Gear guide

Best shrimp food: staples, biofilm boosters and treats

By the Shrimp Tank Hub editorsUpdated Oct 21, 2026Research-based

Research-based, not hands-on. We haven't tested these products ourselves. This guide compiles manufacturer-published specs and recurring owner reports (e.g. r/shrimptank, 2024–2026). Specs checked October 2026 and may change. How we research

In an established, planted tank, shrimp spend most of their day grazing biofilm and algae. Prepared food tops that up. Owners broadly agree on three categories: a staple fed every day or two, a powder or biofilm booster for babies, and occasional vegetables or leaves. Below, we compare published ingredients and guaranteed analysis. We haven't run feeding trials ourselves.

Food	Type	Protein (per label)	Notable ingredients	Owner notes
Dennerle Shrimp King Complete	Sinking sticks, daily staple	31% crude	Black soldier fly larvae meal, nettle, mulberry leaves, spirulina, chlorella	Frequently named as a favorite staple; water-stable. Maker suggests ~5 mm per 20 shrimp every 1–2 days.
Hikari Shrimp Cuisine	Small sinking pellets (1.2–1.4 mm)	Min. 40% crude (current US label)	Fish meal, krill, seaweed, spirulina, astaxanthin; minerals including calcium carbonate	Widely available in US stores. Contains copper sulfate; Hikari says it's a safe, measured amount (see caveat).
GlasGarten Bacter AE	Micro powder, biofilm booster	n/a	Amino acids, enzymes, Bacillus subtilis, Pediococcus acidilactici	Shrimp breeders like Flip Aquatics credit it with better shrimplet survival. Not a complete food.
Dried leaves (e.g. Indian almond, mulberry)	Grazing surface / fiber	n/a	Leaf tissue, tannins	Grows biofilm as it breaks down; tannins tint the water slightly.

How much and how often

The most common owner advice is to feed small and remove leftovers. Feed only what the colony clears in a couple of hours, and take out anything left after a day; Dennerle's own guidance is to remove residue after 24 hours. Overfeeding is a frequently cited cause of cloudy water and planaria outbreaks in shrimp tanks.

Key caveat: copper is toxic to invertebrates at elevated levels, which is why some keepers avoid foods listing copper sulfate. Manufacturers include trace copper as a nutrient, and many keepers feed these foods without issues. If you prefer to avoid it, read the ingredient list; the formula can change between production runs.

Feeding babies

Shrimplets graze the same surfaces as adults but can't compete for pellets. Powdered foods drift across the whole tank, and biofilm boosters like Bacter AE grow the microfilm babies feed on. GlasGarten recommends starting at half dose for the first week.

Vegetables and treats

Blanched zucchini, spinach or cucumber are common treats. Use organic or well-washed produce, since pesticides are a frequent worry in owner discussions, and remove it within a few hours.

Our take

A staple stick or pellet such as Shrimp King Complete or Hikari Shrimp Cuisine, plus a biofilm booster if you're raising babies, plus leaves for grazing, covers what most keepers recommend. Variety matters more than any single brand.

Sources: Dennerle Shrimp King Complete product page and declaration; Hikari USA Shrimp Cuisine product page; GlasGarten Bacter AE product page; Flip Aquatics Bacter AE listing; ShrimpTank101 feeding guide; Practical Fishkeeping "Big shrimp food test"; r/shrimptank (2024–2026). Checked October 2026.