What to feed Red Cherry Shrimp?
A question I’ve been asked more times than I care to remember and the truth is, there is no specific single answer.
In the wild… Let’s stop right there. For these heavily selectively bred little critters there is no wild, in the wild they would likely perish due to the fluctuation on water parameters even for these hardened soles. They aren’t exactly discreet either, bright red and swimming in any clean water column. So let’s get “the wild” out of our heads here.
So what should we feel, well we look to ideals. We look to ensuring that they get the right balance and variety that they would in a wild environment, and that means not just one type of pellet.
If you’ve been lucky enough to purchase from us you would have got a free pouch of food, this would have likely contained a mixture of ingredients :-
- Firstly the staple, Algae wafers with 25% protein, 5% oil, c2% fibre and a number of vitamin additives. The pellets are mostly made of krill meal and a little Spirulina, but not a lot due to cost so…
- I then add additional pure dried Spirulina. This is shrimp caviar and ensures good health and fast breeding.
- Finally a little dried red bloodworm. A big boost of protein and a great addition to help colour the little guys up.
Of course you can add more or less but the key here is variety and a range of important nutrients that the shrimp absolutely need. Mix up the staple wafers between manufacturers and see what works for your guys, especially if they seem to have lost their appetite. Sometimes they’ll tell you when they want a change.