Feeding Brine Shrimp

[attibones]

My German blue rams are really small, so small, in fact, that they cannot put their mini pellets into their mouths. After realizing I could not make the pellets any smaller, I decided to go with Plan B. The guy who sold me my happy and healthy rams (I love them to pieces!) had been feeding them a diet of brine shrimp and beef heart. I believe the shrimp he was giving them were live baby brine shrimp, but I don't have the heart to watch my fish eat those. Instead, I got frozen packs. I was going to get frozen beef heart as well, but my LFS was out of them. 
 
The rams live with a variety of other fish (all listed in my signature), so I'm wondering how frequently I should feed them the frozen shrimp. Should I feed them every day half a thawed cube and then let them fast once a week? This is my original plan. I've already got the allotted cubes cut in half and stored in the fridge for safe thawing (though I'll be setting out the individual cube for fish meals for about two hours so it isn't too cold). Or should I give them the shrimp every other day, feed flakes in between, and fast one day? Or do I feed shrimp every other day and forget the flakes (and fast in between)?
 
Obviously, there are tons of options, but I just want to know your opinions on how frequently I should be feeding these guys the brine shrimp, and how much I should be dropping. All the fish (and my living shrimp) love the brine shrimp. There's not a speck of it left after three minutes. 

 

[TallTree01]

I've had a similar problem with my neon tetras. I feed them a diet of tropical pellets. They love them! They were grabbing them then spitting it out. after 5 spits or so the pellets were small enough for them to swallow them. Are your rams behaving similarly? If so then it's ok. I've personally never fed shrimp to my fish ( except shrimp pellets but that's different ) but id only feed them 1-2 times a week.

 

[RCA]

I feed a variety of foods (check out my profile).  One thing that can tempt them to eat pellets is if you soak them first in garlic.  I bought some of the Seachem Garlic product, but also feed brine shrimp with garlic, so often soak some dried food in with that.  Currently my fish are getting live mosquito larvae every other day alongside the dry/moist foods, but then I might leave them a week without live food, and they will then get a combination of the dry/moist/frozen.
 
For the moist food info., check out my post http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/416102-moist-pelleted-fish-food/

 

[attibones]

I've had a similar problem with my neon tetras. I feed them a diet of tropical pellets. They love them! They were grabbing them then spitting it out. after 5 spits or so the pellets were small enough for them to swallow them. Are your rams behaving similarly? If so then it's ok. I've personally never fed shrimp to my fish ( except shrimp pellets but that's different ) but id only feed them 1-2 times a week.

Mine do this for a while, but then they give up and go back to nibbling on the quarter of a bottom feeder pellet I drop for the corydoras and the shrimp. Sometimes they chase the flakes I drop on occasion as well.

I feed a variety of foods (check out my profile).  One thing that can tempt them to eat pellets is if you soak them first in garlic.  I bought some of the Seachem Garlic product, but also feed brine shrimp with garlic, so often soak some dried food in with that.  Currently my fish are getting live mosquito larvae every other day alongside the dry/moist foods, but then I might leave them a week without live food, and they will then get a combination of the dry/moist/frozen.
 
For the moist food info., check out my post http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/416102-moist-pelleted-fish-food/

I'll look into the seachem garlic. I would hate to have wasted my money on these pellets for them! They're the Omega One brand for small cichlids, the color enhancing sort. I read the ingredients, looks pretty koala-ty. In the meantime, should I soak the pellets in warm tank water before I feed them?

 

[RCA]

I feed a variety of foods (check out my profile).  One thing that can tempt them to eat pellets is if you soak them first in garlic.  I bought some of the Seachem Garlic product, but also feed brine shrimp with garlic, so often soak some dried food in with that.  Currently my fish are getting live mosquito larvae every other day alongside the dry/moist foods, but then I might leave them a week without live food, and they will then get a combination of the dry/moist/frozen.
 
For the moist food info., check out my post http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/416102-moist-pelleted-fish-food/

I'll look into the seachem garlic. I would hate to have wasted my money on these pellets for them! They're the Omega One brand for small cichlids, the color enhancing sort. I read the ingredients, looks pretty koala-ty. In the meantime, should I soak the pellets in warm tank water before I feed them?

 
Yes try soaking them as this will help them to fit them in their mouths and also they will probably be more attractive to them.  If they have grown up on live foods it is a case of weaning them onto pellets etc.  Sometimes when I get a new fighter they will not take pellets, but in the end they learn

 

[attibones]

Excellent! Thanks for the help.