Frozen Spirulina Brine Shrimp Bio-Pure — 3.5 oz Cube and 16 oz Flat - Hikari

Live brine shrimp harvested at their nutritional peak, frozen with spirulina algae. Hikari presents this version as a natural source of fatty acids and algae, lifted with spirulina for coloration and form.

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.

One detail almost nobody mentions

Hikari does not aim this brine shrimp at small fish. The manufacturer states plainly that it targets larger freshwater and marine fish: American cichlids, grouper, marine angels, parrotfish, snapper, larger wrasse, and larger seahorses too. That is the opposite of the plain brine shrimp, which Hikari simply places in freshwater or marine environments with no size restriction. If your tank holds small residents, the regular brine shrimp is the right call.

What the spirulina changes

• Fatty acids and fibre beneficial to most freshwater and marine fish
• A treat almost any fish can readily consume and digest, herbivores in particular
• A combination of vitamins, spirulina algae and live brine shrimp you cannot duplicate at home
• Gut-loaded with bio-encapsulated multi-vitamins, three-step sterilized, rapid frozen, whole animals

Two pack sizes

3.5 oz (100 g) cube pack, 32 cubes — Hikari item #32520

One cube per feeding, nothing to break off, nothing to weigh.

16 oz (454 g) flat pack — Hikari item #32540

For well-stocked tanks or daily feeding. Break off the portion you need, the rest goes back in the freezer.

Ingredients and guaranteed analysis

Brine shrimp, water, spirulina, 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.

Two gaps against the plain brine shrimp: moisture rises to max. 95.0% (from max. 92%) and phosphorus goes from min. 0.01% to min. 0.08%. Nothing dramatic, but it matters if you watch your phosphate closely.

How to feed it

Hikari says to feed no more than your fish will consume within 30 to 45 seconds, no more than twice daily. Remove anything left once the feeding period ends.

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 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. The brine shrimp your fish love is loaded with spirulina — seriously nutritious. That is exactly this product.

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

Can I feed this to small fish?

Hikari explicitly aims this version at larger fish. For a tank of small residents, take the regular Bio-Pure brine shrimp, which the manufacturer places with no size restriction.

Spirulina on brine shrimp or on mysis — which one?

Hikari makes both and they do not target the same fish. The spirulina mysis is aimed at cichlids, angels, triggerfish, wrasses and seahorses with no size note. The spirulina brine shrimp, this one, targets the larger specimens. Look at the size of your fish before you look at the pack.

Will it raise my phosphate?

Published phosphorus is min. 0.08% against min. 0.01% for the plain brine shrimp. Hikari publishes no measurement of the impact on a tank — if you see a figure elsewhere, it did not come from the manufacturer. Write to us with your tank volume and feeding routine and we'll look at it with you.

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.