I stuck 3 straws into one another and then into a zucchini slice, put a wafer in the slice and lowered it into the tank. I had to use the lid to keep it in place. Unfortunately Ishmael was unimpressed and ate the wafer only. I have heard that some people use an elastic band to tie veggies to a spoon and drop it in but he didn't like that either. I only left it in overnight and some people say to boil it first, and to avoid certain items to avoid cloudiness. Best of luck!