Jesselav1233
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I recently got a crab from lake Malawi. He's living happily in my 55 gal Malawi cichlid tank but they are such aggressive eaters that I'm having trouble getting any food down to him how does everyone else do it?
How do you feed your crab?
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Jesselav1233
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Is their anyone on this forum that has to spot feed any of there bottom feeders due to the other fish eating basically anything you put in the tank?if so how do you do it? Or maybe someone who has "trained" their crabs to take food from their hands that would be cool my crab runs and hides if my hand goes in the tank I'm hoping that changes as it learns it can trust me. Thanks in advance for any help I can get I really wanna do well by this crab it's so cool.
Bezley snipes
Aquarium Advice Newbie
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Jesselav1233 said:
Not being funny but could you not just put a piece of long tube in say 1/4 inch, place it near your crab and drop food down the tube straight to him? Just an idea then you can just remove the tube and no ones any the wiser
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Jesselav1233
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Bezley snipes said:
That's not a bad idea thank you I will try it I've been just sticking my whole arm in the tank and handing him food he seems to be getting used to me
My filter feeding shrimp on occasion needs supplementation and I get his food to him with a long turkey baster and I mix up the food with tank water suck it up and squirt it in front of him. I don't feed the other fish at the time since extra food swirls in to the water current and is eaten by the others. If you are using more chunky foods this may be the opposite.
I would make a crab cave in his favorite corner and cover just enough to get him get in but a rock type cover to keep the fish from coming right down to it. Make it so you can see him all the time from the side of the tank but protect him and his food from the "hog" fish!
I would make a crab cave in his favorite corner and cover just enough to get him get in but a rock type cover to keep the fish from coming right down to it. Make it so you can see him all the time from the side of the tank but protect him and his food from the "hog" fish!
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Jesselav1233
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Autumnsky said:My filter feeding shrimp on occasion needs supplementation and I get his food to him with a long turkey baster and I mix up the food with tank water suck it up and squirt it in front of him. I don't feed the other fish at the time since extra food swirls in to the water current and is eaten by the others. If you are using more chunky foods this may be the opposite.
I would make a crab cave in his favorite corner and cover just enough to get him get in but a rock type cover to keep the fish from coming right down to it. Make it so you can see him all the time from the side of the tank but protect him and his food from the "hog" fish!
What is filter feeding? Right now I have been feeding him shrimp pellets and carnivore pellets. Not sure If that's good or not? I read that they like chunks of raw shrimp? What are you feeding yours? Sorry for so many questions.
A filter feeding shrimp is also called many names Bamboo or Flower shrimp.
They have "fans" which filter out tiny particles from the water instead of little claws/pincers for picking up food.
Shrimp pellets are made of shrimp as the ingredient and is usually good for fish, not really for shrimp creatures. There are foods made specially for shrimp, I use Hikari Shrimp Cuisine (there is also Crab Cuisine) food but not all stores carry it, it can be ordered online. It is expensive, but good for them.
They will also eat pieces of Hikari sinking pellets for omnivores. Crabs and shrimp both are scavengers and will eat anything that falls to the bottom of the tank in regards to whatever you are feeding the rest of the fish. Providing the food makes it to the bottom of the tank and the fish don't eat it all!! lol
Chunks of raw shrimp are not what I would feed mine, as the uneaten pieces would have to be removed very soon after feeding as they produce ammonia as they rot. Which you don't want in your tank unless you are doing a fishless cycle.
I feed the sinking pellets mentioned above and specifically flake food mix in with smashed pellets in tank water with the turkey baster when I see the Bamboo shrimp picking at the sand.
They have "fans" which filter out tiny particles from the water instead of little claws/pincers for picking up food.
Shrimp pellets are made of shrimp as the ingredient and is usually good for fish, not really for shrimp creatures. There are foods made specially for shrimp, I use Hikari Shrimp Cuisine (there is also Crab Cuisine) food but not all stores carry it, it can be ordered online. It is expensive, but good for them.
They will also eat pieces of Hikari sinking pellets for omnivores. Crabs and shrimp both are scavengers and will eat anything that falls to the bottom of the tank in regards to whatever you are feeding the rest of the fish. Providing the food makes it to the bottom of the tank and the fish don't eat it all!! lol
Chunks of raw shrimp are not what I would feed mine, as the uneaten pieces would have to be removed very soon after feeding as they produce ammonia as they rot. Which you don't want in your tank unless you are doing a fishless cycle.
I feed the sinking pellets mentioned above and specifically flake food mix in with smashed pellets in tank water with the turkey baster when I see the Bamboo shrimp picking at the sand.
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