holdon216 Posted March 23, 2009 #1 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Wondering...does anyone know if dried cat food would harm the fish or turtles. It would be easy to pack and carry in small baggies. 12 year old boy is going to snorkle for the first time. We want it to be WAY COOL!!! THANKS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aplmac Posted March 23, 2009 #2 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Dried cat food? Probably not. _____________________________ Ask the local guy with the bag of fish scraps to let you do some of the handing out! Just be careful your fingers don't get nipped. A turtle's beak has a powerful scissor action and they'll bite you out of ignorance rather than any aggression. I've been bitten (Oooh those pink fingers look yummy!) It was a good bite that made me rethink my priorities!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevesan Posted March 24, 2009 #3 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Wondering...does anyone know if dried cat food would harm the fish or turtles. It would be easy to pack and carry in small baggies. 12 year old boy is going to snorkle for the first time. We want it to be WAY COOL!!! THANKS!!! Their usual diet is mostly each other. :o Since that's not a practical option, I'd suggest a store that sells fish food for home aquariums. Please, no human or any other animal food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aplmac Posted March 24, 2009 #4 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Their usual diet is mostly each other. :o Since that's not a practical option I'd suggest a store that sells fish food for home aquariums. ===> No. not even that, please. :cool: Please, no human or any other animal food. Turtles eat turtles? Whoaaa! :eek: Actually a large(easy) part of their natural diet is vegetarian(they're Buddhist, you see) :D they munch on seaweeds and sea mosses a lot of the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVegasMan Posted March 25, 2009 #5 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I would not recommend 9 lives. If you must have your sone feed the fish head to your nearest pet store and get some pellets that are meant for saltwater fish. Or, head to a store when you're on the island and get some squid, that is what the tour operators feed them. When I was in the Cayman Islands I would fill film canisters with the pellets they sell at the snorkel shops. One the DVD from one of my snorkeling trips I'm SURROUNDED by fish that are eating the pellets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holdon216 Posted March 25, 2009 Author #6 Share Posted March 25, 2009 THANKS for the tips. I am going to stop by a pet store get some fish pellets. I have seen people feed fish, bread. Is that a BAD idea??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevesan Posted March 25, 2009 #7 Share Posted March 25, 2009 THANKS for the tips. I am going to stop by a pet store get some fish pellets. I have seen people feed fish, bread. Is that a BAD idea??? If it's not part of their regular diet; it's not a good idea. I'm certainly not recommending it, but a snorkel guide at Cozumel was chumming with tortilla strips. The fish swarmed to them. Of course, they were Mexican fish. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aplmac Posted March 25, 2009 #8 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I have seen people feed fish, bread. Is that a BAD idea??? Yes and no...indeed it's not a part of their naturally available dietbut I must confess to feeding bread to the mullets and other fish in the big tide-pool in front Coconut Court Hotel on Hastings Beach. If you carry a few slices with you and go out to near where the barrier-rocks are you'll find a small patch of rocks just inside the barrier. Start breaking up little bits of bread near the rocks, and see the fish come to you! They know all about bread-bearing tourists ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swom Posted March 26, 2009 #9 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I am thinking of getting some (unsweetened) dry cereal and bringing it with me at each port that I have a snorkeling excursion planned. I can get them at the buffet in the morning on the ship and since they are prepackaged, then are ok to take ashore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroncosFan2010 Posted March 26, 2009 #10 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Our snorkel guides at previous island experiences have used dog food. The fish loved it. Turtles eat sea grass, so they probably won't want any and probably should not be fed dog or cat food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie1005 Posted March 26, 2009 #11 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Scuba/dive shops sell tubes of fish food that you can take underwater with you. There are many brands, but here's a link to one example: http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-49/080013/Trident-Sea-Dine-Fish-Food.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevesan Posted March 26, 2009 #12 Share Posted March 26, 2009 I am thinking of getting some (unsweetened) dry cereal and bringing it with me at each port that I have a snorkeling excursion planned.I can get them at the buffet in the morning on the ship and since they are prepackaged, then are ok to take ashore. From a package of Special K, per serving: 220MG Sodium 0.5G Fat 50MG Potassium 42G Carbohydrates 4G Sugar 6G Protein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aplmac Posted March 26, 2009 #13 Share Posted March 26, 2009 From a package of Special K, per serving: 220MG Sodium 0.5G Fat 50MG Potassium 42G Carbohydrates 4G Sugar 6G Protein Eeeuuwwww! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcyn Posted March 26, 2009 #14 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Eeeuuwwww! Hi there!!! I see your are sailing on the Victory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheVegasMan Posted March 26, 2009 #15 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Feeding fish anything other than a food designed for fish is not a good idea. Yes, they will eat it, but it can lead to problems. They may not be able to digest the food properly and problems can occur. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barbados Posted March 26, 2009 #16 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Human food: bread, dog food, peas, cereal, etc., will not only shorten the lifespan of fish, but will cause damage to the reef. When fish get handouts they don’t consume algae and parasites which will overtake and kill reefs. They become dependant on humans, loose their fear of humans and become aggressive. Other species of fish are drawn to the feeding area which may imbalance the complete system. Please note that Dottin’s reef in Barbados has been damaged, but not anywhere as bad as the reef(s) at DePalm Island in Aruba where feeding the parrotfish was tolerated and even encouraged. It is not as bad feeding the Hawksbill turtles in Barbados as they are an omnivore, and as such eat sponges, jellyfish, mollusks, fish and algae. The younger hawksbills and leathernecks do almost exclusively eat algae from the reefs, but only for a short time. A delicate environment this island earth, yes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swom Posted March 26, 2009 #17 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Yes, I understand and will not bring any food to feed the fish. I'll be a good tourist. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aplmac Posted March 27, 2009 #18 Share Posted March 27, 2009 To quote a wise old lady millionaire I knew (God rest her extravagant soul...) "Wild animals are best left alone!" . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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