Beta Glucans via barley pellets or steel-cut oats?

[beanbag]

I was about to buy some shrimp-specific beta glucan for immunity, but then I read on here that oats also contained Beta glucan.  The draw back is that rolled oats tend to foul the water.  So I got to thinking, how about using the steel-cut oats, which are cut into bugger chunks and require a lot of cooking before they break down?  I also have a small pouch of barley pellets, which I think are not water-fouling, and should also contain beta glucan.

[jayc]

6 hours ago, beanbag said:

how about using the steel-cut oats, which are cut into bugger chunks and require a lot of cooking before they break down?

I have never tried steel cut oat. The beauty with rolled oats is that it can be added without any extra effort on our part.

Steel cut oats might be too tough for the shrimp, which means you might have to blanch it first. But please try without blanching and blanching it to see what is best. You will be pioneering this, so please do tell after conducting some experiments.

[beanbag]

My shrimp are still busy eating the algae in the tank, so they don't touch extra food.

[beanbag]

update: it sort of works

Initially the shrimp will pick at it because of the dust layer on the outside.

Then when they can't pick thru the shell, they give up and leave.

Eventually a shrimp will notice that the shell is hard, but the cut surface is edible, and will slowly eat at it.

After a few days, it gets hollowed out.

I think whether or not it works depends on if your shrimp are smart enough to eat the insides.