boiled peas

Question
hello! i got a Question...

Y'see, i got a couple 5 inch golfish and other two smaller ones in a 15 gallon tank, i heard that i can feed them some boiled peas in small chunks as a variation of their diet. Well, i told my dad about it and he thought it was a good idea but kinda missed the boiling part, so after few days i noticed he was feeding the fishes raw (unboiled) peas.

Now, i saw the fishes were doing well  with the peas twice a week but still i told my dad he should boil them, he did but then the peas didnt float too well making them more difficult for the fishes to eat; besides the water got horribly murky almost overnight.

Well my question is : Is it wrong if we use raw peas instead of boiled? the fishes seem to do just fine with them and my dad chops them (the peas) very thin with a sharp knife but i still fell uneasy thinking it could be more difficult for the fishes to digest, What do you think?

thank you very much.

                                   steevie woo
                                   Mexico city

Answer
Hi;

If the fish seem to like them I wouldn't worry about it. I usually cook them so they are soft, but thinly sliced sounds fine to me. There are more vitamins in uncooked foods anyway.

There is a another problem you will have with your fish though. Your fish are too big for their tank. Goldfish are deep-bodied, and very messy fish that need plenty of room. They may seem okay right now, but they can't get enough exercise in such a small area. They really should be in a 50 gallon tank. Even a 30 would be better than what they have right now if you can get one. Make plenty of water changes, like 25% twice a week. This will help them stay healthier until you can get them a larger home.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Come on over and join us on the freshwater fish forum at About.com to get even more information too;
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/questionsanswers/a/naavigateforum.htm

My member name is ChrisR62. See You There!