Can PBass Digest Shrimp Shells?

[goshishi]

Up until recently, I've been feeding my Pbass shrimp that was shelled and deveined. I've been reading posts that say it's better to feed it to them with the shells if they'll take it. The shell is supposed to help enhance their colors. Initially, they didn't take the shrimp with shells as eagerly, but now don't mind. When consuming the shrimp with the shells on (sharp tail portion cutoff) they inhale it entirely. I started noticing empty shells floating around and at the bottom of the tank. Today when I got home there was a buttload of them at the bottom. Are they vomitting or passing the shells? Is this the corn of the pbass world?
Thanks
Shawn

 

[benzjamin13]

I feed my fish with shell off. But when I had a Gulper, I fed it with shell. It didn't poop out any shells. I haven't tried feeding my other fish with shells.

 

[Wolf3101]

I snap off the tails but our Pbass don't seem to have the slightest problem with the shells. We reciently up-graded to a larger grade of market shrimp. I have to thaw out a lot less to fill the growing bellies and the larger ones can always be cut up for the smaller guys.

 

[dmopar74]

i too feed with shell minus the tail

 

[Danh]

I do both. Not many fish get a prepared diet in the wild. If they can digest the spine of a small piranha, they can digest some shrimp shells. Sometimes I don't bother with the tail either... but I know you would want to.

 

[tunerX]

I cut jumbo shrimp into smaller sizes but still feed the shell. I cut the tails and those usually get eaten by my channel cats.

 

[Danh]

Sounds ok. The tails are a bit harder, and have a nice little point to them. But like I said, they eat stuff like that often in the wild imo.

 

[goshishi]

Thanks to all for the feeback. I figured if they can digest fish bones and crustaceans then shrimp shell shouldn't be a problem. I guess I'll continue the tail-less shell on shrimp and see what happens. Hopefully I don't see massess of shrimp shells floating around.

 

[bOOsteN aUdI]

your fish may be throwing the shells back up... i have tried in the past when i had farm monos but they would throw the shells up... my jardini would eat shell and all.. im sure they could but its prob better to feed larger fish shrimp with shells on

 

[goshishi]

Hey bOOst,
I think your hypothesis is correct. There's a few pieces this morning and a couple of them are partially digested. I'm still a little bewildered about the other day though. There was about 25 pieces of shrimp shell (all sections of the shrimp) in the tank.
Thanks