Feeding Crabs/shrimp

[schnebbles]

Is it really necessary for me to try and feed these guys?

I am forever thinking I need to put extra food in for them. I just gave my brittle star a piece of krill and now I see that the peppermint shrimp and the hermit crab must have taken it away and are fighting over it. And now the starfish had his food stolen.

I usually feed frozen mysis, brine and reef plankton so it goes everywhere in the tank. About 1x a week I'll chop up some of the frozen krill and make sure I give the starfish a good sized piece which he may or may not get to eat.

 

[RobZilla04]

They are scavengers. They will find whatever food makes it to the surface of the rocks and substrate. No need to toss in extra food. I wouldn't want the problems associated with the excess nutrients that would cause.

 

[schnebbles]

I do try to limit it but they always seem so hungry when they find food, I agree about the problems though. That's kind of why I asked but it makes me wonder when they start taking food away from my star and fighting over it.

 

[AlSimmons]

If you want to treat them as pets then by all means feed them. If they were meant to be a janitor though then feeding them kind of defeats the purpose.
If I happen to loose a snail, hermit or a shrimp due to starvation so be it.

 

[g_langley]

So long as they have something to eat daily that's fine. Don't be stingy when feeding the tank as they eat the leftovers or bits they can grab in feed time.

 

[Spiffy]

If you keep feeding them, they will be less inclined to scavenge for food, so it would kinda defeat the purpose of having them as a CUC. But if you want to treat them like the rest of your fish, then more power to ya.

 

[scooter31707]

IMO, in a new established tank, I would feed them a little. The algae and pod population has not matured for a CUC. That's why it's recommend to start out slow when first adding them, as they can starve to death. If you are feeding fish I would not worry too much. I drop a little extra pellets to the sandbed for them at night while the lights are out the fish are gone to their caves.