Home » Aquarium » Freshwater Aquarium

5 Best Foods For Aquarium Shrimps

Aaron Boyd May 6, 2023

Shrimps have become an important part of the aquarium hobby. These colorful little crustaceans not only look attractive, their intense color even adds some variety to your tank.

Also, shrimps are pretty useful. They consume the food that is not eaten by your fishes and thus ensures there is less organic pollution.

The water quality in your tank also then stays healthy. Furthermore, shrimps even munch on muck, dead plant parts, and fish poop.

Since fish do not utilize nutrients efficiently, even their droppings are somewhat nutritious. If the shrimps in your aquarium do not feed on their droppings it will serve as food for unwanted algae and snails.

Shrimps do so much for your fish tank, so you too need to take the best care of them.

Though they will eat almost anything, the algae present in your tank or the fish droppings are not enough for their sustenance.

So, you need to feed shrimps almost like you feed your fish.

These crustaceans need the right food and in the right amount. Now you may be wondering what the best food for shrimp is.

Well, to make things easier for you we shall share with you 5 such foods that are most popular with shrimp owners.

You can opt for either of these and you will not go wrong.

[amazon table=”11829″]

Aquatic Arts Sinking Pellets

[amazon box=”B00I33OWY6″]

Aquatic Arts Sinking Pellets are among the best food for shrimp because it is extremely easy to feed and dose. These pellets make an ideal choice not only for shrimps but also for other invertebrates like snails and crabs.

Invertebrates enjoy this food so you will not have a tough time feeding. These sinking pellets are made of quality ingredients, including spirulina algae and vegetable matter.

Also, it contains brewer’s yeast, carrot powder, lecithin dry, fish oil, and a lot more. It provides the necessary nutrition and has more than 35 percent protein, which is just perfect, not more, not less.

Also, it contains a little amount of copper sulfate, which is necessary for the production of blood cells in invertebrates.

The 8-ounce pack that the Aquatic Arts pellets come in is enough to last you for about a year.

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon

SunGrow Baby Shrimp Food

[amazon box=”B00KMJLEYA”]

If your tank has baby shrimps and you want them to grow healthy and be happy always then the SunGrow Baby Shrimp Food makes an ideal choice. It is rich in essential nutrients like powder enzymes that facilitate healthy growth.

The SunGrow Baby Shrimp Food is a combination of specific important ingredients. It includes 10.8% crude ash, 19.7% crude fat, 14.3% raw fiber, and 14.1% protein. This makes a perfect energy-rich combination for your little baby shrimps.

It will help these little shrimps thrive and grow healthily.

Not only are the elements present in the food great for baby shrimps, but they also create other positive effects. They consume the wastes of shrimps and also food debris. They help make the color of your shrimps better.

Furthermore, they even help in maintaining the clarity in your tank water. Thus you will not need to invest extra time in cleaning your shrimp aquarium.

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon

Fluval Shrimp Granules

[amazon box=”B004MYMCQA”]

Fluval Shrimp Granules are yet another amazing food choice for shrimp keepers. It is nutritionally balanced and the 1.2-ounce granule jar offers a good dose of vitamins that ensures proper growth and development of your shrimps.

Since Fluval Shrimp Granules are very palatable, they are perfect for freshwater shrimps. Also, it contains enough proteins required for the proper development of the little crustaceans.

It even is rich in iodine, which helps shrimps during the molting procedure.

These granules have no artificial colorants, which again makes it a healthy choice. Furthermore, it contains a good amount of advanced yeast extract that offers the benefits of prebiotics.

Thus, your shrimps will enjoy better digestion and disease resistance as well.

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon

Shrimp King Complete Sticks

[amazon box=”B00L0UBFUI”]

These sticks are ideal for daily feeding of shrimps. They are rich in all important nutrients and substances that are required for the healthy and balanced growth of these crustaceans. Also, they support plentiful reproduction and vibrant coloring.

The Shrimp King sticks are made of completely natural ingredients and thus offer a biologically balanced diet for the shrimps. It contains high-quality proteins and also essential amino acids from various aquatic animals to ensure balanced growth.

The dietary fibers that it offers from many barks and leaves support proper digestion.

Furthermore, it also contains natural carotenoids that promote the proper development of your crustaceans. Each stick in the pack contains a varied diet, so, make sure you feed your shrimp only as much as is needed.

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon

Invert Aquatics Micro Mix – Sinking Blended Diet

[amazon box=”B0792QK99B”]

Many snails, bottom fish, and shrimp feeders opt for this food over many others because it is a perfect blend. This formula is a combination of essential minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients that are required for the healthy development of shrimps.

Furthermore, the food is palatable and can easily attract even the fussiest eaters. So, you will never have a tough time feeding your little shrimps.

Also, the food smells good, so do keep it away from our cats and dogs, as they are sure to get tempted.

The Invert Aquatics Micro Mix is available in three packages – 1.5-ounce, 3-ounce, and 9-ounce. You can start by selecting the smallest package and then opt for a bigger one, keeping in view the size of your tank and the number of shrimps you have in it.

Check Price and Reviews on Amazon

The Ultimate Shrimp Feeding Guide

Now that you are aware of the 5 best food choices for your shrimps, you also need to know that if you feed them more than needed, the leftover will poison the aquarium water. So, how to feed the best food for shrimp to keep them happy and not kill them?

If this is what you are now wondering, then go through this guide and all your queries shall be answered.

What Else Is There In Your Tank?

The kind of tank you have can have a great impact on your feeding schedule. If along with shrimps, your planted tank also houses snails and fish then there may not be any extra food required for the shrimps.

They will draw the nutrition that they require from the snail and fish poop, leftover food, algae, and also from the dead plants in the aquarium. This is an ideal setup for your shrimps.

However, you have to carefully watch the development of the shrimps. If they do not grow the right way, extra food for them has to be introduced.

If your tank has only shrimps then you need to give more attention to their feeding schedule. The crustaceans require food for survival.

But, you have to make sure the food you offer does not change the water quality. The balance always has to be maintained.

How Often Do Shrimps Need To Be Fed?

Video: “How Often You Should Feed Your Shrimp”

How often your crustaceans need food depends largely on how many your tank has. If there are about 10 to 20 shrimps, then you can feed them every Tuesday and Friday. The amount you feed will depend on the brand and type of product you are offering.

Every shrimp food package comes with a manual that suggests the right amount to serve. But do not trust it blindly.

You have to figure out how much will be enough. To begin with, you can offer as much as is mentioned in the manual. But, keep a watch on how much the shrimps finish off within an hour. You then need to adjust accordingly.

It is basically your call. You have to decide the ideal feeding schedule for your crustaceans. Some people prefer feeding up to 6 times every week and others feel three times a week is just enough.

To understand things better, you can use feeding dishes. This will help you understand better how hungry your shrimps are and how frequently you must feed them.

How Much Food Will Be Enough?

Together with giving importance to frequency, the amount of food to offer is also what people want to know. Just like in the case of fishes, with shrimps too it will be better to underfeed them rather than overfeed.

Shrimps can survive quite a few days without food. They will also survive with less while you are trying to figure out the ideal amount.

Anyhow, the quantity of food you provide your shrimps depends on certain factors, including –

• The kind of shrimp your tank has
• The number of shrimps present in your tank
• If there are other tank mates

There are also other factors that play a role in helping you decide how much will be enough for your crustaceans. The best thing to do will be to offer them as much as they can finish off within 20 to 40 minutes.

You have to understand that they are scavengers. They have their own role to play in the aquarium. If you offer additional food that will only prove to be a support to the biofilm diet and the algae.

When you select food for shrimps, do not go for those that have extremely high protein content. Also, it will be best to feed about 35 – 40 percent of the food.

Your little shrimps do not know when they must stop eating. If you offer them too much, their metabolic system will get disrupted, and this can even prove fatal.

What Foods Will Be Best For Your Shrimps?

Shrimps are not too different from humans. They require diversity in their diet. Yes, they are not fussy eaters, but their nutritional requirements must be met. And, to do so, you have to offer them different types of foods.

Not only diversity, but quality also has to be given importance when you try to select the best food for shrimp. The problem with cheap foods is that they breakdown in the water quickly.

These broken down, uneaten food particles are difficult to remove from the tank water. And eventually, they can decay and have an impact on the water balance of your tank.

But, you need not worry as we already have suggested you five high-quality shrimp foods that you can choose from.

[amazon table=”11829″]

A Feeding Schedule Sample

If you are keeping shrimps for the very first time, you may get confused while forming the right feeding schedule. So, here are a few tips that will easily get you started.

1. Feed your shrimps only once. The time that you decide to feed them does not make a difference.
2. Make sure the crustaceans have access to a cucumber, a pumpkin piece, or a spinach leaf for full 24-hours, once in a week.
3. On four days of the week, say from Monday to Thursday, you can feed them different types of shrimp food. On Friday, you can let them stay hungry. Feed them cucumber, or any other vegetable on Saturday. And on Sunday, you can offer them any variety of store-bought shrimp food.

Conclusion

Now that you know what the best food for shrimp is, and also you are aware of the right feeding schedules, you will just not go wrong.

There anyway is nothing to be anxious about. With time you will learn what the ideal feeding schedule for your crustaceans is and if they are happy with the food you are offering them.

Until then, remember, less is more. Rather than overfeeding them, always choose to underfeed, at least until you have understood their requirements properly. And then your shrimps will always be healthy and you will have nothing to worry about ever.