What to feed the fishy and the turtles???

[holdon216]

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!!!

[Aplmac]

Dried cat food? Probably not.

 

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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!! :)

[Stevesan]

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.

[Aplmac]

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

[TheVegasMan]

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.

[holdon216]

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???

[Stevesan]

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

[Aplmac]

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 diet

but 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 ;)

[swom]

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.

[BroncosFan2010]

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.

[brownie1005]

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

[Stevesan]

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

[Aplmac]

From a package of Special K, per serving:

 

220MG Sodium

0.5G Fat

50MG Potassium

42G Carbohydrates

4G Sugar

6G Protein

Eeeuuwwww!

 

.

[marcyn]

Eeeuuwwww!

 

Hi there!!!

I see your are sailing on the Victory!

[TheVegasMan]

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.

[barbados]

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?

[swom]

Yes, I understand and will not bring any food to feed the fish. I'll be a good tourist. ;)

[Aplmac]

To quote a wise old lady millionaire I knew (God rest her extravagant soul...)

 

"Wild animals are best left alone!"

 

 

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