Market Shrimp with exoskeleton?

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TakeNotes

TakeNotes

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2010
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In The Jungle
From what I've come to learn, stingrays eat shelled and exoskeletoned (not a word, I know) food in the wild. Someone on a thread somewhere mentioned that in home aquaria we usually remove the exoskeleton and shells etc. And maybe they are missing out on some nutrients compared to wild rays.

Has anyone tried feeding market shrimp without removing the exoskeleton? Id remove the sharp point atleast but what do u guys think?
 
I keep it on to feed to my catfish brings the red out in their tail more. They also love the tail and will eat the skelleton without no meat.

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I feed shell on. They love it. I feel like it could provide some much needed nutrients to them. I also drop in just the shell just like Tebo-Sanchez, I mean NyJets :), and they eat it. I doubt it could hurt them... the fish spines and other things they eat in the wild aren't snipped off prior to feeding and they seem to make it OK.
 
I used to throw crayfish (don't worry - not wild caught!) in for my larger rays, and they LOVED them. Ate pretty much everything! I can't image that it's much different than shell on market shrimp. I did take off the claws though - live food tends to fight back! ;)
 
montyblue said:
I used to throw crayfish (don't worry - not wild caught!) in for my larger rays, and they LOVED them. Ate pretty much everything! I can't image that it's much different than shell on market shrimp. I did take off the claws though - live food tends to fight back! ;)
Click to expand...

I've considered the cray. Was even thinking of breeding them now. Heard marbled crays replicate or maybe the regular ones n wait? Good to know tho thx
 
No prob! I'm trying to find some locally raised self cloning crayfish right now - I'd like to breed them myself this time to use, and that way I can control what size I'm feeding. Anyway, good luck if you try them - I've never had a ray not go crazy for 'em! It's kinda fun to watch, too ;)
 
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