While preparing for Pesach, we checked out the ingredients on the fish food, and the first ingredient is wheat. Presumably it is either chametz or else would become chametz after it hits the water. So I'm going to get rid of the fish flakes for Pesach.
But then, what do I feed my fish?
Does anyone out there in the Jewish Blogosphere own fish? If so, what do you do for Pesach? (Rabbi Abadi claims fish flakes are inedible, but I am not so convinced he is right on that count. And apparently Rabbi Blumenkrantz z"l held that fish food is problematic. As does Ohr haTorah Phoenix.) Are there kosher leFesach fish flakes? What about matzah meal?
After writing the above, I found the following from Rabbi Eli Mansour:
The simplest idea is Matzah Meal. You take a little Matzah and you crush it a little, and you put it into the fish tank, and the fish can then sustain themselves, at least the gold fish can. That’s one way you can solve that problem.I guess that is what I'll try. My big fear is that the goldfish with be makpid on gerbrochts and not eat it...
So what do you do?
11 comments:
Answer 1:
1. Put a vacation feeder in the tank.
2. Sell the entire tank for Pesach.
3. Buy back the tank, with the remainder of the feeder, after Pesach.
Answer 2:
Go to the pet shop and explain the problem. They will probably be able to find some dried/ground up worm substitute.
The Wolf
Another option is a kitniyos based solution (if one exists for fish). That's what we do with our hamsters. On Pesach they eat cracked corn, alfalfa grass, sunflower seeds, and the occasional fresh fruit/veggie.
I don't know if a kitniyos solution exists for fish (again, go to a pet store), but if it does, that's something you might want to consider.
The Wolf
thanks!
I think my fish might be Sefardim, though...
:)
(that is, no issur of hanaah or ownership for kitniyot.)
I had a goldfish and on Pesach I fed it peas. Just pop out the inner soft part from the outer shell and smoosh it into the water. It actually helped the goldfish's digestion. Do not feed the fish matzah it will probably get indigestion. It's a good time to do a thorough washing of the tank - you wouldn't believe how dirty those little rocks get.
We used to buy an aquatic plant that the fish would graze from over the course of the week.
thanks.
this has been much help.
i don't want to sound cruel or anything, but why not eat them for the pesah seudah and get new fish when the hag is over?
http://adderabbi.blogspot.com/2005/04/i-love-this-job.html
I'm glad I was 'mechavayn' to so many of these ideas.
I just use fish food blocks. You can get ones that are made to last a week.
In reply to Lion of Zion:
Goldfish are to small so you wouldn't be able to get any fish out of it as most of it is bones, unless it's one of those uncommon big ones that you need a pond for instead of a tank.
anon:
but see here that those fish food blocks are likely chametz.
freeze-dried bloodworms,
free-dried shrimp,
green seaweed (special for fish).
purchased all @ Amazon.
also- vacuumed gravel, did a partial water change, changed filter media, changed out to new plastic plants.
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