Can i feed my baby piraiba with live small shrimps?

Jiyowel

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I'm planning to feed it live shrimps. The problem is i know shrimps have a sharp spikes at their head. Will it cause internal injuries to my baby piraiba?
 

tlindsey

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I'm planning to feed it live shrimps. The problem is i know shrimps have a sharp spikes at their head. Will it cause internal injuries to my baby piraiba?

I think the worst is feeding live non quarantined live shrimp. You don't know if the live shrimp are carrying parasites or harmful pathogens. Tbh I don't know if the spikes on the shrimps head would be a issue. thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter
 

Jiyowel

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I think the worst is feeding live non quarantined live shrimp. You don't know if the live shrimp are carrying parasites or harmful pathogens. Tbh I don't know if the spikes on the shrimps head would be a issue. thebiggerthebetter thebiggerthebetter
How do I quarantine them first? I have a spare aquarium for "quarantine" :)
 
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Chicxulub

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Unless you just REALLY want to watch it eat live food, cut up frozen shrimp or tilapia into appropriately size pieces now and get him to eat that. Drop it into current so that it drifts past and he should take it readily.

Why create unnecessary problems for later by putting it on live?
 

Jiyowel

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Unless you just REALLY want to watch it eat live food, cut up frozen shrimp or tilapia into appropriately size pieces now and get him to eat that. Drop it into current so that it drifts past and he should take it readily.

Why create unnecessary problems for later by putting it on live?
Ok will try to convert it to non live
 

thebiggerthebetter

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I'd not do it. Not because of the sharp shrimp armor, that shouldn't be a problem but because feeding a lot of shrimp, live or dead, would lead to vitamin B1 deficiency.

The diet must be balanced and include everything a fish needs. The diet must be varied or if feeding pellets the pellets must be an all-in-one balanced meal. Try eating only shrimp and drinking only water yourself for a month. You'll get scurvy or something worse pretty quickly. Not that you are the same as a primitive animal such as catfish but this may help you relate.
 

Jiyowel

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I'd not do it. Not because of the sharp shrimp armor, that shouldn't be a problem but because feeding a lot of shrimp, live or dead, would lead to vitamin B1 deficiency.

The diet must be balanced and include everything a fish needs. The diet must be varied or if feeding pellets the pellets must be an all-in-one balanced meal. Try eating only shrimp and drinking only water yourself for a month. You'll get scurvy or something worse pretty quickly. Not that you are the same as a primitive animal such as catfish but this may help you relate.
Ok I see. Will give him different food daily. I hope piraibas aren't picky eaters like atf
 

thebiggerthebetter

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I hope piraibas aren't picky eaters like atf
Only if comfortable. Any sort of discomfort (from the tank mates) will have a strong and deleterious influence on their feeding appetite and demeanor.

More or less the same with the ATF.
 

Sleepdoc

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I feed mine small pieces ( very small) of salmon, tilapia, shrimp, and bloodworms. Mine favors the salmon.

I poke a 3 ft piece of 8lb mono with a knot at the end through the food. At that point you have a piece of food that you can move and wiggle and bounce around like a live bait. The piraiba ( or whatever for that matter) will hopefully readily take the meal, pulling it free from the knotted monfilament fishing line. After your fish gets used to taking moving but dead foods, you should be able to abandon the fishing line method. At that point you will have weaned your pet off of “live“ food.
 
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