[nubye]

Hi there,

I keep about 20 shrimp in a 16 gallon planted tank. They graze around all the time, and when I drop in the food I want to give them (Hikari Crab/Calcium pellets/algae wafers) into the feeding dish, only some come over and take a couple of bites now and then... so I don't think every shrimp gets a bite of it. However, I read that I should supplement their diet with protein/calcium other than the algae/biofilm that they eat so that they won't face molting issues and the like.

But if they don't crowd around and eat the food that I want to supplement for them, how do I ensure that they're getting a sufficient and wholesome diet? Anyone else that keeps shrimp in planted tank that faces these issues too?

 

[Asteroid]

Are there other predators around that are keeping the shrimp away? I feed my cherry shrimp an Hikari Algae Wafer once a week and within an hour most of the shrimp in the tank are all over it.

 

[nubye]

hey, anything closest to a predator would be 2 CPO, but even then I experimented with a higher feeding dish that the CPO cannot reach (so 2 feeding dishes) yet, they don't really crowd around the food. Interesting to hear your experience, it may seem that my tank is just filled with stuff to eat without my help it seems!

 

[qa2744]

I've had similar hit or miss experience (mostly misses).

My amanos don't touch prepared food
My Neo will touch it occasionally but only if I add about once every other week
My Sulawesi don't touch it
My snails (nerites and rabbit) don't seem to touch it either

My (hopeful) guess is that they are getting enough food from the biofilm (and Bactum AE) that the larger stuff doesn't attract them.

FWIW - I've tried pellets, snowflakes, blanched veggies, mulberry and oak leaves and shrimp pellets.

 

[SardinePatheNews]

mine live mostly on steamed veg ,the fresh baby leaf spinach sold for salads by the supermarket is their favorite veg

calcium top up wise i throw in the spines from from a tin of sardines maybe every couple of months which last for a few weeks

 

[nubye]

I've had similar hit or miss experience (mostly misses).

My (hopeful) guess is that they are getting enough food from the biofilm (and Bactum AE) that the larger stuff doesn't attract them.

FWIW - I've tried pellets, snowflakes, blanched veggies, mulberry and oak leaves and shrimp pellets.

Wow, seems that you've tried more things than me.. I did prepare Hikari Crab pellets, algae wafers and Mineral Junkies for their arrival.. guess it's a bit of a waste then until at least their population increases in the future.

My worry only is that there's been a few deaths of the cherry shrimps when they have grown larger.. Since my water parameters were fine I got worried if it could've been a lack of calcium and other things not found in biofilm/algae.

 

[Asteroid]

~10 minutes after Hikari Algae Wafer goes in:

~30 minutes after:

~60 minutes after:

 

[somewhatshocked]

Generally, if your shrimp aren't eating what you put into the tank? They're not hungry. They're getting their food from other sources within the tank - detritus, leftover bits of food from CPOs, dying plant matter, algae, surface film, etc.

I've never had shrimp reject anything I've offered when they're hungry.

My rule of thumb: if they aren't eating what I offer, don't feed for 3-4 days and try again. If they're still not eating, wait another week and try again.

That said - keeping shrimp with CPOs is a murder scene waiting to happen. Are there plenty of hiding places for shrimp? Tons of moss?

Note: I've had CPOs get out of almost every kind of tank I've kept them in. Putting shrimp food higher up in the tank won't prevent CPOs from eating it. They can swim and climb up almost anything, unfortunately.

 

[ILikeRice]

Its cus wafer and pellets are trash. Stick to mosura protein and boiled spinach.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Not accurate. Brand doesn't matter. Ingredients may but that's about it. And spinach doesn't have to be boiled or parboiled to feed to shrimp.

That said... Shrimp are detrivores - they literally eat trash. They'll eat pretty much anything you offer them, regardless of brand.

Some may have their favorites but that doesn't change what they are as critters.

Its cus wafer and pellets are trash. Stick to mosura protein and boiled spinach.

 

[Asteroid]

Its cus wafer and pellets are trash. Stick to mosura protein and boiled spinach.

If all wafers are trash, I'll keep feeding my shrimp trash. They look pretty good to me and have maintained health long-term.

 

[somewhatshocked]

Pro-tip: I make my own shrimp food lines. They're pretty popular among shrimpers. And I'm still telling you that brand doesn't matter. Just make sure it's good stuff and not loaded down with too much protein. Veggie-based is almost always better - because it's cheaper and will last longer on the shelf.

Can't get much better than a wadded up piece of baby spinach or a tiny chunk of zucchini. I keep little balls of spinach in my freezer to feed on occasion. Just drop them into the tank. Same with leftover pieces of zucchini. Freezing them helps break down the cell walls and they sink faster. And they're easier to devour.

 

[Griznatch]

I'll echo what has been said in here already.. If the shrimp aren't swarming what you put in there, then they are not hungry.

I have 3 larger tanks with shrimp, and only the 75 seems to really go nuts after anything I put in there. But... it has the biggest clean-up crew. The two 55s have the lower populations and more laid back denizens (less competition, so more food). The only thing that gets everyone's attention are dandelion leaves