What Do Sexy Shrimp Eat? A Complete Feeding Guide for These Dancing Beauties

Hey there! As someone who’s kept sexy shrimp for years, I’m excited to share everything I know about feeding these adorable little dancers. These fascinating creatures, also known as Thor amboinensis, have some interesting eating habits that every aquarist should understand.

Quick Overview of Sexy Shrimp Diet

In their natural habitat, sexy shrimp are opportunistic omnivores. Here’s what they typically eat in the wild:

• Detritus and aufwuchs
• Small marine copepods and amphipods
• Phytoplankton and zooplankton
• Tiny worms and other microfauna
• Coral mucus
• Leftover fish food particles

Best Foods for Captive Sexy Shrimp

Commercial Foods

I’ve found these commercial foods work great for sexy shrimp

• Sinking pellets specifically made for invertebrates
• Marine formula flakes
• Bottom feeder shrimp pellets
• Coral foods containing plankton

Frozen Foods

You can supplement their diet with:

• Mysis shrimp (thawed)
• Brine shrimp
• Bloodworms
• Daphnia
• Frozen copepods
• Cyclops

Feeding Schedule and Amount

Here’s what’s worked best in my experience

• Feed small amounts 1-2 times per week
• Remove uneaten food within an hour
• Adjust feeding based on:
  • Number of shrimp in tank
  • Presence of other fish
  • Tank size
  • Overall tank ecosystem

Important Feeding Tips

1. Target Feeding Use a turkey baster or pipette to direct food near their hiding spots

2. Night Feeding: They’re more active after lights out, so evening feeding often works better

3. Pre-soak Dry Foods: Helps food sink faster and makes it easier for shrimp to catch

4. Use Feeding Dishes: Keeps food concentrated in one area

Warning Signs of Improper Feeding

Keep an eye out for these behaviors:

• Picking at coral polyps (sign of underfeeding)
• Loss of color intensity
• Aggressive foraging behavior
• Coral damage

Coral Eating Concerns

Here’s something interesting – there’s been lots of debate in the reef keeping community about sexy shrimp eating corals. From my experience and what I’ve seen, these little guys can sometimes munch on corals if they’re not getting enough food. They seem particularly fond of:

• Zoanthids (especially the skirts)
• Some SPS corals
• Euphyllia species

Natural Feeding Behavior

In their natural habitat, sexy shrimp often partner with anemones, where they:

• Clean the anemone’s tentacles
• Eat trapped plankton
• Consume detritus around the base
• Scavenge for small particles

My Personal Feeding Recommendations

After keeping these shrimp for a while, here’s what I recommend:

1. Base Diet:

   • Quality marine pellets or flakes (2-3 times weekly)
   • Frozen foods (once weekly)
   • Coral food supplement (twice weekly)

2. Feeding Method:

   • Use a feeding pipette
   • Target feed near their preferred spots
   • Feed in the evening
   • Start with small amounts

3. Monitoring:

   • Watch their behavior after feeding
   • Check for leftover food
   • Observe coral health
   • Monitor water quality

Common Feeding Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overfeeding: Can lead to water quality issues

2. Irregular Feeding: Makes them more likely to pick at corals

3. Wrong Food Size: Too large pieces are hard for them to eat

4. Poor Food Quality: Always use fresh, high-quality foods

Setting Up a Feeding Schedule

Here’s a sample weekly feeding schedule that’s worked well for me:

Water Parameters for Optimal Feeding

For best feeding response, maintain these parameters:

• Temperature: 75-79°F (24-27°C)
• Salinity: 1.023-1.025
• pH: 8.1-8.4
• Calcium: 400-450 ppm
• Alkalinity: 7-12 dKH

Final Thoughts

Feeding sexy shrimp isn’t rocket science, but it does require some attention and consistency. I’ve found that a well-fed sexy shrimp is less likely to damage corals and will show better colors and more active behavior. Remember, every tank is different, so you might need to adjust these recommendations based on your specific setup.

The key is finding the right balance – enough food to keep them healthy and happy, but not so much that it impacts water quality. Watch your shrimp’s behavior, and they’ll tell you if they’re getting enough food!

Don’t forget to have fun watching these little guys dance around while they eat – it’s one of the most entertaining parts of keeping sexy shrimp! If you’re having any issues with feeding, just remember that patience and observation are your best tools for success.

Btw, if you’re new to keeping sexy shrimp, don’t stress too much about getting everything perfect right away. These little creatures are pretty adaptable, and as long as you’re providing regular meals and maintaining good water quality, they’ll usually do just fine!