Is this a decent staple diet?

[Angler]

Is market shrimp a decent food as a staple? I feed mostly shrimp to my 55 gallon growout tank because it is a favorite of my Dat, Endli, Del, and Clown Loaches. I know the most preferable diet is a varied one, but is this a decent diet as a staple for these fish?

If you have fish that have grown into healthy monsters on a mostly market shrimp diet, please chime in

 

[beblondie]

What else do you feed besides mostly market shrimp?

 

[Ang]

I would say no. A good staple diet is a pellet of some sort. Then supplemented with things like market shrimp.

 

[Angler]

I feed bloodworms every other day or every two days because that is another favorite of all the fish. I feed the market shrimp usually once a day. I feed twice a day. For the meals that I don't feed shrimp or bloodworms, I do feed a pellet (NLS, sinking carnivore, or broken up massivore). My Dat has not gone for pellets yet, and I don't think my Endli eats pellets, but I am not sure. If he is like my big Ornate, then he is foraging for pellets after lights out. Do 3 inch Endlies usually eat pellets?

 

[Cohazard]

I think it depends on if they're WC or CB.

I had a pair of 3" CB endlis that took pellets from day one. They grew at different rates, one hit 12" fast, the other slowed around 9", they would still eat floating hikari pellets.

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

As long as you're varied you could do it, which I've done before with moray eels and other fish that won't eat pellets, but I would incorporate as much pellets as possible

 

[cichlaguapote]

I hate to say it but I use it pretty much as a staple.. Why? I go through 3lbs of food a week. So that would be $40.00+ in pellet food a week. I have some fish that will eat pellets too, but then I have stuff like my barra who love nothing but shrimp and the occasional tankmate. Shrimp doesn't have as much vitamins as pellets because pellets can be man made to pack all that into one tiny morsel. But you can suppliment shrimp diet with things like Vita-Chem or Astaxanthin Powder.

By all means pellets are easier, but shrimp happens to be alot cheaper when talking needing bulk supply.

 

[scubasteve06]

I've never fed market shrimp, most of my fish are just now getting to 6-7" and my jag is the only one who takes fillets or whole pieces of silversides. I feed massivore, sinking gold, excel, and carnivore pellets as a staple. With a little squid, silver side, or mysis shrimp once a day.

 

[Yoji_嬰孩]

I feed mainly Hikari food sticks and supplement with the occasional geckos, crickets, krill, MP, and silversides..... I like watching my shoal of neons during feedings they are predators now, they eat the hikari food sticks all of them devour a single stick then move to the next one LoL.

 

[Angler]

Well, my Dat at his first pellets tonight. Not willfully, but I managed to stuff a few NLS pellets into a piece of shrimp. It was actually quite easy to stuff the pellets into the shrimp. The Endli at shrimp with a few pellets stuffed inside as well. I would love to get them solely on pellets some day, but for now at least I have a good alternative that works.

I hate to say it but I use it pretty much as a staple.. Why? I go through 3lbs of food a week. So that would be $40.00+ in pellet food a week. I have some fish that will eat pellets too, but then I have stuff like my barra who love nothing but shrimp and the occasional tankmate. Shrimp doesn't have as much vitamins as pellets because pellets can be man made to pack all that into one tiny morsel. But you can suppliment shrimp diet with things like Vita-Chem or Astaxanthin Powder.

By all means pellets are easier, but shrimp happens to be alot cheaper when talking needing bulk supply.

I knew there was someone who would say they fed it as a staple - for just the reason you gave - having so many large fish, pellets could get quite expensive. How often do you supplement with the vitamin products?