Brine Shrimp - Brine Shrimp In The Aquarium Hobby

Brine shrimp (artemia, seamonkeys) are a hugely popular fish food in both freshwater and marine aquarium hobbies. So popular that almost all of the top fish food manufacturers have at least a single brine shrimp product in their line up.

Brine shrimp have been around since the time dinosaurs roamed the earth. And they haven't changed very much for millions of years, a true testament to the survivability of this little crustacean.

They are found inland, living in any body of salty water such as salt lakes. There are not many predators that can live in such waters thereby enabling brine shrimp to increase their populations rapidly. The two biggest predators they face are birds and .........us. Even despite the fact that manufacturers normally add vitamins to them before packaging. There are far superior foods on the market that are just as cheap, mysis shrimp for example.

Despite their wide use as fish food, adult brine shrimp are actually nutritionally poor as they offer little else besides roughage (fiber). Some companies offer enriched brine shrimp which are only marginally better.

Baby brine shrimp on the other hand, are nutritious as long as their yolk sacs are still in place. Within 12 hours of hatching their yolk sac reserves are used up thereby dropping their nutritional value to those of adults.

In the aquaculture industry, baby brine shrimp see widespread use as larvae feed for a variety of shrimp and fish species such as the peppermint cleaner shrimp (Lysmata Debelius) and the ever popular Percula Clownfish (amphiprion Percula). They can even offered as a treat to corals.

There are many foods on the market that are superior nutritionally. Mysis Shrimp and Krill are just two instances of those types of food. While krill may be more expensive than brine shrimp, mysis shrimp is normally just as cheap (depending on brand).

If you insist on feeding your livestock frozen adult brine shrimp, always choose enriched types like the spirulina enriched brine shrimp by the Japanese manufacturer, Hikari.