Today's SKV meeting was fantastic! Great engagement from the attendees. Big thanks to Alex, Dellsea, Eric, Gerard and Paul for attending. Definitely need to get you folks a cool pin for putting up with me. 

The topic for this meeting was: What's in Shrimp Food. If you like the content and want to see one done for regular fish food, make sure to harass Bob constantly let the Committee know so they can schedule it in.

This list is far from comprehensive. It simply covers the most common ingredients found in off-the-shelf foods. 

What's in Shrimp Food?

Topic 1: Decoding the Label

Ever look at the back of a shrimp food packet (or any food, really) and feel like you need a chemistry degree? You’re not alone! So let’s break it down.

Crude Protein

Crude Fat:

Crude Fibre refers to the indigestible parts of plant and animal matter.

Carbohydrates aren’t often listed on shrimp foods as shrimp don’t typically use carbs. But we’ll cover them here anyhow.

Ash is what’s left after a sample of food is burned off at above 550c.

It’s not dirt or soot, it’s the inorganic minerals and trace elements essential to any fish’s diet.

Think: calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese…

Minerals are life. They form shells, bones, nerves, muscles, govern fluid exchange (osmoregulation), enzyme and immune function and so much more.

>6% = too low. 6-10% is balanced, and 10-12%+ is suitable for breeding, growth and moulting cycles… however

- Higher Ash isn’t always better. Excess inorganic fillers (high clay content or added minerals can irritate sensitive guts, reducing nutrient absorption!

And finally, we come to Moisture. Moisture is what it sounds like: the amount of water present in fish food. More isn’t always bad, but less isn’t necessarily good either.

The lower the moisture, the more concentrated the nutrients. Ie: 1g of dry food has more protein than 1g of wet food.

The moisture content also affects the following:
- Shelf Life: Dry foods (<10% moisture) last months to years if sealed.

Topic 2 - Behind the %'s - Let's look at what's hot and what's not

As mentioned before, not all sources of proteins, fats, fibre etc are made equal. Some are good, some are bad, and some are just plain dadgum ugly. So let’s dive into what we should and shouldn’t feed our wet bugs, and learn to avoid what ingredients some fish keepers use that ought to get them strung up by an angry mob.

I will reiterate this again: this list is not comprehensive, is highly based on context (some of the "bad" stuff is amazing, but needs to be used sparingly) and is mostly based upon my knowledge and research, although I cannot promise 1000% impartiality - I am, after all, merely human.

Here;s what each of these classifications means, because apparently it's cowboy times this weekend (yeehaw)

The Good - Spectacular source of Nutrients. If your food has one or more of these, it's probably great (and expensive).

The Bad - Not completely terrible, but not great either. Usually beats starvation. May also include amazing ingredients that require specialised dosing.
The Ugly - If your food contains ANY of these, burn it and feed your shrimp the cardboard packaging - it's probably better for them.

Protein - The Good

These are bioavailable, clean protein sources with balanced amino acids profiles shrimp need for growth, moulting and reproduction.

Protein - The Bad

Still protein, but often less digestible or nutritionally lacking. Or in case of Black Worms and Bee Pollen, great but only as a snack.

Protein - The Ugly

Low-quality or misleading sources that inflate protein values but don’t nourish properly.

Fats - The Good

High-quality, digestible lipids that support shrimp colour, reproduction, moulting, and immune function as well as energy.

Fats - The Bad

Technically fat, but less efficient, less stable, or poorly digested by shrimp.

Fats - The Ugly

Low-quality, unstable, or misleading fat sources that do more harm than good. Literally the equivalent of feeding your shrimp Deep Fryer oil by the spoonful

Fibre - The Good

These fibre sources mimic the wild diet—slow to break down, supportive of gut function, and full of biofilm-friendly texture. These offer slow-release nutrition, gut structure, and molting support without clogging up the system.

Fibre - The Bad

Technically fiber—but too much bulk, too little function. These fill the belly but not the nutrient bank. These should never dominate a formula—okay for structure, but low nutritional contribution.

Fibre - The Ugly

Rough, useless, or gut-irritating materials that may inflate the fibre number but don’t actually benefit the shrimp—and can even be harmful.

Overloading on these can lead to sluggish digestion, waste buildup, and reduced feeding behavior. Constipation sucks.

Behind the %'s - Carbs

As mentioned before, Carbs aren’t used by fish in the same way they are with mammals, however there are some commonly used Ugly carbs to watch out for:

- Wheat Flour, Rice Bran and Corn Starch. Bulk Carb sources, little nutritional value.

- “Vegetable Meal” or “plant byproduct” – often code for fillers.

Ash - The Good

These are bioavailable, shrimp-safe mineral sources that support exoskeleton strength, molting, osmotic balance, and nerve function. These sources offer balanced mineral profiles and natural release rates.

Some of these aren't typically added to fish foods, but are pertinent nonetheless

Ash - The Bad

These might be technically mineral-rich but are harder to absorb, imbalanced, or poorly processed. These are usable in the right context, but can cause mineral imbalance if overused.

Ash - The Ugly

Cheap, misleading, or gut-irritating mineral sources that inflate ash % or compromise shrimp health.

Topic 3 - An exploration of Common Shrimp food

I tried to be impartial. i really did. But some of these foods (commonly found on Australian aquarium store shelves) just speak for themselves.

Dennerle Shrimp King Complete

Ingredients: Kelp, Insect Proteins, Dandelion, Nettle, Spinach, Mulberry Leaves, Chlorella, Montmorillonite, Moringa, Rosemary, Mannooligosaccharide, Beta Glucans, Bee/Flower Pollen, Turmeric, Cinnamon

Fat 6%

Fibre 7.7%

Ash 15.4%

Doesn’t specify insects used, but Germany has strict controls on animal food quality – almost more strict than Australia’s human food laws. . No use of fish meals, plenty of leaves and vegetal matter. Natural preservatives (rosemary). No synthetic additives (vitamins, minerals etc). Focuses on holistic nutrition. A little lower in protein, but they do offer a variant with 45% protein.

New Life Spectrum Invertebrate - Crustacean

Krill (Euphasia superb), Squid (Dosidicus giga), Whole Wheat Flour, Fish (Brevoortia tyrannous), Green Algae (Chlorella pyrendoidosa), Seaweed (Ulva lactuca, Undaria pinnatafida, Eucheuma cottonii, Eucheuma spinosum, Chondrus crispus), Kelp, Garlic, Ginger, Astaxanthin, Spirulina, Fish Oil, Marigold Bentonite Clay, Sea Salt, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement,Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C), Choline Chloride, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate.

Analysis:

A classic case of a food that chases %'s instead of focusing on Nutrition. The specific percentages are not terrible, but they clearly used synthetic minerals to "enhance" a mediocre food. 

Hikari Shrimp Cuisine

Unspecified fish meals, wheat flours, corn and legume meals… all low digestion and bulk fillers. Piled high with synthetic additives to make it “nutritious”. Hikari foods are… not great.

Very low in fibre, and high protein (although mostly bad protein). Roughly 7% carbs, and higher Ash than needed. 

SAS (Serious About Shrimp) "Shrimpy Bits"

“Shrimpy Bits is a premium shrimp food, made from the highest quality Australian-grown organic ingredients including kale, soy, spinach, peas, spirulina, garlic, astaxanthin and bee pollen.

Also contains responsibly sourced Atlantic krill and fish meal with mineral and fortified vitamin mix to provide the ultimate in nutrition for promoting health, growth and colour.”