Atya gabonensis

[EmJay]

Would there be enough food in a mature aquarium for Atya gabonensis to filter/feed off or is it best to supplement their diet? If so, what can you use?

 

[Colin_T]

It's best to supplement with a marine filter feeding solution, available from most pet shops.

You can also use a clean sponge to wipe algae off the glass of tanks and squeeze it out near the shrimp.
You can culture green water and add it to the tank.
You can culture infusoria and small species of rotifer to add to the tank.
You can use a boiled egg yolk or baby fish foods.

With supplemental foods, turn the filter and aeration off a couple of minutes before feeding and wait 5-10 minutes before turning them back on. This gives the shrimp more time to get something to eat.

The following link has information about culturing foods for baby fish but most of the foods can be cultured for filter feeding shrimp or mussels.

Back to Basics when Breeding Fish

STARTING OUT Make sure you have a pair, (1 male + 1 female). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned dollars buying a couple of fish to try and breed and ending up with a pair of fish of the same sex. Let's face it, to reproduce fish you need a male and a female. Two males won't do...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Elephant nose 4]

I have 3 off these in my aquarium 2 are 4years old. I really love filter feeders, mine get target fed 1-2 times a week the rest of the time they eat the frozen food I feed to my fish. Mine also love hikari crab cuisine, spinach and kale . I buy dennerle filter feeder food and feed this to all my filter feeders weekly.

 

[EmJay]

I have 3 off these in my aquarium 2 are 4years old. I really love filter feeders, mine get target fed 1-2 times a week the rest of the time they eat the frozen food I feed to my fish. Mine also love hikari crab cuisine, spinach and kale . I buy dennerle filter feeder food and feed this to all my filter feeders weekly. View attachment 119607

Thank you.
Is this the food you use?

 

[Elephant nose 4]

Yes thats the one, I just mix it with a little tank water switch the filters off and target feed mine with a turkey baster.
Good luck

 

[EmJay]

Yes thats the one, I just mix it with a little tank water switch the filters off and target feed mine with a turkey baster.
Good luck

That's great. Thank you

 

[Elephant nose 4]

That's great. Thank you

Your welcome

 

[Gypsum]

@Elephant nose 4, when you target feed your African fan shrimp, do you just squirt the turkey baster next to the shrimp? I've just acquired two of these guys. It's a high flow aquarium, so there's plenty of current for them to fan. They like parking themselves in caves in line with the powerheads, but they might retreat into their caves if a turkey baster seemingly attacked them.

 

[Elephant nose 4]

Hi I squirt the turkey baster near the flow so it blows around the tank then I turn the filters off for 30min so they get a good feed. Mine let me squirt food close to them as well just try it slowly they pick up really quickly, my 3 know when the turkey baster is in the tank its feeding time!

 

[EmJay]

@Elephant nose 4, when you target feed your African fan shrimp, do you just squirt the turkey baster next to the shrimp? I've just acquired two of these guys. It's a high flow aquarium, so there's plenty of current for them to fan. They like parking themselves in caves in line with the powerheads, but they might retreat into their caves if a turkey baster seemingly attacked them.

After the advice from @Elephant nose 4 -
I purchased "Dennerle Shrimp King Atyopsis basic food for for fan shrimps and a turkey baster.
I take a small amount of water from the tank,
Mix 2 spoons of the food powder into it (1 spoon per shrimp. Spoon comes with the food),
Using the turkey baster I release the food nearby then I turn off the filter for 30 minutes to give them chance to feed.
Hope this helps

 

[Gypsum]

They were very unimpressed when I turned off the powerheads at feeding time today. Usually, they hang out in front of the powerheads filter feeding, but when I turned them off (I usually don't), the shrimp disappeared into caves and stayed there for a couple hours.

 

[Elephant nose 4]

Mine can do that as well sometimes, so I just target feed them with the filters on when they wander of I would give that a go at least they'll get something to eat.

 

[Gypsum]

I've been putting fry food in the current and hoping it gets to them.

 

[Elephant nose 4]

It will they'll find it.