Red
Cherry Shrimp Feeding
Red Cherry Shrimp are considered
omnivores. That means they will eat
both plant matter as well as meaty
foods. When keeping Red Cherry Shrimp
in the aquarium the three most common
foods are algae, blanched vegetable,
and prepared aquarium foods.
Supplemental feeding is often not
necessary, but when it is be sure not
to over feed the aquarium as this
leads to poor water quality.
Algae is a natural food source for Red
Cherry Shrimp. They will eat many
types of algae found in the aquarium,
and often times, the algae found
naturally in aquariums is enough food
to support a moderate Cherry Red
Shrimp population. Unfortunately they
will not eat string / hair algae so
they are not a good control measure
for those types of algae.
Blanched vegetables make an
excellent food for Red Cherry Shrimp.
Vegetables such as Zucchini, Lettuce,
Spinach, and Carrots are commonly
used. When preparing these vegetables,
place them in boiling water until they
are soft, 2-3 minutes for leafy
vegetables and longer for carrots and
zucchini. Small amounts of each should
be fed at a time and make sure never
to leave rotting food in the aquarium.
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| Juvenile
Cherry Red Shrimp eating a
blanched zucchini slice |
A
bright red female eating an
algae waffer. |
Foods that are prepared for
aquarium animals are often a great
supplement to algae for Red Cherry
Shrimp. There are a few foods that are
manufactured specifically for
invertebrates, such as Hikari Crab
Cuisine, and these foods are readily
accepted. Any sinking pellet type food
works well as a food source. Also, any
common flake fish food that falls to
the bottom will be eaten and for this
reason, many aquarist use Red Cherry
Shrimp as a clean up crew. Be sure to
read the ingredients label carefully,
any food containing copper should not
be used. (Copper Sulfate is a common
ingredient in fish foods)
While modest populations of Red Cherry
Shrimp will often not need
supplemental feedings, there are many
options when it becomes necessary.
Cherry Red Shrimp do not require a lot
of food, and heavy feeding tends to
degrade water quality.
All
the above information is © 2007
TheShrimpFarm.com. If you would
like to use this information on your
website, please either link to http://www.theshrimpfarm.com
or http://www.theshrimpfarm.com
as the source of the information.
Please also email Dan@TheShrimpFarm.com
if you use the above information!
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