Feeding Live Shrimp

jacknife · Post by **jacknife** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:16 pm

Hi all,

I have set up "death row" for the shrimps now (an 18" tank in the garage

) and was advised by the LFS not to feed them live too often to prevent them getting addicted to live food. Is this good advice or bad. I cannot see how live food can be bad for them. I thought maybe alternating live and frozen every 3 days?

Thoughts?

Boxermom · Post by **Boxermom** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:54 pm

Alternating is fine.

jacknife · Post by **jacknife** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:10 pm

And you think every 3 days is OK? They will not take anything but frozen shell off cockles, fussy buggers

Boxermom · Post by **Boxermom** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:15 pm

How big are they?

Post by **Hilly** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:35 pm

jacknife wrote:And you think every 3 days is OK? They will not take anything but frozen shell off cockles, fussy buggers

What else have you tried?

jacknife · Post by **jacknife** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:51 pm

They are about 4-5" long.

I have tried mussels and shell on cockles. They were taking krill but it just gets too messy when it disintegrates in the water.

Post by **Hilly** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:54 pm

Have you tried tieing a piece of string or using a wooden skewer like a chopstick with the Mussel and bobbing it around to simulate live food in the tank, that might get their interest peaked.

Boxermom · Post by **Boxermom** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:59 pm

Or try soaking in water with some garlic slices in it. Every 3 days is fine.

jacknife · Post by **jacknife** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:59 pm

I used to feed them with a cocktail stick when they were in the community tank so that the food did not get lost. I will try with some cotton or something.

jacknife · Post by **jacknife** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:59 pm

Garlic!!! Does that help?

Post by **Hilly** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:00 pm

jacknife wrote:Garlic!!! Does that help?

It can do.

Boxermom · Post by **Boxermom** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:01 pm

Yup, garlic is a natural appetite stimulant. I use a pair of stainless steel tongs, the string trick never worked for me. With my palembang, I'd have to wave it at him for a week or two, eventually banging him gently in the nose before he'd take a bite.

Once he did and realized it was tasty, never had another problem.

jacknife · Post by **jacknife** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:02 pm

How?

I was wondering why feeding live shrimp and getting them "addicted" was a bad thing as well. Do they need a mix?

jacknife · Post by **jacknife** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:03 pm

I thought about using an empty cockle shell and getting them to take frozen cockles from it then slowly trying the shell on ones.

Boxermom · Post by **Boxermom** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 7:04 pm

How what?

Yes, for optimal health, they should have a varied diet. Its like you eating nothing but steak. Not terribly healthy.

The Puffer Forum

The Puffer Store

Feeding Live Shrimp

Feeding Live Shrimp