Aqueon Shrimp Pellets Review
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Introduction
This review of Aqueon Shrimp Pellets is from my personal use of the product and is written from a hobbyist perspective.
Not too long ago I tried some Wardley shrimp pellets and enjoyed them thoroughly. I still have some today that are probably stale, but I use them anyway. However, with the Wardley company not being what it used to be and not carrying shrimp pellets anymore, there was a hole in the fish food market for some new cheap shrimp pellets. This is where Aqueon Shrimp Pellets step in. So how does the food stack up? My review below will seek to answer just that.
Do Fish Like the Food?
Yes, my fish seem to enjoy Aqueon Shrimp Pellets, and reviews online would mirror this sentiment. Are they a favorite food for all of my fish, no. But I believe the primary reason some fish don’t seem to like the food is because of it being a bottom feeder food that sinks quickly. A good portion of fish people own in the hobby seem to be mid-feeders. Otherwise, my fish enjoy the food. This includes my bottom feeders and others like my guppies who like to bat them around the bottom of the tank substrate like a soccer ball.
Package Sizing and Pricing
Aqueon Shrimp Pellets come in two different-sized containers. The 3.25oz container and the 6.5oz container. Pricing is currently a little weird on Amazon with the 3.25oz container running about $6 and the larger 6.5oz only costing $4. That is a crazy low price per ounce for fish food. Even if the price goes up to around $6, the food is very inexpensive.
Pellet Overview
The Aqueon pellets appear and behave similarly to Wardley’s old pellets. They sink quickly and then fall apart into smaller pieces for the fish to eat. The one thing I find with Aqueon pellets is that they disintegrate slower than Wardley’s.
I saw that some people complained in online reviews about the food not sinking properly and I found that to be true with a few pellets hanging on at the top. They look like they get some tiny bubbles on the ends of the pellets. They eventually sink, and I don’t find this to be a real issue.
Looking back at the pellets disintegrating I would like to point out that if you have a gravel bottom you may have to deal with a decent amount of food getting stuck in the bottom of the tank. This can cause pollution problems in the tank if not dealt with or if your fish can’t dig to get it. I prefer this food with a bare-bottom tank or a sand bottom.
Ingredient Quality
Shimp pellets are not flashy when it comes to ingredients. With the price being so cheap it is easy to guess that the ingredients will also be inexpensive. It should also be no surprise that the main ingredient is shrimp meal, a relatively inexpensive protein source. Now I am sure some would say that this food is just cheap food made with cheap protein and other cheap ingredients. To that, I would say, yes. However, I also believe that it is ok for what it is.
I would not recommend this as a staple food for your fish, but I think it is worth putting into your fish food rotation. In my opinion, most modern fish foods are just fine for our aquariums even if they do not have the best and most expensive ingredients. But that is just my opinion. Aqueon Shrimp Pellets also contain fish meal and other added vitamins, binders, and minerals.
Market Availability
Aqueon is a big company. Their foods are widely available in most pet shops and online. However, it may be difficult to find in small mom-and-pop shops.
My Final Verdict
I like Aqueon’s Shrimp Pellets for some of my fish. The ingredients are not great, and the food can cause problems for those with a “porous” substrate. But I think the food is fun to watch my fish eat and it is very inexpensive. This food can make an excellent treat for most bottom feeders and a few other fish in the hobby.
Brief Soapbox: As hobbyists, we can get opinionated about big aquarium companies. We have different reasons like “They don’t care!” or “They have that one dumb product!”. While this certainly can be true, I also believe they can have some usable products that can come out as well. As an example, the Aqueon Betta Pellets are a food that I really don’t like. However, I do like Aqueon’s Tropical Flakes. Big companies have their problems, but they also have their perks like cheap pricing.
Where to Purchase Aqueon Shrimp Pellets
Thanks for reading!
If you believe this food is something you want to try, feel free to use the link below to purchase some for yourself.
I am on a mission to build a definitive list of fish food reviews I have tried. Be sure to check out my “Master List” of reviews here!