Frozen Omega Brine Shrimp Bio-Pure — 3.5 oz Cubes, Guaranteed EPA and DHA - Hikari

This is the only brine shrimp in the Bio-Pure range for which Hikari guarantees numbered omega minimums. The manufacturer describes it as live brine shrimp harvested at their nutritional peak, gut-loaded with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and calls it most beneficial to marine species.

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.

Numbers, not just a promise

Most foods advertise "omega enriched" without ever saying how much. Hikari publishes both values in its guaranteed analysis:

• EPA: min. 2,600 mg/kg
• DHA: min. 1,600 mg/kg

These are not oils sprayed onto a finished product: EPA oil and DHA oil appear in the ingredient list, right after brine shrimp and water. The shrimp are gut-loaded before freezing.

What Hikari packs in

• Fatty acids and fibre beneficial to most freshwater and marine fish
• Gut-loaded with DHA and EPA at guaranteed minimum levels
• Gut-loaded with bio-encapsulated multi-vitamins and fatty acids before freezing
• Three-step sterilization: free of harmful parasites, unwanted bacteria and foul odour
• Whole animals rather than broken pieces, and no-touch cubes

Pack size

3.5 oz (100 g) cube pack, 32 cubes — Hikari item #32521. This is the only size the manufacturer publishes for Omega brine shrimp: there is no flat pack.

Ingredients and guaranteed analysis

Brine shrimp, water, EPA oil, DHA oil, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilized vitamin C), riboflavin (vitamin B2), thiamine mononitrate, biotin, choline chloride, folic acid, calcium pantothenate, inositol, niacin.

How to feed it — three separate instructions

Hikari does not give the same instruction for every tank:

• In a reef tank: feed twice daily.
• For fry: feed as many times per day as possible; smaller, more frequent feedings, up to ten times a day, work best.
• Intended for: most freshwater or marine environments, and most filter feeders too — the only product in the brine shrimp family where the manufacturer names filter feeders.

As with all frozen food: remove anything left over once the feeding period ends.

Manufacturer warning: handling frozen food derived from a live animal can cause the same allergic reaction as handling the live animal itself. Wash your hands thoroughly immediately after use and before any contact with your nose, eyes or mouth. Always avoid contact with open wounds.

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 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.

"Brine shrimp isn't nutritious" — think of brine shrimp as a container. When you buy brine shrimp enriched with spirulina: spirulina is extremely nutritious, but it is a powder, and fish don't eat powder. So the producer stuffs the brine shrimp full of spirulina, then freezes them immediately. Here the container is the same, but what went inside is EPA and DHA oil — and this time the manufacturer writes down how much.

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.
• 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

How is it different from regular Bio-Pure brine shrimp?

Same shrimp, same base analysis (min. 4.0% protein, max. 92% moisture), but two extra ingredients — EPA oil and DHA oil — and two guaranteed values the plain version does not carry: EPA min. 2,600 mg/kg and DHA min. 1,600 mg/kg. Hikari calls it most beneficial to marine species.

Does it feed corals?

The manufacturer names "most filter feeders" among the intended recipients, which it does on no other brine shrimp in the range. It publishes no dosing protocol for corals: for a reef tank, its only numbered instruction is to feed twice daily.

Can I use it to raise fry?

That is the use Hikari details most: feed as many times per day as possible, in small frequent portions, up to ten times a day.

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.