About feeding veggies and using veggie clips

so i decided to drop a small piece of frozen zucchini wrapped in a small lead weight . i noticed that over time the veggie becomes almost a liquid like form. so my question is how does this work with veggie clips since the veggies become so squishy im picturing the clip just crushing it and forcing it out to float around your tank. i dont have a lot of experience with un prepared foods like cucumber etc.

its just for my snails. i have 5 nerite snails. just to supplement lack of algae if any. i dont have microscopic sight to tell

 

so i decided to drop a small piece of frozen zucchini wrapped in a small lead weight . i noticed that over time the veggie becomes almost a liquid like form. so my question is how does this work with veggie clips since the veggies become so squishy im picturing the clip just crushing it and forcing it out to float around your tank. i dont have a lot of experience with un prepared foods like cucumber etc.

its just for my snails. i have 5 nerite snails. just to supplement lack of algae if any. i dont have microscopic sight to tell

I would blanch the vegetables so that they sink. I feel that clips are overrated.

 

If you blanch the pieces of zucchini first and then freeze them, they should sink on their own as they thaw and keep their shape, that's what I do for my snails. Or you could just clip the raw pieces without freezing.
I don't really know why freezing after blanching is different from just freezing, but if it gets mushy it means you destroyed the tissue too much through freezing or overcooking, and blanching makes it stay just right.

 

Plants naturally don’t “want” to be eaten.
Blanching breaks things down just enough to make it easier to digest/ eat, but not enough to kill enzymes and vitamins.
From what I understand, freezing directly after blanching preserves the nutrition.

 

thank you fishlorers. now excuse me while i google the definition of Blanching

 

thank you fishlorers. now excuse me while i google the definition of Blanching

It's basically where you boil the veggies and then dunk them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

 

thank you fishlorers. now excuse me while i google the definition of Blanching

This is blanching - Cut up veggies, put them in a bowl of water, heat on stove 3 minutes. Then run cold water on them a few minutes and either feed some to the fish or freeze them for future feedings.

 

This is blanching - Cut up veggies, put them in a bowl of water, heat on stove 3 minutes. Then run cold water on them a few minutes and either feed some to the fish or freeze them for future feedings.

Or, cut up veggies, stick them in a microwave safe container with some water and nuke for 1 - 2 minutes. I cut my zucchini slices, and blanch them for about a minute or so. Remove the skins, and drop them in the tank. They sink just fine, and aren't mushy.

 

steaming is better, when you boil something vitamins leach out into the water. slice the vegetables, steam it, toss it in ice water, then freeze it eat it or feed it to the fish.

 

The clips are for seaweed sold for marine fish I believe?
Why not just put a stainless steel bbq skewer though the fresh vegetables?Many people use a fork. I recommend a string tried onto whatever you use.
Keeping it in a solid state means you have up to 24 hours before you need to remove what is left.
Its plenty soft enough after 12 hours of slow cooking at 26 degrees centigrade. That’s about as long as I generally leave any vegetable.

I can’t be blanching vegetables on a regular basis and I certainly can’t have another container of fish food in the freezer.
Seriously you drop zucchini in without any way of removing it without a net? How time consuming is that?

 

steaming is better, when you boil something vitamins leach out into the water. slice the vegetables, steam it, toss it in ice water, then freeze it eat it or feed it to the fish.

i have a steamer. so thats good to know thanks

 

Be creative, when theres a will theres a way

 

I tok the steamed zuchini slices , mad a flat row in a plastic zipper bag, and froze it that way. it doesnt take up much space, but i understand how freezers fill up.
at feeding time its easy to remove one disc, i scewer it on a spoon handle and drop it in. yes its annoying to have to net the spoon. A little dental floss, cord, thread or string can solve that part of the problem.