SD's are typically gluttonous pigs, and in the wild will probably eat most anything that remotely appears to be food. lol If you are looking for a "green" supplement, unsalted Nori from the local Asian market is a good low cost alternative to growing your own, but either way with SD's I would feed an aquatic based plant, not something of terrestrial origin.
While certain species do consume terrestrial based plant matter during certain times of the year (such as the rainy season) these foods are typically not the same as some of what's being described in this discussion. As an example, raw peas are anything but excellent for fish.
Peas must be processed first, as they contain anti-nutritional matter, such as tannins, protease inhibitors, saponins, cyanogens, and phytic acid, which when consumed in excess can have a very negative effect on the growth & overall health of fish. The same holds true for most terrestrial based plant matter that finds its way into hobbyist tanks, such as soybeans, corn, wheat, etc. This is a prime example of a cooked ingredient being better for a fish than the same ingredient in a raw (organic?) state, and why we shouldn't attempt to extrapolate the information regarding what a fish consumes in its natural habitat (seeds/nuts), to something that we purchase at the local grocery store.
See post #35 in the following past discussion for a more detailed explanation.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/diy-fish-food.462584
All of this has been well documented in commercial aquaculture for many years.
In the wild many fish instinctively seek out certain plants, seeds, nuts, that are higher in protein, and lower in carbohydrates/starch, and often only consume these raw foodstuffs when higher quality amino acid sources are limited. They are not always choosing these foodstuffs in the wild due to the nutritional value in the food, but more typically due to its seasonal availability.
While certain species do consume terrestrial based plant matter during certain times of the year (such as the rainy season) these foods are typically not the same as some of what's being described in this discussion. As an example, raw peas are anything but excellent for fish.
Peas must be processed first, as they contain anti-nutritional matter, such as tannins, protease inhibitors, saponins, cyanogens, and phytic acid, which when consumed in excess can have a very negative effect on the growth & overall health of fish. The same holds true for most terrestrial based plant matter that finds its way into hobbyist tanks, such as soybeans, corn, wheat, etc. This is a prime example of a cooked ingredient being better for a fish than the same ingredient in a raw (organic?) state, and why we shouldn't attempt to extrapolate the information regarding what a fish consumes in its natural habitat (seeds/nuts), to something that we purchase at the local grocery store.
See post #35 in the following past discussion for a more detailed explanation.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/diy-fish-food.462584
All of this has been well documented in commercial aquaculture for many years.
In the wild many fish instinctively seek out certain plants, seeds, nuts, that are higher in protein, and lower in carbohydrates/starch, and often only consume these raw foodstuffs when higher quality amino acid sources are limited. They are not always choosing these foodstuffs in the wild due to the nutritional value in the food, but more typically due to its seasonal availability.
Now if I could go find out what they usually chow down on exactly!! Haha. Harvest a little bit of those aquatic plants, go all out and farm them in my planted tanks and feed trimmings to them along with some frozen worms, insects too. Bam! Nailed it.
