Re: [Killietalk] Green Peas

[Scott Davis <unclescott at prodigy_net>]

No apology needed Ed. Depending upon the killies, one could be very surprised that some killies will consume (and digest) the insides of cooked peas.

I've fed the crushed halves of peas to selected killies for some time on the assumption that killies are egglaying livebearers. ;)  A field study of Cyprinodon variegatus analyzed stomach contents and algae and even mud were commonly included.

I have noticed a different response among different killies. Most North American killies seemed to go for them. The Cyprinodonts and brackish water types especially are responsive. Inland Fundulus need to be looked at individually. The first northern studfish I had were indifferent to them or flakes, though some young F. catenatus are taking a few flakes now, under the tutelage of some F. notatus. Notatus (have a hard time remembering black stripe topminnow) are gratifyingly catholic in their tastes, taking peas, regular flakes, veggie flakes, and every defrosted and rinsed frozen food and standard killie live food.  Heck, if just a few duckweed are left with the notatus before one goes away for the weekend, that  duckweed will be gone upon one's return.

Haven't even bothered to try peas with annuals. Among the Old World genus, Fundulopanchax and Panchypanchax and a few lampeyes are the most receptive to modest efforts to feed peas. Aphanius should be good customers too and those are the only Eastern Hemisphere ones I try them with anymore. Do wonder if Pantanodon might be worth a try.

For a while I operated on the assumption that even carnivores must pick up a tiny bit of vegetable material in the gut, of some of what they eat. Many flakes are a mix and some must be inhaled along with the meaty flakes, if the killie takes flakes. (Of course that could just pass through the digestive tract too.)

However, not every killie, which takes peas, should be fed them. A pair of lineatus were once tossed a half pea each. Those were snapped up. The halves weren't even slightly crushed, something that gets done for smaller fishes. The feeding was Monday or Tuesday of a week, which ended with a local killie show. As those lineatus were slid into a display tanklet on Saturday, they both regurgitated the pea halves, which were entirely intact!

Since then, if the killie seems to be a strict carnivore, peas have not been offered to them.  Peas are more of a infrequent supplement anyway, when I remember to save a few from the dinner table or leftovers in the refrigerator.

Peas should be a fairly good source of vegetable protein. 1/2 cup of peas offers up 4  grams of protein, which is about as good as one gets with most popular dinner vegetables, excepting other legumes such as beans. An agricultural study suggested that peas (at least in the feed given cattle) are about 24% protein. This is obviously lower that what our fish would get from some animal or insect derived food. It is also lower than the 40 or 41% protein level that a couple of the veggie flakes, in hand, advertise.

Some days it is just hard keeping some killies filled up. Peas may follow the richer foods as a filler with some protein and a good dose of basic minerals. For critters like American flag fish who took a real liking to a former thicket of Hygrophila polysperma, I would consider offering them as many insides and maybe even shells of cooked peas as one could. ;)

Apple snails and our dog (jealous of the fish, go figure!) have done a good job on extra pea shells here. Lately there is a real need here for extra pond snails and those snails might get the extra shells on an experimental basis.

On a related application, Kurt Bihlmayer has used the powder from a pea soup mix as Daphnia food. He was pleased with the results.

All the best!
Scott


BrandtEdL at aol_com wrote: My apologies to all, I should have asked these questions off line.  I  have 
13 species of killies none of which eat vegetables.  They enjoy their  live, 
frozen, freeze dried or flaked foods.  Ed

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