# crab cuisine and copper



## Kei (May 4, 2010)

so a long time ago i read hikari crab cuisine has copper and copper kills shrimps so i stoped using it.

just yesterday i read the debate over crab cuisine and its copper again( more fourms more input) and after reading a while i have come to the conclusion that shrimps need a little copper in the blood but too much can kill them. thats why there is copper in crab cuisine says hikari.

so i decided to cycle crab cuisine in to my feeding cycle of different variety once again after pulling it years ago.
i deciced ill feed crab cuisine once every 2-4 weeks.
after feeding the CRS one has died this morning. i havent had a death in a LONG time. This adult shrimp didnt seem as old or as big as my other shrimp in the tank. coincidence?

what are your thoughts? are u feeding cab cuisine? how often?


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## RD. (Jun 2, 2010)

What you experienced was probably nothing more than a coincidence.

In small quantities, copper is an _essential_ element to all life forms, including shrimp. I find it very difficult to believe that Hikari would be using copper levels that would cause harm to shrimp. Personally I would only be concerned if a shrimp food _didn't_ contain any copper.

*Copper and Aquatic Life*

Copper.org: Innovations: Copper and Aquatic Life

HTH


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## Kei (May 4, 2010)

so its okay to feed the crab cuisine once a week? or as ur saying every day is fine...


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

i was feeding it every day but im no shrimp expert and only had red cherries


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## RD. (Jun 2, 2010)

Either one should be fine to feed every day, but IMO if you are set on feeding a Hikari product, their Shrimp Cuisine appears to be a more ideal staple diet for shrimp, than the Crab cuisine.


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## shaobo (Apr 21, 2010)

Although Crab Cuisine isn't on the menu for my shrimps, I would say you shouldn't worry too much. One thing I would suggest is keep their diet vary throughout the week rather than keeping them on one or two types of diets.


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## wsl (Apr 21, 2010)

I would think that the death is a coincidence. Although I don't feed my shrimp crab cuisine myself, a bit of copper is definitely essential to shrimp and crabs since they have hemocyanin in their blood, which uses copper molecules to bind oxygen unlike us humans with hemoglobin and iron. Sure, too much copper can kill shrimp, but then again, pretty much any substance will act as a toxin given in high enough concentrations. Just don't overdo it with the crab cuisine and you should be fine.


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## lamyfung (Jul 26, 2010)

I feed that to my cherries and CRS sometimes 3-4 times a week and they are totally fine


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