers do, the stuff in 44-50 lb bags (yeah, I know what they say, I also know what they actually USE) and this is made by Purina, Ziegler and a couple of smaller manufacturers. I also feed some flake food, again, the stuff available in 25LB boxes but other than some spirulina added for color, much of this is completely without vegetable matter. Also remember that farmers raise fish outdoors and in greenhouses, this produces mass amounts of attached and water-borne algae for the fish to consume. If you use these commercial foods, you MUST make your aquatic kids eat their veggies!

[kyangelsncorys]

Scott i have seen all my fish eating the Zucchini , my Red severums , peacocks ,dolphins even my cory cats and my gold head comp all pick at it

[ree123]

So,... the key to streaming vs. blanching, in part anyway, seems to be,............. #1 freezing each piece seperately, and, #2 scooping out the flesh and only feeezing the outer thick pulp.
Correct ?

If the above 2 points are agreed upon, then I reckon the 3rd question is...
When you use the word steam, what is the process, and for how long to you steam ?

As I had mentioned before, when I blanched or boiled in a pot of boiling water, and then bagged to freeze in groups of pieces, and w/o coreing the pulp,......... I found that the veg. fell apart in an hour or less upon introducing into the tank later, thus rendered useless.

[paddysdaddy]

I am not sure that this is the correct method, it's just the one I use.
I consider something steamed when it changes in color and firmness-yellow and zucchini squash becomes less white and more transparent when I call it "done", broccoli turns a deeper green color and orange fleshed squashes only get softer. When I steam, bake or boil it and scoop out the flesh then freeze it,it definitely falls apart as it thaws and sinks to the bottom. The fish enjoy it there, all is gone in the morning. If you desire floating food, just leave the squash or zucchini raw, just freeze it in slices. My understanding is that freezing bursts the cells, making it more digestible and boiling, baking or steaming also bursts the cells.
Maybe this is a situation where it works for me but won't work for you? I can go on and on with failures I've had LOL. God does NOT want me keeping Discus, tropheus Moori, featherfins tangs and more species than I care to admit. It is not about water hardness or ammonia/nitrite/nitrate, I also have species that are intolerant. Not about foods, not about temperature or salinity or aquascaping or tankmates or tank dimensions-AAAGGGGHHHHHH!!! Same with the Herp hobby-God will NOT let me keep frogs (cute as they are). Yet I've produced many kinds of Salamanders, including those my frog-keeping friends cannot keep alive. Turtles? God says NO there too LOL. Yet I've maintained and bred desert rattlesnakes, horned toads as well as other desert snakes and can barely keep Sand Boas alive! I can admit keeping venomous snakes now, the statute of limitations has expired
Is it frustrating? Heck yeah! When I buy water for maintaining discus and my next door neighbor runs his garden hose (same city water I had) to the tank to do his 50% weekly water changes-ticks me right off!
I'm convinced this is half the fun, figuring out what works for us and trying to forget about what does not. And it is more than half of the "run away screaming" frustration!

[ree123]

Thanks for further explanation Scott. I will try steaming and removing pulp to see what results i get and let all know later.
You are correct, what works for one or survives for one or grows for one or breeds for one.............does not exactly work for another.
I'll try this method and see how it goes for me.
Again, thanks for sharing !
That's what this forum is all about !

[kyangelsncorys]

my Zucchini is blooming so i will have fresh Zucchini for my BN and for all that is close enough to come get it free

[tlyons01]

I will also have some for the locals in Cville soon!