Popcorn?!? Really honey, Popcorn?

[Mr_Altepeter]

So my wife and I have been having a year long "discussion" over whether or not popcorn is healthy for fish? I keep saying "No dear, they really don't want pocorn." And she always smiles and replies with "You don't know that for sure baby." So here I am asking the great gang at MFK whether or not Popcorn should be considered as a snack for our aquatic friends.

Oh and lets not forget to differentiate between buttered and not buttered.

Or even light popcorn for the overeaters

 

[dmopar74]

 

[GhostShrimpMan]

 

[Fat Homer]

For the most part i would have to say no, although some fish may enjoy it? i doubt that its any good for them... considering that their digestive systems weren't designed to breakdown corn...

 

[erk419]

Hmmmm I wouldn't think it would be bad for them as long as it was small enough not to choke on because its just corn. I really don't think many would like it though except for fish like my Oscar who will eat anything that hits the water. Most would probably spit it out though. Id say no butter though!

 

[mgk]

regular popcorn with no additives(oil, butter,salt), is high in fiber and low in fat.

it doesn't sound unhealthy but something tells me it goes right through them with out giving much nutrition. its probably like feeding them peas mixed with metamucil

i definitely wouldn't feed it to them regularly.

now buttered kind just sounds like a stupid idea, water quality wise and health wise for the fish.

 

[Diogenes]

some fish will eat nearly anything that will fit in their mouths, does that mean that they should eat it? probably not.

although alot of the fish we keep are extremely hardy and adaptdable, let's not forget that they come from extremely stable environments and that their physiology has evolved to thrive in that environment.

Are there any corn plants in the amazon, the rift lakes, or the mekong river delta?

I would say that it's not good for them. Especially not buttered. Only mammals eat milk, and humans are the only mammals that eat milk after infancy. Popcorn is like pure starch (carbohydrates) I'm not sure there are any fish that eat a diet heavy in carbs.

It probably won't kill them but it's pretty unnatural and I wouldn't feed it to my fish.

 

[SimonL]

I'm sure Giant Gouramis and Pacu would love it lol...I smell an experiment coming on...

 

[Diogenes]

regular popcorn with no additives(oil, butter,salt), is high in fiber and low in fat.

it doesn't sound unhealthy but something tells me it goes right through them with out giving much nutrition. its probably like feeding them peas mixed with metamucil

i definitely wouldn't feed it to them regularly.

now buttered kind just sounds like a stupid idea, water quality wise and health wise for the fish.

it's mostly starch although there is some fiber:

metamucil on the other hand, or a lot of fruits/veggies that herbivorous fish eat are nearly all fiber. Fiber by definition is an organic compound that passes through the GI tract largely undigested. It's an important part of an omnivorous/ herbivorous diet. Carbs on the other hand most likely play a minor role in a fishes diet.

 

[iloveoscars702]

it wouldnt be a natural thing for them to eat it, but iono see why. the carp at the lake LOVE it lol