Fortifying freeze dried krill?

Scunch · 02/06/2020, 05:11 PM

Problem: Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish refuses all frozen food, it's been 3 months and I've tried nearly every solution. He's acclimated to recognizing the tongs as a food source because I'll use them to hold onto ghost shrimp, and he eats them happily. But any frozen food he ignores. I've tried soaking in garlic and other appetite stimulants, no luck. I've tried soaking live ghost shrimp in those stimulants before feeding, to get smell association (3 weeks consistently) with no luck. He sees white flesh, he's not interested, no matter how I wave it around.

Current feeding schedule is 2-3 gut loaded ghost shrimp every other day, I buy about 40 ghost shrimp a month, which adds a fair amount of time and expense to his care.

However, he gobbles up freeze dried krill. I know freeze dried krill is a terrible food, nutritionally empty. Is there a way I can fortify it so I can use it as a staple? Some sort of nutritional supplement I could soak it in? If I could cut ghost shrimp feedings in half it would make caring for him much more sustainable. Right now I've only fed him krill maybe 5 times since I've gotten him, to supplement when I'm out of shrimp and can't run to the LFS.

Dmorty217 · 02/06/2020, 06:31 PM

Vitachem or Zoe and selcon would be great additives to soak the krill in overnight or for a few hrs

Scunch · 02/06/2020, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

Vitachem or Zoe and selcon would be great additives to soak the krill in overnight or for a few hrs

Would that make up for the nutritional deficiencies in the krill though? I'm honestly not sure what freeze dried krill is supposedly missing, whether it's vitamins or proteins or fatty acids, but I keep hearing horror stories about things like lock jaw when feeding it as a staple

Guygettnby · 02/06/2020, 11:34 PM

Selcon is what I have always used. Also I feed mine frozen krill by taking a piece of fishing line, attaching it to a chopstick and threading the krill on the fishing line. I then put it in the tank like I was fishing for the lion moving it around like a live shrimp. It took a couple times but our started eating normally without the fishing line.

Dmorty217 · 02/07/2020, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scunch

Would that make up for the nutritional deficiencies in the krill though? I'm honestly not sure what freeze dried krill is supposedly missing, whether it's vitamins or proteins or fatty acids, but I keep hearing horror stories about things like lock jaw when feeding it as a staple

Truthfully I don’t know since freeze drying or cooking food depletes nutritional values of said food and it varies from food to food. I also add spirulina and Astaxanthin powders to all of my foods to help with nutrition and immune boosting properties

02/06/2020, 05:11 PM	#1
Scunch Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 5	Fortifying freeze dried krill? Problem: Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish refuses all frozen food, it's been 3 months and I've tried nearly every solution. He's acclimated to recognizing the tongs as a food source because I'll use them to hold onto ghost shrimp, and he eats them happily. But any frozen food he ignores. I've tried soaking in garlic and other appetite stimulants, no luck. I've tried soaking live ghost shrimp in those stimulants before feeding, to get smell association (3 weeks consistently) with no luck. He sees white flesh, he's not interested, no matter how I wave it around. Current feeding schedule is 2-3 gut loaded ghost shrimp every other day, I buy about 40 ghost shrimp a month, which adds a fair amount of time and expense to his care. However, he gobbles up freeze dried krill. I know freeze dried krill is a terrible food, nutritionally empty. Is there a way I can fortify it so I can use it as a staple? Some sort of nutritional supplement I could soak it in? If I could cut ghost shrimp feedings in half it would make caring for him much more sustainable. Right now I've only fed him krill maybe 5 times since I've gotten him, to supplement when I'm out of shrimp and can't run to the LFS.

02/06/2020, 06:31 PM	#2
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	Vitachem or Zoe and selcon would be great additives to soak the krill in overnight or for a few hrs __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

02/06/2020, 11:34 PM	#4
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050	Selcon is what I have always used. Also I feed mine frozen krill by taking a piece of fishing line, attaching it to a chopstick and threading the krill on the fishing line. I then put it in the tank like I was fishing for the lion moving it around like a live shrimp. It took a couple times but our started eating normally without the fishing line.