Olives attract....

HI All Harlequin Owners!

First I want to ask you something, did you ever put an olive in your tank with harlequin rasboras?

The first time I did I thought it was just coincidence that the Harlequins were going near it and taking bites from it. But doing it again the second time I was sure it wasn't.
I'm sure your harlequins normally swim in the top-mid water, right. But when I put the olive in, they come right down, swimming around it as though they are fascinated by it! If I break pieces and throw in they charge for it. Try it if you havn't, you won't be disappointed in the reaction!

 

I'm not sure if I would want to do that. Olives contain a lot of sodium and with allt he hype of how bad it is for humans I wouldnt subject my fish to it. I'm sure its a hoot to see them attacking it tough

 

Really? I never even thought about that...

 

I wouldn't worry about the sodium in olives poisoning the aquarium. Large olives contain about 125mg of sodium...that's .05 teaspoons of salt. Dilute that with 20-30 gallons and it's basically at trace levels at .0017 teaspoons per gallon. Considering that the "recommended" salt supplement is in the league of 2 teaspoons per gallon...that's not a whole lot.

I don't know if adding salt is a good thing, but that's the amount the internet (as a sentient being) recommends.

However, you probably shouldn't go off dumping cans of olives in, lol!

 

I wouldn't worry about the sodium in olives poisoning the aquarium. Large olives contain about 125mg of sodium...that's .05 teaspoons of salt. Dilute that with 20-30 gallons and it's basically at trace levels at .0017 teaspoons per gallon. Considering that the "recommended" salt supplement is in the league of 2 teaspoons per gallon...that's not a whole lot.

I don't know if adding salt is a good thing, but that's the amount the internet (as a sentient being) recommends.

However, you probably shouldn't go off dumping cans of olives in, lol!

I was refering to the direct ingestion of the olives by fish that 125 Mg of Na to such a small animal cannot be good

 

I was refering to the direct ingestion of the olives by fish that 125 Mg of Na to such a small animal cannot be good

ahh...well maybe that's what they're after? a lot of animals like eating salt. haha

 

I wouldnt put olives in the tank either. Along with the sodium, you have oils too. Olives are not a natural diet for fish.. and I wouldnt try to introduce them to human food... It just doesn't make sense to do that... IMO
~ kate
Ps.. NOW.. have you ever rolled an olive to your cat? lol... Now that is funny! for some reason my cats go crazy for the olives, and not just the fact that they roll, its something about the smell of them. Try it and see... lol.

~ kate

 

Thanks letting me know! Its not like I give olives every week I chuck in one every few months, I can't say they eat so much that there's obvious marks on it's more the fascination they seem to have in it.

Ps.. NOW.. have you ever rolled an olive to your cat? lol... Now that is funny! for some reason my cats go crazy for the olives, and not just the fact that they roll, its something about the smell of them. Try it and see... lol.

Interesting, I will.