Many people are interested in having a Platy fish pet. These little guys can be quite entertaining to watch, and they don’t take up much space, so they’re an excellent option for anyone living in a small apartment or with limited tank space. But what do you feed them? Most people assume that the answer is “platys eat shrimp pellets,” but this isn’t always the case! You can feed them veggies too. But How To Prepare Veggies For The Platy Fish?
You can prepare veggies for Platy fish by following simple steps like- selecting the perfect veggie, cleaning the veggies and removing the peel, chopping them into bite-size pieces, etc.
If you want to know how to prepare veggies for your Platy fish, read on because we will cover everything you need to know about feeding these adorable little creatures.
Do Platy Fish Eat Veggies?
The short answer is “yes.” Well, Platy fish will eat veggies. But that’s not the only thing they’ll eat!
They also love shrimp pellets and most varieties of fish food designed for small tropical fish like bettas or guppies.
So if you ask whether platys eat veggies or not, the answer is “yes,” but they also need a balanced diet with protein and other nutrients.
So you can feed your fish veggies daily to keep them healthy and happy.
However, ensure the vegetables are soft so that it becomes easy for them to eat. Also, be careful while feeding as their teeth might get stuck in some of the harder pieces of veggies.
What Veggies Should You Feed the Platy Fish?
You can feed many veggies to Platy fish, but they have some preferences, and their favorites tend to change as they grow older.
To prepare the perfect veggies for Platy fish, let’s learn what they love. Here is a list of vegetables which you can feed your fish:
Cucumber (Peeled)
Cucumbers contain a lot of moisture, and they are pretty easy to digest, which is why Platy fish love them.
Zucchini (Peeled)
This vegetable has similar qualities as cucumber, but it’s not as water-rich, so you should feed your fish only one zucchini per week.
Carrots (Peeled)
Once again, this vegetable is easy to digest and has high water content, making it perfect for your fish.
Green Cabbage (Cut Up into Bite-Size Pieces)
This is one of the most popular vegetables to feed platy fish because they are generally low in starch. However, if you want to give them cabbage every day, you should cut it up into smaller pieces because a whole cabbage can be too hard to digest.
Peas
This is another favorite vegetable of platy fish, and they will eat peas from either fresh or frozen sources without any issues.
Romaine Lettuce
Your fish love this green goodness which contains antioxidants, omega-three fatty acids, and vitamins.
Green Beans
This is another great choice for veggies which your platy fish will love to eat.
Bell Peppers (Cut Into Bite Size Pieces)
Bell peppers are delicious vegetables containing high amounts of vitamin C, but they have many seeds inside them, so you should cut them up into smaller pieces before feeding them to your fish.
How To Prepare Veggies For Your Platy Fish?
Now, let’s talk about how to prepare veggies for your Platy fish. First, you need to determine what types of vegetables are safe for your pet and then decide how to feed them.
Selecting The Perfect Veggie
You should never pick out any old vegetable for your Platy fish to eat. They need vegetables that are high in nutrients but low in sugar.
You can choose from a wide variety of options, including kale, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, or peas.
Cleaning Vegetable
Before you can feed veggies to your pet, first, they have to be cleaned. Platys are messy eaters and will make a mess with any vegetable that is not washed properly.
Before you feed your fish, make sure to clean the vegetables first properly. You shouldn’t be feeding them rotten pieces of veggies. They may catch a disease from it, and this might even injure their mouth too.
So ensure that all the produce is washed well with fresh water before giving it to your little buddies.
Removing The Peel
It’s best if vegetables without the peel or skin are fed raw as there may be pesticides or chemicals in the skin that can be harmful to your pet.
Most vegetables like carrots, eggplant, and cucumbers have a peel on them. This is not something you should feed your fish.
It may irritate their stomachs or digestive system, which will lead to other health issues too in the future.
So always ensure that all the skin of veggies is removed before feeding them to the fish.
Raw Or Cooked Veggie?
Always try and feed a fresh, raw vegetable over a cooked one. Cooking often reduces the nutritional value of veggies while also killing natural bacteria found on them.
This means you have to reintroduce these good microbes back into their environment when you feed your fish the cooked veggies.
However, boiled ones are better in emergencies, such as when you run out of fresh veggies.
Chop The Veggie Into Bite-Size Pieces
After you’ve washed and prepared your veggie, cut it into bite-sized pieces that the platy can easily eat without any issues.
Always cut vegetables into bite-size pieces that your pet can easily eat. A good rule of thumb is to make sure each piece you offer has a diameter no larger than half an inch, and it shouldn’t be any thicker.
You can use a cutting board or even hold the vegetable with one hand and cut it into small pieces with your other.
After removing all those, chop down your veggies into bite-sized pieces and feed them directly or soak in saltwater for about an hour before feeding. This will reduce their chances of bloating up, which can be very dangerous if not treated accordingly.
How many veggies Should You Feed Your Platy Fish?
A good rule to follow is to feed your fish as many veggies as they can eat within two minutes, but no more than three minutes. Afte r
This is a good rule to follow because it ensures that your fish doesn’t get overloaded by any one type of food.
The general rule is one to two small pieces of veggies per day.
However, you should give more veggies if your pet is deficient in one area or the other and less when they have too much of something.
How To Handle Floating Vegetables?
If any vegetables float on water, then it’s best to feed them with some ee sort of weight on them.
You can use a lettuce leaf or the back of a small spoon to push it all the way down into the water. This ensures that your pet eats all its veggies without any issues.
Floating vegetables are the bane of many an aquarium owner’s existences, and feeding them can be difficult for pet owners who aren’t certain how much their platy should eat.
Can You Feed Frozen And Canned Veggies To Your Platy Fish?
Unfortunately, no, you cannot fee frozen or canned vegetables to your fish. This is because canned veggies often contain preservatives, and the freezing process destroys most of the nutritional value.
You can feed your platys frozen and canned veggies as well, but make sure you read the ingredients carefully before choosing one of them for your pet.
What Are Some Non-Meat Options Other Than Veggies?
Non-meat options other than veggies are fruit and algae.
Fruit is another option for Platy fish food besides veggies. But you should feed in moderation as fruit can cause intestinal issues if you overfeed the aquarium fish.
Some fruits that are safe to feed your platy include apples (skin removed), blueberries, grapes (cut into slices, so they don’t get stuck inside their mouth), kiwis (peeled and cut into slices, so they don’t get stuck inside their mouth), bananas, pears, raspberries, strawberries.
You can feed fruit to your Platy fish either whole or in fruit salad form. Please make sure the skin of the fruit is removed before feeding it to them.
Otherwise, you will end up with rotting fruit inside the tank, which can cause bacterial growth and infections.
Algae is another non-meat option for your Platy fish food, but it needs to be fed in moderation as well.
Algae contain more protein than veggies, so you want to make sure there aren’t too many algae being feed, or else the platy will start to become malnourished.
Some safe types of algae for Platy fish include spirulina (a blue-green type of algae), chlorella, kelp, and nori (the seaweed sheets used in sushi).
Why Should You Feed Vegetables To Platy Fish?
Platy fish are omnivores. Therefore you need to feed them with both meat and vegetables.
There is a misconception that greener vegetables can be fed exclusively to your platy because it generally contains more algae.
However, you still need to feed veggies in addition to the algae so your fish can get more vitamins and nutrients from plants rather than just eating algae all day long.
When it comes down to feeding fruit or vegetables, many people argue whether a Platy should eat only veggies or both fruits and veggies.
Some argue that fruit should be feed because it has more nutrients than veggies.
However, you also need to keep in mind that vegetables are much easier for the Platy fish to digest, and they contain less sugar which can help prevent swim bladder issues (i.e., Bloat).
What Should You Feed the Platy Fish?
There are many different options to feed your Platy fish.
Some vegetables contain a lot of starch which is not good for them because it will make them gain weight and bloat their stomachs which can be fatal for this kind of fish.
When feeding veggies, you should choose those with low starch content.
For example, green peas have a lot of starch in them, while cucumbers or zucchini are better for your fish because they contain less sugar and fat.
It’s also important to remember that you should not feed any vegetables grown with chemical fertilizers.
If you don’t know how the vegetable was grown, peel it before feeding your fish.
If you have a couple of Platy fish in the tank, then they will probably eat all the veggies that you give them within minutes, but if there are more than five or six of them in one aquarium, try to feed them several times per day, so none of their food is left over.
What Veggies Should You Never Feed Your Platy Fish?
You should avoid giving these veggies to your platy because they are high in starch and sugars, which can cause swim bladder issues or bloat:
Broccoli (Cut Into Smaller Pieces) is one of the worst vegetables you can feed your fish because it causes swim bladder issues and bloat.
Cauliflower (Cut Into Smaller Pieces) – This is another of the worst veggies to give your platy due to its very high starch content, which will cause bloating and constipation.
Corn (Raw Or Cooked)- Corn contains a lot of starch, and it will most likely cause your fish to bloat.
Potatoes (Raw Or Cooked)- Potatoes are very high in starch, especially if they’ve been cooked, making them almost impossible for the platy’s stomachs to digest.
Any Other Vegetables Which Are High In Starch- The bottom line is that if a vegetable is high in starch, you should not give it to your fish.
Can You Feed Only Veggie To Your Platy Fish?
No, you should not feed your Platy fish, only veggies. It is not a good idea to feed your Platy fish only vegetables because it will lack certain nutrients essential for their survival.
Platies are omnivorous, and they need to eat other forms of food such as proteins, fats, vitamins, or minerals for proper growth and development.
You can include vegetables in the diet, but it shouldn’t be more than 50%. Also, anytime you give your Platy a vegetable make sure it is raw and not cooked.
FAQs
I have answered some of the frequently asked questions below.
What Is The Lifespan Of Platy Fish?
The average lifespan of a Platy fish is three years. However, some live longer than the other ones.
What Is The Best Food For Platy Fish?
There are different types of food available for your Platy fish like meat and vegetables.
However, it mainly depends on what you want to feed them with. For example, some people prefer to feed them with veggies while others like their fish to eat meat.
You can even give them both simultaneously, which is called a varied diet for your Platy fish.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you should always consider what you want to feed your Platy fish with. Sometimes, if your fish is not eating properly or it seems like they are on a diet, try changing the type of food you give them. For example, veggies are a great addition to their diet. You can even try giving them a varied diet with both vegetables and meat.
In the end, remember that you should always give your Platy fish fresh food because it will not cause any health problems for them at all.
Remember to be careful when feeding veggies because some of them are high in starch or sugar, which might make your fish sick.
If you have any additional questions about Platy fish or want to know more about their diet, please feel free to leave a comment below, and I will get back to you as soon as possible. Thanks! 🙂