Supplementing the biofilm that shrimp feed on in aquariums with "shrimp food" is a common practice in the hobby. You can find many commercial products in powder and pellet/solid form. Homemade foods are common too; however, it is important to use organic and chemical-free ingredients to avoid harm to your shrimp. Gigi Gungadee's
Wonderfood is a blend of organic veggies for aquatic critters that brings the feel of homemade food to the market. She was kind enough to send me a packet to try.
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Ingredients: organic peas, organic green beans, organic kale, organic carrots,
organic alfalfa leaf, organic spirulina algae, organic stinging nettles |
The food definitely looks and smells like veggies. It comes in flat pieces that can easily be broken to fit your feeding needs. One thing I was curious about was the density of the food and time it took to sink. Smaller pieces tend to float a bit longer, but will eventually sink after absorbing water. My shrimp swarmed the food right away, a good sign since sometimes shrimp are finicky about new food. The food seems to break apart as the shrimp feed on it too, which I like as it allows the smaller shrimp to grab a piece and not have to fight with the bigger ones to eat.
I have not had any issues with the food and have tried it with my Plecos and CPOs as well; all received the food well. While I have made my own food in the past, it required boiling and freezing that may affect the nutritional value of the food long term. Gigi's Wonderfood is a good option for the added ingredients and for those times when you're short on time to make your own food. Check out Gigi's website
http://www.natureinvincible.com/ for her Wonderfood and other products, including shrimp shirts!
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| Crystal Black Shrimp feeding on Gigi's Wonderfood |
