I feed my shrimp a mixture of invert pellets and algae wafers that I serve to my snails.

you could always supliment them. the ghoast shrimp are real gluttons

 

Not a specialist.

I agree with BF: Invert pellets and algae wafers. I have six or seven foods: BorneoWild Color, Stout, Grow, Barley, Multipara (multi-vitamin), Ocean Nutrition Shrimp Wafers and Fluval Shrimp Granules. I also use a BW product called Shield. You add Shield with every water change to maintain water quality and help fight disease.

I also bought a sample pack from a person on another forum with an additional eight or 10 foods.

My shrimp aren't spoiled...and neither are my Bettas!

 

You want to feed your ghost shrimp about twice a week or so. They don't really eat algae so they scavenge for other things to eat, like dead plants etc. Not familiar with the other types but i'd imagine that they would like food also

 

I feed my RCS-only tank every couple of weeks. They eat biofilm and infusoria off live plants.

If your super reds are "losing" color, try putting them on a black gravel/sand/background.

 

Mine feast all day long on biofilm on the plants. My "must-haves" would be Multipara and Shield. Like Peachii and Laki, before I got non-shrimp inverts, I only fed once a week or so.

I couldn't feed algae wafers in Willie's tank because he would zero in and scarf down. Si ignores them.

Laki's right about substrate color: To make reds "pop," use black. It's amazing the difference it makes.

I would guess if your red and rili bred, you would get regular RCS. But someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I've managed to sink an Omega betta buffet tablet but the ghost annihilate it before the cherry even have a chance. I got the shrimp to look cool, but I also got them to scavenge and clean the tank so I was just wondering where the line is drawn.

 

You could break an algae wafer in half and put the halves in different parts of the tank and see if that works; or you could get Ocean Nutrition Shrimp Wafers (same maker as Atison's Betta Food) or Fluval Shrimp pellets and scatter. Feed once every week or so.

I know the Ghosties will eat just about anything but RCS are primarily algae eaters. You could also occasionally give them blanched vegetables like zucchini, spinach, etc.

 

If you want to really pamper your shrimps, get some Om Nom Nom food made by a serious shrimp hobbyist. Some really high quality and wholesome foods, along with some color enhancing food made specifically for red cherry shrimp.

 

So it's not possible for them to get by without additional food? They pretty much picked my plants clean of most of the dying parts but I'm not sure how much algae there is to eat. There's none visible but maybe it's visible to them. I just don't want to do the polar opposite and dirty the tank up more with surplus food rather than having the shrimp clean it. It's also annoying because once one ghost shrimp finds the food that's the only one that eats.

 

It is suggested you remove any food the shrimp haven't eaten in two hours. You can do this with a turkey baster. Or, you can use a small glass petrie-like dish to target feed the shrimp.

You don't really have to feed much; maybe four little pellets. The shrimp will find it. If they clean up the four pellets quickly, then add two or three more.

 

To answer your question, no. You don't need additional feeding. http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/articles/cherry-shrimp-feeding.php This is a site saying the same foods as members here but also supporting my idea that they don't need extra feeding. Sure, they love to swarm an algae wafer! Oh boy do they ever. But in an established tank with BB and biofilm they'll really scavenge for all the food they need

 

Laki is correct: RCS eat algae and probably don't need additional food. Ghosties, on the other hand, eat debris and leftover food. They will eat some algae but are not true algae eaters so they need supplemental feeding. If they run off with the food before the RCS can reach it, no big problem.

And whether to supplement feed or not depends on how much accidental "food" your tank holds. Me? I'd rather drop an occasional unneeded pellet or four an know they're getting enough.

 

Yea I was wondering the rate of biofilm growth vs consumption and worst case scenario if the cherries would just eat the live plants. I have a sponge pre-filter too that collects a lot that I literally just rescued my super red from being eaten on. He does look really red compared to that black like some of you have said, and though I like it, it's not really good for his health haha. My tank doesn't hold much extra as far as I know. I understand that shrimp eat invisible amounts (to the naked eye). Typically, one ghost eats the omega one tablet and the other scavenges. Lately they've been eating each others molts. I probably have a dead shrimp in there somewhere too that they have hopefully eaten if the betta didn't.

 

i fed my RCS NLS Crstacean pellets and mix it with Fluval shrimp granules. The RCS got redder in the process. I only feed them once a week with that. THe amano are not a fan of the invert food, they prefer algae wafers and algae. So if the RCS get to the algae wafers before the amano, their gain. The worst is my GMS Yo who is always slow at getting to the wafers. The betta, amano, RCS always get there before he does.

BUT you do not have to feed them the invertebrae food, it's just that it has a higher calcium content, more like supplements IMHO. they are just happy eating off unfinished food, if any at all, on the floor. Most of the time they eat algae and I think they do need to be fed with some wafers at least.

 

Molting skins are GOOD for them! Try not to remove them with water changes. They eat them for calcium mostly. You don't necessarily have a dead one around, the molt means they have moved into a larger more comfortable skin lol Like a snake molt. They do this periodically, nothing to be freaked out about (*ahem* o-e)

Really, the biofilm grows on everything so there's very little chance of you "running out" of it lol shrimp don't need a whole lot of food so they scavenge all day long eating tiny tiny amounts.

 

Yea I always leave the molts.. one reason is because I know it's good for them, the other is because it's eaten as soon as its left lol. I just think I have a dead one somewhere because I bought four, threw one out, and only have seen two for the last 4-5 days or so. I gave my betta blood worms today (freeze dried) and the bigger ghost was attacking him. I'm surprised he's still alive but as much as my betta hates me staring at him and his own reflection apparently he's a softy for shrimp. I may get some pellets for the cherry but I am going with the basis that I don't have to so I may try it once a week or so before a water change because my ghost is just going to eat it before the cherry anyway so it'll be like it never happened.