Ivor (the CAE) needs to expand his diet and reduce his courgette addiction a little, so I've got some sweet potato to try him on. But I'm not entirely certain if you need to cook it first? Is a quick nuke in the microwave sufficient (I nuke his courgette and broccoli and that seems to work), or would it need some proper cooking first? I've also read you can give them 'normal' potato, presumably the same preparation process would apply?

I'm still trying to get to grips with how much to feed him, he eats a phenomenal amount considering his size (he's getting bigger!)

My temptation would be soften in boiling water and mass up a bit. Just guessing

He's likely to like all the same things in the veggie department as plecs. Sweet potato does go down well and can be sliced, scored and fed raw or just blanched in boiling water for a few seconds if he's small enough to need it softening. Ordinary potatoes can be sliced and scored and fed raw, but it's worth soaking in cold water for a while first to remove some of the starch as it can make the tank water cloudy.

Other favourites include spinach and spring greens, though they can make the water smell a bit "cabbagey" if not eaten quickly. Any foods related to cucumber/courgette will work too - melon, pumpkin etc. He may also like some mango.

Thanks both I've got some melon at home too, and some butternut squash, so I'll try a few new things and see how he goes He loves courgette but he can't live on that alone! Algae wafers don't last long though. Am also going to try some pet rocks in the garden, the ones in the tank aren't really making much of an effort and are staying resolutely clean

He's a very lucky fish, not just because of how he survived but to have such a great owner! I'd be too tempted to eat the sweet potato myself, I can't get enough of it! Same for the melon and courgette for that matter.

He might also like "fake" aufwuchs like I make for Hermione. I's a good way of getting some protein in there whilst giving him something to entertain him.

I crush up suitable dry foods - flake, brine shrimp pellets, earthworm pellets, add some spirulina powder and mix it to a thick paste with egg white. Paint onto suitable rocks/pebbles and allow to dry (or put in a very low oven to dry it faster). Just drop one in the tank for him and he should graze on it just as though it was "real" algae.

That's a cunning plan! Will see if I can get some spirulina powder from the health food shop in town I boiled some sweet potato this evening which the snail (a Lymnaea stagnalis )is delighted with, Ivor hasn't (as far i've seen) tried it yet, but the accompanying algae wafer has gone. He failed to kick the snail off the courgette the other day, nearly ended up wearing it as a hat instead!

@ James - Thanks for the kind words Fortunately for Ivor I'm not fond of courgette, so he can keep that, the rest though ...

My fish are in for a few weeks of very regular courgette. A friend of ours grows them every year in such quantities that he brings us two or three every week over the summer. We don't like it, but the fish do. I feed some and freeze some and it keeps them supplied for a long time. He also grows cucumbers to excess which end up in the tanks too, with a small amount going to the dogs (they both love it)

Ah... sweet potatoes.. reminds me of a recipe:

Vegetarian Pasty

1) Non-puff pastry (it's slightly sweet but seems to work)
2) Microwave in the bag new potatoes mashed a bit with pepper and an egg
3) Steamed sweet potatoes mashed with water and a little curry powder
4) Gruy?re cheese (or whatever cheese you like)
5) Baked following the normal pastry instructions.. maybe a little longer if you make a big one!

Depending how sweet you want it, you might want to have about 1/3 sweet to 2/3 normal potatoes.

(for humans.. not the fish)

I won't tell Ivor about your courgette-fest FL, he'll be hot-finning over to yours He hadn't shown much interest in the potato yesterday, but will see if it's shrunk while I've been at work

Mmmm ... pasties ...