Frozen Mysis Shrimp Bio-Pure — 3.5 oz Cube, 16 oz Flat, Okanagan 4 oz - Hikari

Frozen mysis shrimp is the backbone of most reef and freshwater feeding routines. Hikari describes its Bio-Pure mysis as a brackish water species offering an excellent protein source: the natural chitosan in its less developed shell supports immune system health, while that thin shell stays easy for smaller fish to chew through.

In this clip filmed at the store, we show how to turn an ordinary frozen food into something that feeds the fish and the rest of the tank.

What Hikari packs into every cube

• Fatty acids naturally present in the animal
• Gut-loading with bio-encapsulated multi-vitamins before freezing
• Three-step sterilization: free of harmful parasites, unwanted bacteria and foul odour
• Rapid freezing that holds the original colour, taste and texture
• Whole animals rather than broken pieces
• No-touch cubes so you can portion without getting your hands wet

Three pack sizes — and two different animals

3.5 oz (100 g) cube pack, 32 cubes — Hikari item #30920

The size that suits most home aquariums. One cube thaws in minutes in a little tank water and portions out with no waste.

16 oz (454 g) flat pack — Hikari item #31040

Built for larger systems, fish rooms, or anyone feeding daily. Break off what you need and the rest goes back in the freezer.

4 oz (113 g) flat pack, Okanagan Lake mysis — final units

This size is not the same shrimp. It is Mysis relicta from Okanagan Lake in British Columbia: a larger freshwater mysis from a sustainable fishery that helps the lake's salmon populations, packed and frozen right on the lake. Hikari also states it is free of white spot syndrome, yellow head virus, myonecrosis virus and Penaeus vannamei nodavirus, as verified by the UAZ Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory. The manufacturer has discontinued it: what is left on the shelf will not be replaced.

Guaranteed analysis published by Hikari

The clearest difference is moisture: the Okanagan pack carries far less water, so more actual food per gram you pay for.

How to feed it

Hikari is specific: use as a treat, and feed no more than your fish will consume within 30 to 45 seconds, no more than twice daily. Remove anything left over once the feeding period ends. The Okanagan pack has its own instruction: feed the amount your fish will consume within a few minutes. Excess oil there is normal — Hikari states it indicates the beneficial components of the product; you can rinse if you prefer to remove some of it, knowing you reduce the nutritional value your corals would have enjoyed.

Manufacturer warning: handling a frozen food derived from a live animal can cause the same allergic reaction as handling the live animal itself. Wash your hands immediately after use and avoid contact with your nose and mouth before washing.

Our advice

Do fish really need frozen food? Not always — good quality pellets can be enough. But I do recommend it: fish love it, it creates real interaction at feeding time, and the small bits that break loose — the eyes, the fragments — go on to feed the benthic fauna, the corals and the whole system. It is more complete. I also recommend varying the menu: it is not good for them to always eat the same thing.

"Mysis is expensive, I'll just use grocery store shrimp" — we hear that often. But we humans only eat the tail, only the flesh. That is incomplete. A frozen mysis is the whole shrimp: the eyes, the head, the liver, the heart. Far more nutritious than what we eat ourselves. And it is frozen fast, so the nutrients are locked in.

Vita-Chem is a product we love and use ourselves at the store. It goes into any food — frozen first — and it can be used at any time. Vitamins are made for exactly this: improving fish colour and vitality. I like it especially for new fish: there is an appetite stimulant in it that makes food irresistible. A fish that won't eat, you put some in its food and it eats. It is a very good product for giving vigour, keeping diseases away, keeping problems away — it has all the good things in it. That is why we use it at the store.

— Stéphane, Aquarium ReefSolution

Why buy from ReefSolution

Authorized Hikari dealer, a dedicated reef store in Laval with in-store pickup and delivery across Canada. The tools we use ourselves at feeding time:

• Boyd Vita-Chem Marine — the vitamin supplement to mix into frozen food before you serve it.
• Seachem Garlic Guard — garlic-based appetite stimulant for picky fish.
• Easy Feed Pipette 385 mm — place food exactly where you want it without putting your hand in the tank.
• Two Little Fishies Julian's Thing — the syringe-style feeder that works as well on a coral as on a shy fish.

Frequently asked questions

Should you rinse frozen mysis before feeding?

For the regular Bio-Pure mysis, Hikari asks for no rinsing at all. For the Okanagan Lake pack, the manufacturer states the excess oil is normal and beneficial: you may rinse if you want to remove some of it, but you lose nutritional value the corals would appreciate.

What is the difference between regular mysis and Okanagan Lake mysis?

They are two different animals. The regular one is a brackish water mysis with a less developed shell, easier for smaller fish to eat. The Okanagan Lake pack is a larger freshwater Mysis relicta that Hikari aims at fish preferring meaty foods: American cichlids, marine angels, grouper and stingray. Its published numbers are also higher in protein and fat, with lower moisture.

Is frozen mysis suitable for seahorses?

Yes. Hikari names seahorses explicitly among the fish its Bio-Pure mysis is intended for, alongside cichlids, angels, triggerfish and wrasses.

Shipping note: frozen food ships express in an insulated cooler with ice packs. Partial or complete thawing during transit is normal — especially in summer — and does not affect the product's quality for your fish. Dry ice would cost a fortune with zero quality benefit; we don't offer it. Be there to receive your package and place it directly in your freezer upon delivery.