Gigi's Wonderfood

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.

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!

Crystal Black Shrimp feeding on Gigi's Wonderfood