Shrimp and snail wont eat

[faysalals1]

When I feed my snail and shrimp, they almost never eat what I give them. I keep it in for 24 hours and they wont touch it. Should I remove the uneaten food after 24 hours, or leave it there for days?

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by faysalals1

When I feed my snail and shrimp, they almost never eat what I give them. I keep it in for 24 hours and they wont touch it. Should I remove the uneaten food after 24 hours, or leave it there for days?

You don't want to leave uneaten food in the tank for that long as it degrades the water quality. If they are not eating it within a few minutes, it means either they don't like what you are feeding, the food may have gone bad or the water is not satisfactory for their health. You need to check all those things out. Try a different food or food type. Have your water tested. Do water changes if appropriate, etc.
Hope this helps.

[faysalals1]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

You don't want to leave uneaten food in the tank for that long as it degrades the water quality. If they are not eating it within a few minutes, it means either they don't like what you are feeding, the food may have gone bad or the water is not satisfactory for their health. You need to check all those things out. Try a different food or food type. Have your water tested. Do water changes if appropriate, etc.
Hope this helps.

The shrimp and snail eat biofilm and algae all day on my wood, almond leaves, and moss. But they never seem to care about the food I give them even though ive tried every kind of food! My water quality is good so I dont think thats an issue?

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by faysalals1

The shrimp and snail eat biofilm and algae all day on my wood, almond leaves, and moss. But they never seem to care about the food I give them even though ive tried every kind of food! My water quality is good so I dont think thats an issue?

If they are eating the biofilm, that's good enough. They may not need to have other food. What kinds(s) of snails and shrimp do you have?

[faysalals1]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

If they are eating the biofilm, that's good enough. They may not need to have other food. What kinds(s) of snails and shrimp do you have?

Red Racer Nerite snails, and cherry red shrimp

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by faysalals1

Red Racer Nerite snails, and cherry red shrimp

The red racers shouldn't need the extra food if you have enough biofilm or algae in the tank. The shrimp may be eating leftover foods that are hidden among the substrate. Have you tried foods that are Algae based like spirulina flakes or pellets? Have you tried sheets of Nori algae?

[faysalals1]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

The red racers shouldn't need the extra food if you have enough biofilm or algae in the tank. The shrimp may be eating leftover foods that are hidden among the substrate. Have you tried foods that are Algae based like spirulina flakes or pellets? Have you tried sheets of Nori algae?

Are the recommendation you gave for shrimp or snail? I havent tried them yet.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by faysalals1

Are the recommendation you gave for shrimp or snail? I havent tried them yet.

Either. Personally, I don't usually feed my snails because that encourages them to keep up with the biofilm and algae growth. From what I've been reading about the shrimps, a lot of people use the Nori strips for their shrimps because it also contains calcium as well as a lot of micronutrients which the shrimps need for their shell creation and overall health.

Spirulina is the main algae in many algae based dried foods ( flakes, pellets, blocks, etc). You might want to try some spirulina flakes along with the Nori strips. ( I also read that the shrimps don't all rush over to the Nori but over time, they find it and you will see them on and eating the strips. )

[faysalals1]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

Either. Personally, I don't usually feed my snails because that encourages them to keep up with the biofilm and algae growth. From what I've been reading about the shrimps, a lot of people use the Nori strips for their shrimps because it also contains calcium as well as a lot of micronutrients which the shrimps need for their shell creation and overall health.

Spirulina is the main algae in many algae based dried foods ( flakes, pellets, blocks, etc). You might want to try some spirulina flakes along with the Nori strips. ( I also read that the shrimps don't all rush over to the Nori but over time, they find it and you will see them on and eating the strips. )

Ok perfect! Ill try that out. How long can I leave the food in the aquarium? They usually take a while till they get to the food if they eat it.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by faysalals1

Ok perfect! Ill try that out. How long can I leave the food in the aquarium? They usually take a while till they get to the food if they eat it.

Feed the flakes sparingly so that if they don't get eaten, they don't pollute the water. With the nori strip, again, uses a small piece ( maybe 2" x2" ) and feed that in the morning. If it is not gone by the end of the day, I'd remove it. If the shrimp do not eat it, I'd try putting it in about an hour before lights out and then remove what's left in the morning. ( It might be easier to use a veggie clip for aquariums to hold the nori so that you will know if it got eaten or not and it's not hiding somewhere in a hole in the decor. )

[faysalals1]

Originally Posted by Andy Sager

Feed the flakes sparingly so that if they don't get eaten, they don't pollute the water. With the nori strip, again, uses a small piece ( maybe 2" x2" ) and feed that in the morning. If it is not gone by the end of the day, I'd remove it. If the shrimp do not eat it, I'd try putting it in about an hour before lights out and then remove what's left in the morning. ( It might be easier to use a veggie clip for aquariums to hold the nori so that you will know if it got eaten or not and it's not hiding somewhere in a hole in the decor. )

Yeah I try my best to let all my aquarium animals eat it when I drop it, but if they dont, I remove everything by the end of day.

[Andy Sager]

Originally Posted by faysalals1

Yeah I try my best to let all my aquarium animals eat it when I drop it, but if they dont, I remove everything by the end of day.