Photo by Krista76

Always use organic vegetables, and wash them well before adding them to the tank – the last thing you want to add is some sort of chemical residue. It’s a good idea to use a substantial chunk (approximately 4 inches/ 10 centimeters) so that it’ll be easy to find the remaining stump. If you cut the vegetable up into small pieces they can get lost in the tank and start to decay.

If you’re giving your catfish a treat, add the zucchini just before turning off the lights the night before you plan to do a water change. Plecos are quite nocturnal in their habits, so don’t be surprised to hear the sound of fishy slurping in the wee hours. Next day hook out and discard any remaining zucchini or cucumber, and do the water change as normal. Giving your pleco a vege treat every three to four days helps make sure they remain in fine form.

Photo by Brian E. Ford

Make sure you get good quality produce – if you wouldn’t eat it yourself it isn’t suitable for your pet. Use you common sense here though – you might be able to make choices about junk food in your diet, your puppy depends on you making sensible food choices. Don’t add spices or salt to the puppy food – making it tasty for you isn’t the idea – it’s about making healthy food for your growing pup. And yes, that means no chocolate.

You can use any meat – chicken (remove the bones) with vegetables, including rice or couscous. If you don’t plan on using any commercial dog food (dry or canned), you should check with your vet to recommend an appropriate multi-vitamin supplement.

Variety is the one spice you can add. Alternate between chicken, beef, lamb, and perhaps some more exotic meats if they’re affordable and available – goat, turkey, and/or rabbit really add variety. Mix in some starches – rice, couscous, pasta, potato; and some yellow (carrot, pumpkin, squash), and green vegetables (cabbage, zucchini, broccoli). The only vegetable to avoid are the various forms of onion. If you are feeding some of the leaner meats you may want to add some olive oil, cod liver oil, or salmon oil, and a little fat to make you pup’s coat shiny. Check with your vet for some other suggestions for suitable ingredients.