Hi everyone, I’m new to keeping Limnopolis Naiyanetri and while they seem to be doing well in my small crustacean aquarium, I’m looking for recommendations for a high fat, high protein powdered food to supplement their diet.  I do have a mortar and pestle for just my aquariums and can crush up pellets and flakes, so the recommendation doesn’t have to be in powder form originally.  I’m hoping to find a high quality food that could support my crabs in breeding.  I do have a high bubble surface agitation which seems to be another thing they appreciate.

Thanks so much.  I look forward to hearing back from others.

On 12/26/2022 at 2:09 AM, Aqua67 said:

recommendations for a high fat, high protein powdered food

Where are you located? 

I would just check my local fish shops for pellets and flakes. Check the label for the protein/fat content.

 

But does it have to be pellets or flakes (processed foods)?

For high protein food, try frozen blood worms or blackworms. If you were eating fish for dinner at home, you can drop in a small sliver of that fish before is was cooked. Prawns used for bait is also perfect for high protein foods for these Thai Micro crabs. High protein foods means meat. But stick to seafood only. 

 

As for  high fat food, try vegetables. Here are the top 20 veges ordered according to grams of fat per cup:

Soybeans: 11.52 grams

Corn: 2.23 grams

Kidney Beans: 1.54 grams

Black Beans: 0.9 grams

Northern Beans: 0.8 grams

Cooked Lentils: 0.8 grams

Cooked Peas: 0.6 grams

Broccoli: 0.5 grams

Unpeeled Zucchini: 0.4 grams

Tomatoes: 0.36 grams

Carrots: 0.31 grams

Cauliflower: 0.3 grams

Red Bell Peppers: 0.3 grams

Kale: 0.3 grams

White Potatoes: 0.21 grams

Butternut Squash: 0.18 grams

Collard and Turnip Greens: 0.17 grams

Pumpkin: 0.17 grams

Spinach: 0.12 grams

Cucumber: 0.12 grams

 

 

I am in Michigan.

I have 2 other aquariums and plenty of fish foods.  I picked up some Fluval Norwegian Krill Flake food that I thought about using in the crab tank.

I actually thought about getting Shrimp Baby Food by GlasGarten as it was a powdered food, high in protein and good fats.  Besides the occasional thin slice of zucchini or a pea without the skin, etc., I don’t cook much for my fish, but I do cook for my parrots on occasion.  I get frozen edamame once in a while and, like the peas, I could peel one and break off a chip with my fingernail and toss it in.  I didn’t realize they were so high in fat.  Maybe I will get to the point where I’m making fish food from scratch, but heck, I’m not even to Repashy yet (LOL).

I heard Thai micro crabs eat what is floating past them in the water column.  I bought a mortar and pestle for the sole purpose of crushing pellet/flake food.  So far I’ve only crushed small pieces of Hikari Algae Wafers and TetraMin Tropical Tablets, hoping some of it makes it to the crabs.  I never see the crabs eat and I barely ever see any crabs.  

Tonight I actually saw two of the crabs touching each other and one was actively roaming around while the other stayed in the dark under some leaf litter (but I could still see her).  There are 11 crabs and 40+ Neocaridina in the tank.  There is a dozen different foods the shrimp are being offered.  Because I never see the crabs eat and I see the shrimp eating/grazing constantly, I wonder if the shrimp leave enough for the crabs to find.  That was why I was thinking about a powdered, sinking type of food.  Both of those Hikari products that I’ve been crushing are sinking types of food.

I’ve seen crab molts 2 or 3 times in the tank.  I’ve had the crabs for almost 2 months (got 10 neos in March 22 and they’ve colonized).

I’ve never seen the crabs higher than a couple of inches off the ground surface of the aquarium, although it is heavily planted with lots of plants, so I’m thinking sinking types of food are best right now.

I sure wish there were active forum members who keep or kept limnopilos naiyanetri that I could chat with.

Thank you JayC, I appreciate your response.

21 hours ago, Aqua67 said:

I never see the crabs eat and I see the shrimp eating/grazing constantly

Highly possible the crabs are nocturnal, and only come out to eat at night.

Try feeding an hour before lights go out.

 

21 hours ago, Aqua67 said:

I’ve never seen the crabs higher than a couple of inches off the ground surface of the aquarium, although it is heavily planted with lots of plants, so I’m thinking sinking types of food are best right now.

In that case, powdered foods will not get to them in a reliable way. Try dropping the pellets or food into those areas the crabs are hiding. 

 

From your description above, it does not seem like you have fed them any high protein foods yet. Try Frozen blood worms. Your Neocaridina shrimp will love them too.

Look for shrimp pellets that are made from whole shrimp or high-grade fish meal. These pellets are usually rich in protein and fats. Crush them into a fine powder using your mortar and pestle before feeding them to your vampire crabs.

In addition to providing a balanced diet with pellets, you can also incorporate natural foods into your vampire crabs' diet. Consider introducing zucchini and squash recipes, which are excellent sources of vitamins and fiber for these crustaceans. You can steam or blanch slices of zucchini and squash and offer them as a nutritious treat.

Edited June 28, 20232 yr by moses.chastain