Shrimp Food Comparisons (not a review)

[nabokovfan87]

I wanted to take a look at a few commonly available shrimp foods just to try to understand a bit better myself about what the ingredients are, what it means for my shrimp colony, and just try to opt for something that makes sense for a breeding colony setup.

I don't think it is too critical to know which food is which, but I will attach the ingredients for 4 foods available.

Food #1

Quote

Fish meal, krill meal, wheat flour, flaked corn, dehydrated alfalfa meal, brewers dried yeast, wheat germ meal, dried seaweed meal, cuttlefish meal, fish oil, alfalfa nutrient concentrate dehydrated, spirulina, chitosan, kale meal, DL-methionine, astaxanthin, garlic, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilized vitamin C), inositol, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, niacin, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, calcium carbonate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium sulfate, zinc sulfate, manganese sulfate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate.

Crude Protein	Crude Fat	Crude Fiber	Moisture	Ash
min. 40.0%	min. 6.0%	max. 3.0%	max. 10.0%	max. 14.0%

Food #2:

Quote

Ingredients: Grain Products, Animal Protein Products of Marine Origins, Plant Protein Products, Processed Grain By-Products, Soy Lecithin, Limestone Ground, Fish Oil, Dicalcium Phosphate, Calcium Propionate (preservative), Manganese Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate, Iron Proteinate, Cobalt Proteinate, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, dl-Methionine, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Supplement), Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Riboflavin-5 Phosphate, Niacin d-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K Activity), Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Ethoxyquin We replaced probiotics with Vitality Pak, an all-natural, nutritional feed supplement, designed to improve overall fish health and resistance to disease.

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein Min. 35.0%
Crude Fat Min. 4.0%
Crude Fiber Max. 5.0%
Moisture Max. 12.0%
Phosphorus Min. 1.0%
Ash Max 12%

 

Food #3:

Quote

Contains: Amaranth, Stinging Nettle, Nannochloropsis, Krill, Artichoke, Betaglucans, Artemia, Moringa, and Zeolite.

Analysis: Unknown

Food #4:

Quote

Composition: kelp, insect proteins, dandelion, stinging nettle, spinach, mulberry leaves, chlorella, montmorillonite, moringaoleifera, rosemary, mannanoligosaccarides, ß-glucans, flower pollen, turmeric, cinnamon

Analytical components: 24,6% crude protein, 6,0% crude fat, 7,7% crude fiber, 15,4% crude ash

Food #5:

Quote

Ingredients

Pads/Gran
Chlorella algae, protein extracts of vegetable origin, squid, fennel, yeast extract, Asian cabbage, amino acids, algae extracts, lecithin, mustard seed

Pearls
Chlorella algae, vegetable by-products, protein extracts of vegetable origin, squid, fennel, yeast extract, Asian cabbage, amino acids, algae extracts, lecithin, mustard seed

Analytical Constituents

Pads/Gran: 33.1% crude protein, 2.3% crude fat, 8.3% raw fibre, 8.9% crude ash, 6.9% moisture
Pearls: 23.17% crude protein, 1.61% crude fat, 5.81% raw fibre, 6.23% crude ash, 4.83% moisture

Food #6:

Quote

Ingredients:

Dehulled Soybean Meal, Fish Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Fish Oil, Grain Distillers Dried Yeast, Algae Meal-Dried (Spirulina), Soy Lecithin, Shrimp Meal, Monosodium Phosphate, Krill Meal, Calcium Propionate (Preservative), Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Supplement), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin-5-Phosphate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K Activity), Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin.
 

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein Minimum 43.0%
Crude Fat minimum 9.0%
Crude Fiber Maximum 5.0%
Moisture Maximum 10.0%
Phosphorus Minimum 1.1%

For the sake of clarity, I have used 3 of these foods.  I plan to use the 4th, but I simply don't have it in hand yet.  The goal is not to have my thoughts here on which is best, but to simply try to understand what makes sense for shrimp and their food behavior.

First note we have here is that you're almost always going to have a "food blend" and a "vitamin and mineral blend".  Sometimes this is listed together, but sometimes it isn't.  I will also note that just about every shrimp based line of food will likely have a color enhancer, mineral, baby, and/or probiotic version of their foods.  Everything above is intended for daily feeding of your shrimp colony and is marketed as a complete food with all necessary nutrients.

A few things I want to see in a complete shrimp food:
-Source of protein (necessary for proper development)
-Source of algae (necessary for proper diet)
-Source of calcium and other minerals (necessary for shell development)
-Added vitamins or probiotics, especially for young shrimp (for overall health and immune system support)

I was recently watching a video and it did discuss a food product for the hobby.  I will try to find it and add it here, but it was an inspiration for me for this look at the food options I have for my shrimp.  What was interesting to me was to see the names on the ingredients labels compared to what that actually means to us in common language.

Examples:
Beta-glucans: Prebiotics (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-glucan)

Thiamine: Vitamin B1
Riboflavin: Vitamin B2
Niacin: Vitamin B3
Biotin: Vitamin B7
Folic Acid: Vitamin B9
Astaxanthin: Specifically tied to shrimp coloration development

In terms of research papers for shrimp diets, I have done a little bit of research and will attach notes below.

Leaf-litter preferences of the introduced freshwater shrimps Atyaephyra desmarestii and Neocaridina davidi
https://brill.com/view/journals/cr/90/14/article-p1715_3.xml

"Alder and Italian poplar were preferred over goat willow and pedunculate oak. This experiment allowed us to follow food preferences over a period of 24 h, and therefore long-term activity patterns. During the early night-time hours, the shrimp significantly selected alder and Italian poplar leaves."

"Our observations of both shrimp species in their natural habitat and under laboratory conditions confirmed their preference for the leaf-litter originating from trees growing near the shoreline and their use of this allochthonous matter as a fundamental food source (Schoolmann et al., 2015)."

"On the other hand, the shrimps of our experiments continued grazing on leaves after the consumption of biofilms, suggesting that leaf tissue can be an important food source for these organisms."

Influence of the ornamental red cherry shrimp Neocaridina davidi (Bouvier, 1904) on freshwater meiofaunal assemblages
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0075951116300354
 

Edited August 16 by nabokovfan87
added more foods to OP based on discussion in the thread.

[Fish Folk]

Very interesting! I’d probably enjoy nabbing dried Alder leaves & cones nearby, combined with periodic feedings of food #1 from your list.

My water is super soft, so I have varied success with shellfish / shrimp / snails etc.

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/10/2023 at 4:39 AM, Fish Folk said:

Very interesting! I’d probably enjoy nabbing dried Alder leaves & cones nearby, combined with periodic feedings of food #1 from your list.

I'll have to find the other study, but one of the main foods was copepods compared to other types of small critters. It may have been there and I just need to get the quote (and verify the info).

Definitely get yourself some alder cones and leaves if you have them local. 🙂

[Shadow]

I use alder cones and can attest that the shrimp dig em. This is a very interesting read btw and one I will def be following. 

Currently my set ups for breeding tanks include: Tourmaline Mineral Balls, Red Bee Balls (25mm), Indian Almond Leaves, Jackfruit Leaves, Cholla Wood Pieces, Alder & Filao Cones, Christmas Moss, Marimo Moss Balls & Catappa Bark. So far, its worked aces for me & allows me to switch around foods from differing kinds of shrimp lollies, Aquatic Arts Pollen Granules, Sera Shrimp Food & varying types of dried shrimp foods I get from an online supplier that makes my lollies. 

Seems to do the work and keep them happy, molting & reproducing like crazy even in higher TDS water. I swear they love it dirtier than cleaner it seems lol!

Edited August 10 by Shadow

[Guppysnail]

I would choose #4. Many of the things are botanicals I’ve seen used directly in tanks. The chlorella is a huge plus just because it’s good for microfauna. 
 

I cannot read the ingredients because they are in German but maybe you can find them. Shrimp baby is the one from glass garten that makes bacter ae. My shrimp go bonkers. They also make shrimp lollipops. These drove mine crazy. Those are pricey so I only used them a few times. Whole stick gone in 30 minutes. Maybe you can see what’s in those to compare? 

[Guppysnail]

Oh just to add the thing mine love most other than the two I mentioned are extreme bottom wafers. I had to find different wafers for my corydora because within seconds Shrimp are piled 5 deep on them and cories cannot get them. 

[Lennie]

Well, In my 7 shrimp tanks, I tried 4 type of leaves ( catappa, beech, fig and oak) and alder cones.

 

If its sole option, maybe they go for alder cones. I personally haven't seen them prioritizing alder cones more than a driftwood 🤷🏼‍♂️If it's on their way, they pick around and move on.

In my experience if given variety, especially catappa leaves, they prefer catappa leaves over anything I tried. I wanna try mulberry to see if it will compete the spot of catappas.

Edited August 10 by Lennie

[nabokovfan87]

I have a little bit more information for everyone if so interested.

How long can shrimp go without food (research study is in the article) in terms of adults and shrimplets:
https://aquariumbreeder.com/starvation-and-survival-the-impact-on-dwarf-shrimp/

Density and it's impact on shrimp growth (i.e. how much food is available):
https://aquariumbreeder.com/how-many-shrimp-can-i-have-in-my-tank/

Impacts of overfeeding on your shrimp tank:
https://aquariumbreeder.com/how-often-and-how-much-to-feed-shrimp/

 

Quote

Depending on the tank set up, and how much natural food (algae and biofilm) there is, you can feed shrimp from 1 to 5 times a week. The optimal dose is usually determined empirically. Based on shrimp reaction, they need to eat the food in 2 – 3 hours. Leftovers must be removed.

No experienced shrimp keeper will ever tell you exactly how much and how often to feed shrimp. Nobody will take responsibility for giving you the wrong answer that may cause problems for your tank. I am talking about overfeeding.

DO NOT think that overfeeding is not a big deal. It is! Actually, overfeeding is one of the biggest causes of death for dwarf shrimp.
A.  Uneaten food can quickly decompose and cause an outbreak of infections and parasites. If you are overfeeding your shrimp there is a very high chance that Scutariella Japonica, Planaria, Vorticella, Hydra, Ellobiopsidae or Green fungus will visit your tank one day.
B.  Overfeeding may trigger pest snails infestation (Bladder snails, Pond snails).
C.  Ammonia and nitrates are caused mostly by an excess of food and organic waste. Therefore, you need to check how much you are feeding the shrimp.

Do not overfeed. This is a universal rule and it concerns all kinds of shrimp species. I cannot even stress enough how important this rule is. Unfortunately, a lot of beginner shrimp breeders usually forget about it or believe that it is not a big deal to give them a little bit more.

 

Speaking of other things showing up.... 

This is a deep dive in how to control what eats what in your shrimp tank as well as the impact of one thing in the chain eating something lower in the chain. 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10750-020-04189-y

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/10/2023 at 12:58 PM, Guppysnail said:

I cannot read the ingredients because they are in German but maybe you can find them.

This is their base food.  They have an english website.

 

Quote

 

Ingredients

Pads/Gran
Chlorella algae, protein extracts of vegetable origin, squid, fennel, yeast extract, Asian cabbage, amino acids, algae extracts, lecithin, mustard seed

Pearls
Chlorella algae, vegetable by-products, protein extracts of vegetable origin, squid, fennel, yeast extract, Asian cabbage, amino acids, algae extracts, lecithin, mustard seed
 

Analytical Constituents

Pads/Gran: 33.1% crude protein, 2.3% crude fat, 8.3% raw fibre, 8.9% crude ash, 6.9% moisture
Pearls: 23.17% crude protein, 1.61% crude fat, 5.81% raw fibre, 6.23% crude ash, 4.83% moisture

 

 

[nabokovfan87]

Found it.... (I'm sure there's another one)

Impact of food types on shrimp growth

https://repository.unri.ac.id/bitstream/handle/123456789/8168/I Wayan Subamia%2C Yogi Himawan.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

[tolstoy21]

Looking at the ingredients, I like the looks of #3 & #4. If I had to absolutely pick foods from that list it would be those.  Why, because their primary ingredients is plant matter, specifically things like stinging nettle, dandelion, mulberry, etc.

On 8/10/2023 at 5:06 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

The goal is not to have my thoughts here on which is best, but to simply try to understand what makes sense for shrimp and their food behavior.

In terms of 'behavior', I tend to focus on foods that will make it to the newly hatched shrimplets without competition from the adults. So I want something that is very fine powder, or that breaks up and floats into the nooks and crannies where the young shrimp are hiding. This is my main consideration when picking out foods. My second consideration is a calcium source.

To be honest, I tend to feed a lot of french-cut canned green beans (my shrimp go NUTZ! for this),  along with soft, gunky broken down oak leaves I've taken from blackwater aquariums. I'll also temporarily move in plants from other tanks that have gotten real gross with algae (most of my plants are in terracotta pots for this exact purpose -- so the shrimp can clean them for me!).  I'll also throw in some regular fish food from time-to-time. Sometimes they eat their own fallen brethren, which is Ok with me (after all, Soilent Green is people).

I know this is not a "what should I feed shrimp?" thread, but I wanted to add the above thoughts because I find commercial shrimp food to be $$$$$, so as my number of shrimp increased, I looked for  less expensive food options.  The only commercial food I buy these days is GlasGarten's Bacter AE and Mineral Junkie, and those are to meet what I consider to me my 'requirements' that l mentioned above.

Anyway, just my two cents.

Edited August 12 by tolstoy21

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/12/2023 at 4:27 AM, tolstoy21 said:

So I want something that is very fine powder, or that breaks up and floats into the nooks and crannies where the young shrimp are hiding.

This was 100000% the reason I started exploring food options.  It's much like plants and fish care, the more you dive in the more you feel there is to learn.  Getting into Neos has been rewarding, surprising, and I'll stand by what I said way back when.... shrimp are awesome.  They are such interesting things to sit and watch do their thing.  I really enjoy the amano shrimp, but the dwarf fancy shrimp are a whole new world and it's been interesting.

A few more "notes" on ingredient items.  Take it with a grain of salt as this is directly from a food manufacturer's website. (not one that makes the foods above)

These three items seem pretty awesome additives for a shrimp food.

Quote

Certified Organic Kelp – A type of marine seaweed, Kelp supplies approximately 60 minerals, 21 amino acids, and 12 vitamins. It also provides nitrogen, potassium, and micro-nutrients. Improves the overall health and activity of your fish.

Spirulina – This 100% natural blue-green algae is packed with raw proteins and a wide range of vitamins and minerals to promote optimal health and improve immune function. It also contains beta-carotene and other natural pigments for color enhancement. 

Calcium Montmorillonite Clay – Contains 67 minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, silica, and more. Also provides essential trace elements. Helps compensate for previous dietary deficiencies. It has been proven effective in the removal of mycotoxins, fungi, heavy metal, and other toxins from the intestinal tracks of animals. 

 

[nabokovfan87]

I'll update the OP, but I have one more food I should've added to the mix.  Of the foods I know of, especially in the US, this is one of the foods from a major seller that is often recommended and used.

Food #6:
 

Quote

Ingredients:

Dehulled Soybean Meal, Fish Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat Flour, Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal, Fish Oil, Grain Distillers Dried Yeast, Algae Meal-Dried (Spirulina), Soy Lecithin, Shrimp Meal, Monosodium Phosphate, Krill Meal, Calcium Propionate (Preservative), Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, dl-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Supplement), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin-5-Phosphate, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K Activity), Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin.
 

Guaranteed Analysis:

Crude Protein Minimum 43.0%
Crude Fat minimum 9.0%
Crude Fiber Maximum 5.0%
Moisture Maximum 10.0%
Phosphorus Minimum 1.1%

 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I don’t like that one of the first ingredients is fish meal. Shrimps aren’t really supposed to have too much animal protein. That can cause molting problems. 

This is like looking at furry-pet food labels; you want to avoid a lot of filler when choosing a quality food.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 8/12/2023 at 7:27 AM, tolstoy21 said:

In terms of 'behavior', I tend to focus on foods that will make it to the newly hatched shrimplets without competition from the adults. So I want something that is very fine powder, or that breaks up and floats into the nooks and crannies where the young shrimp are hiding. This is my main consideration when picking out foods. My second consideration is a calcium source.

Agreed. When I see shrimplets I submerge a pinch of Repashy Soilent green and rub my fingers so it disperses into the water column. Or I will just dilute it with tank water and pour it in. Once a week I do bacter ae. The adults get the prepared Repashy cubes, and I add calcium carbonate to those. I’m sure some of that calcium remains in the tank and some gets consumed (by the adults), so shrimplets benefit. I also feed shrimp cuisine and (for fun) lollies. As well as blanched veggies.

 

On 8/12/2023 at 7:27 AM, tolstoy21 said:

Soilent Green is people

😍 Touché, Tolstoy!  A favorite flick. I like a fair # of Heston’s films. Omega Man is right up there with Soylent Green, imo.

Edited August 16 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 8/14/2023 at 1:36 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

pretty awesome additives for a shrimp food.

Quote

Certified Organic Kelp – A type of marine seaweed, Kelp supplies approximately 60 minerals, 21 amino acids, and 12 vitamins. It also provides nitrogen, potassium, and micro-nutrients. Improves the overall health and activity of your fish.

Spirulina – This 100% natural blue-green algae is packed with raw proteins and a wide range of vitamins and minerals to promote optimal health and improve immune function. It also contains beta-carotene and other natural pigments for color enhancement. 

These 2 are sold as standalone ingredients on Crayfish Empire so people can mix them into other foods like snellos or whatnot.

[Shadow]

@Guppysnail if yours love shrimp lollies, will send you the ones I get. Mine go insane! 

On 8/10/2023 at 3:21 PM, Lennie said:

Well, In my 7 shrimp tanks, I tried 4 type of leaves ( catappa, beech, fig and oak) and alder cones.

 

If its sole option, maybe they go for alder cones. I personally haven't seen them prioritizing alder cones more than a driftwood 🤷🏼‍♂️If it's on their way, they pick around and move on.

In my experience if given variety, especially catappa leaves, they prefer catappa leaves over anything I tried. I wanna try mulberry to see if it will compete the spot of catappas.

Have you tried Jackfruit leaves? I get them from my lollies guy and they seem to attack them even faster than catappa.

[Lennie]

On 8/16/2023 at 4:19 AM, Shadow said:

@Guppysnail if yours love shrimp lollies, will send you the ones I get. Mine go insane! 

Have you tried Jackfruit leaves? I get them from my lollies guy and they seem to attack them even faster than catappa.

Nope! I cant even find jackfruit itself 😄

I collected some banana leaves from my garden tho. Let's see how it will go

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Mine ignore banana leaves @Shadow @Lennie 

I bought them dry from a shrimp supplies shop on Etsy. I soaked them for a week using the suggestion from Marks Shrimp Tanks, so they’d have some biofilm. The shrimp are not interested at all. I will try jackfruit leaves next!

[Lennie]

On 8/16/2023 at 1:13 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Mine ignore banana leaves @Shadow @Lennie 

 

I am really curious about mulberry leaves. We have one tree in our street but I cant be sure how healthy would the leaves be as it is exposed to car gas due to being planted next to the street.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

Hmm, I tore the banana leaves and they seem more interested in the torn edge.

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/16/2023 at 4:47 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Hmm, I tore the banana leaves and they seem more interested in the torn edge.

Mine ignored the alder cones for about a week or two until it really broke down a bit.  Just long term food.

[JChristophersAdventures]

@nabokovfan87 I would like to know if you are familiar with the KatsAquatics line of shrimp food, if you have used it and what you think about it. Anyone else? Thanks.

[Lennie]

On 8/16/2023 at 6:23 PM, JChristophersAdventures said:

@nabokovfan87 I would like to know if you are familiar with the KatsAquatics line of shrimp food, if you have used it and what you think about it. Anyone else? Thanks.

If I remember correctly, @Guppysnail and @JoeQ used them.

[Guppysnail]

On 8/16/2023 at 1:23 PM, Lennie said:

If I remember correctly, @Guppysnail and @JoeQ used them.

Yes @JoeQ introduced me to them. He sent me a sample. My shrimp and snail loved them.