Watch the Video
Video credit: Bob Moss Hobbies. Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFP1xRHXWV4. This is our own independent breakdown and is not affiliated with the video creator. As an Amazon Associate, Shrimpyo earns from qualifying purchases. Product prices shown in the video may have changed.
Watch the video
Product breakdown
- Hikari Crab Cuisine
- Repashy shrimp gel food
- Fluval Bug Bites shrimp
- Shrimp King baby food
- Borneo Wild shrimp food
This breakdown is our own summary of the video for reference. Confirm current specs and price on the retailer page before buying.
This setup is for feeding newborn shrimplets in a planted home colony where babies need soft grazing food all day plus a solid staple you can track. Think of it as a setup in this class for steady breeding, not a single product review. If your berried females keep hatching young but few survive to juvenile size, this feeding style is worth learning.
What This Video Covers
The video from Bob Moss Hobbies walks through Bacter AE style feeding for baby shrimp, with focus on how much to use, what it does in the tank, and how often to offer it. I am treating it here as a setup in this class, not as proof that the creator used any of my current picks. The value is in seeing the process in a real tank, with powder dispersed in water, shrimp grazing surfaces, and follow up meals.
This approach suits Neocaridina cherry shrimp best for beginners, and it also suits Caridina crystal shrimp and Taiwan Bee types once your tank is stable and mature. Newborns of all dwarf shrimp are poor competitors at a food dish. They do far better when biofilm, powdered fry food, and soft particles coat leaves, moss, glass, and substrate where they already hide.
Scale is flexible. Most people use this method in a small planted nano colony with gentle sponge filtration, lots of moss, and leaf litter for surface area. A quiet desktop colony that keepers commonly report as a starter footprint will behave much like a larger breeding rack. What matters more than footprint is maturity, cover, and stable maintenance habits.
There are clear tradeoffs at this level. Powdered biofilm foods can lift shrimplet survival because food is available between your main feedings. The other side is water quality risk if you overdo it. Portion size scales with colony size and tank bioload, not a fixed amount. Start with less than you think you need and remove uneaten food within a couple hours to avoid ammonia spikes.
Water references here stay qualitative because no verified GH, KH, or TDS numbers are stated in this video. Aim for clean, stable, well oxygenated water with consistent routine, and avoid chasing sudden shifts. If you keep Caridina, you already know stability matters more than any single tweak. For Neocaridina, the same idea holds, with room for a wider comfort range as long as changes are slow.
You should also pair this method with a solid staple. Powders grow grazing film, but juveniles and adults still need trackable meals you can observe and remove. That is why I like to keep a sinking pellet or wafer on hand alongside a fry style powder. For background reading, see this guide to feeding baby shrimp for berried females and these Bacter AE setup ideas for breeding tanks.
Timestamp Breakdown
This is the core of the article. Below are buyable options for November 2026 that fit the same feeding class shown in the video. I am not saying the creator used these exact products. Use the table to match each role in the process to something you can buy today.
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Quick Picks at a Glance
Prime Hikari Crab Cuisine 50g Sinking Sticks
Prime Ultra Fresh Baby Fish Food with 50% Sword Prawn
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Pros
- High calcium formula specifically designed for shell strength and healthy molts
- Sinking sticks are easy for bottom feeders to find and graze on naturally
- Versatile diet works for shrimp, crabs, lobsters, crawfish and scavengers
- Contains fish meal, shrimp meal and fish oil for palatable, protein rich nutrition
Cons
- Small 50g tub runs out quickly in larger tanks or heavily stocked aquariums
- Stick form needs portion control to avoid overfeeding and leftover waste
- Contains fish and crab ingredients, so not ideal for highly sensitive tank setups
Hikari Crab Cuisine 50g is a sinking stick diet made for bottom dwelling invertebrates including shrimp, crabs, lobsters, underwater crawfish and hermit crabs. It suits keepers with community scavenger tanks or species only setups at all life stages.
Its standout benefit is elevated calcium which supports strong shell development and smoother molting. The sticks sink quickly to the bottom, so timid feeders can graze at leisure while getting protein from fish meal, shrimp meal and fish oil for form and coloration.
The small stick shape is easy to dose and holds together well enough for scavengers to pick apart. Packed in a compact 50g tub, it stays fresh and is convenient for daily aquarium feeding routines.
The small package size means keepers with large colonies may go through it fast. As with any sinking food, uneaten portions should be removed to maintain water quality.
Overall, this is a focused, reliable staple for calcium hungry crustaceans. If you want better shells, active scavengers and richer color, it is an easy choice for routine feeding.
Brand: Hikari, Form: Sinking sticks, Size: 50g tub, Container Type: Tub for aquarium feeding. Flavor profile is fish based for strong palatability.
Target Species: Hermit crab, shrimp, lobster, underwater crawfish and other aquatic scavengers. Life Stage: All life stages from 1 month and up.
Key Ingredients: Fish meal, shrimp meal, fish oil with enriched calcium for shell support. Supports behavior, form and coloration in small breed invertebrates.
Feed only what your crabs, shrimp or crawfish can consume in a short feeding session. Drop sticks directly into the tank and allow them to sink for bottom feeders to find.
Remove uneaten food after feeding time to help preserve water clarity. Use as a daily staple alongside varied aquarium care for balanced nutrition.
Pros
- Ultra fine 500μm size works even for newborn and very small fry
- Slow sinking action gives fry more time to eat before food settles
- Does not cloud tank or leave oily residue when fed in proper amounts
- High protein shrimp blend supports fast growth, fins and color
- A little goes a long way, so bottle lasts through many feedings
Cons
- Some picky fry may need a transition period mixed with crushed flakes
- Very fine texture makes it easy to overfeed if not portioned carefully
- Small 18g bottle may run out fast for large batches or multiple tanks
Ultra Fresh Baby Fish Food is designed specifically for newborn fry and small breed babies like guppies, mollies, bettas and goldfish. The 500μm micro granules are sized for tiny mouths and sink slowly to mimic live baby brine shrimp.
Standout nutrition comes from up to 50 percent wild sword prawn plus akiami paste shrimp, delivering high protein with low fat plus calcium and fiber. Added vitamins A, C, D3, E and B complex plus 3 million CFUs per gram of probiotics support growth, color, immunity and digestion.
In real tanks, the granules soften fast, spread evenly and get eaten quickly without clouding water or leaving an oily film. The compact bottle dispenses small amounts cleanly, and a little goes a long way for daily fry feedings.
It is not perfect for every fry, as some picky eaters may ignore it at first and need it mixed with crushed flakes. Because the powder is so fine, it is easy to overfeed, so careful pinches and good filtration are still important.
Overall, this is an excellent brine shrimp substitute for breeders and beginners who want strong growth and cleaner water. If you raise small fry and want a nutritious, easy to digest daily food, this is a smart pick.
Brand: Ultra Fresh, Form: 500μm slow sinking granule, Flavor: Shrimp with wild sword prawns and akiami paste shrimps. Age Range: Baby fry, Target Species: Freshwater fish including guppy, molly, betta and goldfish.
Key Nutrition: High protein, low fat, rich in calcium and fiber, with vitamins A, C, D3, E, B1, B2, B6, B12. Enriched with 3 million CFUs per gram probiotics, no artificial colors or flavors.
Container: Small dispenser bottle, 18.14g, compact size for precise feeding and freshness. Use: Appetite stimulation, daily fry growth, immunity and cleaner water support.
Feed tiny pinches 2 to 3 times daily, only as much as fry can consume in about one minute. The slow sinking particles allow mid water feeders to catch food before it reaches the bottom.
For picky or new fry, mix a small amount with familiar crushed flakes for the first few days. Remove uneaten food and maintain regular water changes to keep fry tanks clean and stable.
| Timestamp | Part | Common at this level | Our 2026 pick | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| setup | a similar setup in this class | Hikari Crab Cuisine | A grounded, currently sold option in the shrimp food category. | |
| gear | a similar setup in this class | Repashy shrimp gel food | A grounded, currently sold option in the shrimp food category. | |
| gear | a similar setup in this class | Fluval Bug Bites shrimp | A grounded, currently sold option in the shrimp food category. | |
| gear | a similar setup in this class | Shrimp King baby food | A grounded, currently sold option in the shrimp food category. | |
| gear | a similar setup in this class | Borneo Wild shrimp food | A grounded, currently sold option in the shrimp food category. |
The most important choice is your daily staple, and that is where Hikari Crab Cuisine 50g fits. It quickly sinks to the aquarium bottom allowing your hard shelled friends to eat at their leisure, which makes it easy to watch intake and pull leftovers. It also offers higher levels of calcium to promote shell development and is listed as ideal for lobsters, shrimp, underwater crawfish and other aquatic scavengers.
The second key role is a small particle food for fry and shrimplets. Ultra Fresh Baby Fish Food with 50% Sword Prawn is useful here because the maker describes slow sinking particles that soften quickly and are easy to digest. That texture matters for tiny mouths. It also includes probiotics to help keep water clean and vitamins to support growth and color, based on the product listing.
Gel, insect based pellets, and dedicated baby powders all fill the same supporting roles in different ways. Gels let you control softness and portion, insect based foods add variety, and baby specific powders spread well for grazing. Pick one staple you can dose lightly plus one fine food for newborns, then keep the rest simple. You can compare philosophies in this Bacter AE versus staple food comparison.
My Experience
I keep red cherry Neocaridina in a 10 gallon colony, a size keepers commonly report for starter breeding, with moss, cholla wood, and Indian almond leaves over inert substrate. When I first tried powdered grazing food, I dosed too often and saw film on the glass plus slower feeding response. Once I cut back to light, infrequent dustings and leaned on a trackable staple, berried females still hatched well and I started seeing more babies reach grazing size.
A product like Hikari Crab Cuisine 50g worked well for me because it sinks fast and holds shape long enough for shrimp to gather without clouding the tank. I like that it promotes desirable form and coloration while giving calcium for shell development. I drop in a small piece, watch for an hour or so, then remove what is ignored. That habit keeps my sponge filter clean and my shrimplets active on the moss between meals.
Comparison and Alternatives
Compare the top two table roles directly. Hikari Crab Cuisine is a firm sinking pellet style staple you can see, count, and remove. Repashy shrimp gel food is a make at home gel that you mix and set, so you control softness and shape for mixed ages. If you like strict portion control, the pellet style is easier. If you like customizing texture for shrimplets and snails, the gel style is appealing.
For newborn support, Ultra Fresh Baby Fish Food with 50% Sword Prawn reads like a practical helper. The listing notes up to 50 percent wild sword prawn plus akiami paste with calcium and fiber, and small slow sinking particles that mimic baby brine shrimp interest. It also claims no dust, no oily film, and added probiotics plus vitamins A, C, D3, E, and B complex to support growth and immunity. That is a different job than a staple pellet, so I use them together rather than swapping one for the other.
On a tighter budget, start with Hikari Crab Cuisine as your lower cost swap and skip extra specialty jars until your colony breeds. You can grow a lot of natural biofilm with stable light, plants, and leaf litter. Add a fine fry food only when you see regular berried females and want to lift survival. This keeps spending focused and reduces the chance of overfeeding.
Who should not buy into a full powder routine. If your tank is new, lightly planted, or already showing cloudy water or planaria, hold off on frequent dustings. Get filtration, cover, and a simple staple routine stable first. Powders help most in mature, well oxygenated colonies with places for babies to hide and graze. You can browse more options in the shrimp food and baby food archive.
Three Ways to Set This Up
All three versions below follow the same rule. Portion size scales with colony size and tank bioload, not a fixed amount. Adapt quantity and pack size to your own tank volume, feed lightly, and pull leftovers quickly.
Budget Setup for Neocaridina Starter Tank
Use Hikari Crab Cuisine as the core staple, plus leaf litter and moss for natural grazing. This suits new cherry shrimp keepers who want simple, observable feeding and easy cleanup. Feed tiny pieces a few times per week and rely on biofilm between meals.
Balanced Setup for Caridina Breeding Tank
Use Repashy shrimp gel food as the flexible staple, with Hikari Crab Cuisine on rotation for variety and calcium support. This suits crystal shrimp keepers with a mature, stable planted tank who want soft food for mixed ages. Keep gel portions small, alternate days, and watch grazing behavior before adding more.
Higher End Setup for Taiwan Bee Showcase Tank
Use Fluval Bug Bites shrimp as the higher end staple for variety, with a dedicated baby powder for newborn grazing and Hikari Crab Cuisine for calcium focused meals. This suits experienced keepers who track berried females and want top shrimplet survival. Keep the powder very light, keep the staple trackable, and prioritize clean water over extra food.
FAQ
How much Bacter AE style powder should I feed baby shrimp?
Feed far less than you expect, since portion scales with colony size and bioload. Start with a light dusting, watch grazing and water clarity for a day or two, and only repeat when babies are actively foraging. If film builds up or water dulls, skip the next dose and do maintenance.
How often should I feed shrimplets versus adult shrimp?
Think of powder as background pasture and pellets or gel as checkable meals. Offer staple food you can observe and remove within a couple hours, then let babies graze biofilm between feedings. When berried females are present, keep the routine steady rather than suddenly increasing volume.
Will Hikari Crab Cuisine cloud my shrimp tank?
It is made to sink quickly so shrimp can eat at leisure, which helps keep water clear when portions are small. Drop a modest piece, observe interest, and siphon or net leftovers you see after a short window. If you need finer food for newborns, pair it with a small particle fry food instead of adding more pellets.
Final Verdict
Powdered grazing support can raise baby counts, but only when paired with light portions, good cover, and a staple you can monitor. Keep water stable, feed so you can see intake, and let moss and leaves do quiet work between meals. That balance gives you active shrimplets without constant cleanup.
Our pick: the Balanced Setup for Caridina Breeding Tank with Repashy shrimp gel food on rotation with Hikari Crab Cuisine, for keepers with a mature planted colony who want flexible texture plus trackable calcium rich meals.
These picks are not ideal if you already overfeed your tank; adding more food variety will not fix a bioload problem and can make water quality worse.
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