Ghost shrimp feeding?

[mrzap]

Is it necessary to get some sort of sinking pellet food for them or do you think the leftover tropical flakes and occasional bloodworms will do it for them? My tank doesn't really have any algae. I do have 2 plants (not sure if ghost shrimp like to nibble them at all).

Secondly, if you use algae pellets in your tank then does that risk introducing algae growth in your tank?

 

[Sati]

Secondly, if you use algae pellets in your tank then does that risk introducing algae growth in your tank?

That's an interesting question I never really thought about... All I can say is that I have used algae pellets for a long time and have never noticed any algae develop in my tanks. I think the fish and snails devour it before it'd ever have a chance anyhow

 

[trenac]

I think left over food & bloodworms will do the trick. As far as them eating algae, I don't think they do. Also using algae pellets will not cause algae problems.

 

[smilla4]

They're scavengers - they'll eat just about anything. Mine seems to find something microscopic on the plants sometimes, but she mostly tries to reach way down in the between the spaces of the gravel. If she starts restlessly swimming around the tank I give her some food and that seems to calm her down. You can get them to eat right out of your hand.

 

[RogerMcAllen]

You don't have to feed them at all, they will find scraps of food and other things in the cracks.

 

[BeerNinja]

Hey, I was about to start a new thread but this one is on the subject of feeding so here goes.

Do you guys think over-feeding is simply feeding your fish too much food to consume in about 5 minutes? My 6 zebra danios devour the pinch of food I give them rather quickly in an entertaining frenzy, and they would surely eat more if I fed it to them.

 

[stoneydee]

I feed my fish by the pinch, and feed them pinches until they don't hit on the food anymore (except for my fancy goldfish, which will cheerfully eat themselves into oblivion). . .

 

[smilla4]

The feeding thing is a good question. I've seen my fish eat until I thought they would explode. That is mostly due to the mistake of being new and not knowing any better. I had no idea that not only does my betta eat algae tablets, but he doesn't like to share them either. I found him lying on the bottom, belly the size of a marble, taking a break before forcing down another mouthful. I'm still scarred by the experience. Although he doesn't appear to be...

I don't know at what point you're really overfeeding, but even my white clouds will act hungry even when their stomachs are visually expanded. I guess "hunger" isn't always the best indicator...

Which fish do you have stoneydee? I wish my fish behaved like that!

I wonder why some fish don't seem to know when to stop, you'd think they would... Perhaps for some in nature food is too scarce and they don't need a "fullness" mechanism? Or some genes got lost during breeding?

 

[stoneydee]

In addition to the goldfish, I have a 37 gallon FW tropical with 2 FW angels, a three spot gourami, and five cory cats; 2 ten gallon subdivided tanks with bettas (each of whom have their own little roommates, including glowlight tetras, white cloud minnows and dwarf African frogs); one 10 gallon densely planted tank with zebra danios, glowlight and neon tetras and a male betta; and a 20 gallon tank that used to have four female bettas till the dominant one offed the others, so now she has tetra tankmates.