feeding bananas

[Paul B]

I have been feeding bananas to my reef for a while now and all of my fish including the moorish Idol love it. I think it is their favorite food. Of course this is just one meal, I also feed regular marine items too.
For the bananas I use three parts of banana and one part crushed garlic. I also mix in Selcon, vitamin A and some powered seaweed.
I have a mixed reef with about 25 fish and they all eat it except the copperband butterfly, he keeps trying it but has not yet accepted it. The two and a half year old moorish Idol practically jumps out of the water for it.
It is a little mushy so I take a little on the point of a knife and dip it in the water. It stays together until they eat it.
I wouldn't just feed this but it is a good way to get Selcon or some other vitamins into your fish. I would imagine bananas have benefits on their own but I doubt you will find any research on it.
Have a great day.
Paul

 

[Scooterman]

Now where was it I read that fish love bannas?? humm LOL
Naw thats cool, Maybe it is like us eating ice-cream, it might be desert to them.

 

[Krish]

Sounds cool...Who would have thought to put a banana in a tank! I guess if monkeys love um fish may as well too!

 

[liveforphysics]

I've never fed bananas before, but I have pulled a broken open coconut into the water with me diving before and had the fish pick it clean in very short order.

If you dive with a ziploc baggy of frozen corn or peas, you get mobbed so hard by fish the second you open it, its unreal. I remember the first time i tried it, i cracked open the bag and the sun was blocked out nearly instantly from so many fish. BTW, good luck getting the bag closed again, all the bags i've tried get torn to shreds the second they are opened.

Now, these were fish that were definately used to seeing tourists, so more wild fish might be a little different.

Thanks for the cool tip, if you find a miricle method for regularly keeping MI's alive for a long time, it would be great. It makes me sad everytime I see them at the pet store, and know 99% likely that there fate is sealed.

 

[Krish]

Fish are like Mutts here! You go in the water with any food and they'll basically attack you! I caught this little fellow with hot dog. I was challenged that I couldn't catch one using it and I did...First try. The fish even try to eat mango skins!!!! They're favorite seems to be Kentucky so far

 

[Paul B]

Krish I am aware of the eating habits of the fish in the Bahamas, (and almost all the Caribbean Islands as well)
especially seargeant majors, they are about the worst and most abundant.
Blue head wrasses are a pain too as are triggers.
Paul

 

[Krish]

Krish I am aware of the eating habits of the fish in the Bahamas, (and almost all the Caribbean Islands as well)
especially seargeant majors, they are about the worst and most abundant.
Blue head wrasses are a pain too as are triggers.
Paul

YUP! I typically have to use 2 hooks spaced apart quite a bit when fishing in some places because before you hit bottom where all the big fish are, the darn sargeant majors in particular as well as other damsels, clean your hook. There is a spot in particular, that you aren't allowed to fish at, has the most sargeant majors I have ever seen in one spot! Tourist usually stop there to feed them and snorkel and the fish are so use to you, you can put your hand in the water and they'll nibble on it!

 

[WAFalconer]

Neat ! What made you decide to try bananas ? lol

 

[Paul B]

WAFalconer, I try all sorts of food on my fish. Most of it I collect from the sea but I don't think bananas are that wierd. People feed peas, lettuce, spinach, garlic etc, none of these are really fish food. I like the bananas because I can squash it and mix it with vitamins or anything else that I want to get into the fish. I usually mix it with Selcon.
And besides most of them love it.
Paul

 

[skylsdale]

That **** is bananas, Paul.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

 

[Krish]

That **** is bananas, Paul.

B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

ROFL!:lol: Go get um!!!

 

[Paul B]

I have to update on the bananas. Now even the copperband eats it. Just the bangai cardinal spits it out but he is getting the knack of it. I think the moorish Idol likes it better than sponge.
Have a great day.
Paul

 

[Paul B]

Forgot the picture

 

[wrightme43]

Hey Paul, I tried a little bit, and the wrasse, the blue face, the powder blue, and the chromis eat it right up.

 

[spongebob lover]

Well i guess i'm gonna have to start feeding my fishes bananas too... hopefully the banana will make it to the tank before my son sees it

 

[coralseas]

my tangs go nut for grapes.

 

[Paul B]

All of this stuff I feed to my fish frozen so now I am working on mixing it all together to feed them all at once without having to process so many foods at once. I used to do this by mixing it with plaster of paris. I am going to try again if I can remember the recipe. I will let you know how it tastes, I mean works. :lol:

I use bananas, avacados, clams, sponge, worms and plankton all mixed with Selcon. I will leave the worms out as I like to feed them live. I fill up the moorish Idol first on mostly vegetable or he eats too many worms. I don't think he should have too much protein as opposed to vegetable matter and sponge.
Paul

 

[fishermann]

Paul you mix in plaster of paris????? Is that good for the fish??? won't it setup inside???? Just curious, guess it doesn't since you have done it. I think it is really cool you have kept a moorish idle that long.

 

[Paul B]

Yes, plaster of Paris. It does not hurt them, you could eat it too (but don't)
I have used it in the past and I did not invent this.
The proportions must be correct or you will just make a rock.
I will try to figure out the mix and let you know. Of course I will feed it to my fish before I advise anyone to use it. For now, Don't.
Paul

 

[fishermann]

Paul I got lost a little, you said in one post you feed the banana mix on the end of a knife and then later said you feed it and other mixes frozen, am I missing something???