# Spirulina brine shrimp as a meal or treat?



## MSDdivers (Nov 24, 2014)

I would like to add spirulina brine shrimp to my Mbuna cichlid diet. 
Does this replace a feeding or do I give them a little once a week as a treat?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It's not needed at all, but if you want to give it to them at all...once/week or once/month. Mysis would be a more nutritious choice.

Spirulina is an algae and brine shrimp is a crustacean. Did you mean to combine them?


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## 3000GT (Jan 18, 2014)

It's possible that MSDIVERS is referring to something like Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrip (freeze dried). I feed this to my tank twice a week instead of their normal NLS pellets, but my fish are all omnivores. (Peacocks and yellow and clown lab). they love it and I have seen no ill effects, but for most mbuna that are vegetarian, I would guess this would be too frequent.


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## MSDdivers (Nov 24, 2014)

DJRansome said:


> It's not needed at all, but if you want to give it to them at all...once/week or once/month. Mysis would be a more nutritious choice.
> 
> Spirulina is an algae and brine shrimp is a crustacean. Did you mean to combine them?


3000GT is correct, it's Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp (freeze dried) the two are combined into one. It was recommended to me.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It's only 7% protein so it won't hurt them, but Mysis would be a more nutritious choice.


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## 3000GT (Jan 18, 2014)

Actually, I just checked my can/jar of Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp and it says 
Crude Protein: min 48.0%.
Also:
Crude fat: min 5.5%
Crude Fiber: max 0.5%
Moisture: max 6.0%
Phosphorus: min 0.1%


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

OK I see I was looking at the frozen...Dr. F&S does not have the freeze dried...they always list the ingredients.

Be sparing with 48% protein food with mbuna.


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Which species are you keeping?


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## MSDdivers (Nov 24, 2014)

3000GT said:


> Actually, I just checked my can/jar of Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp and it says
> Crude Protein: min 48.0%.
> Also:
> Crude fat: min 5.5%
> ...


The package I have says&#8230;

Crude Protein: min 6.9%.
Crude fat: min 1.6%
Crude Fiber: max 1.3%
Moisture: max 86.0%
Phosphorus: min 0.1%

http://www.hikariusa.com/diets/spirulina-brine-shrimp/


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## Loume (Dec 27, 2014)

Actually when you compare them on a dry matter basis, which is really the only proper way of comparison by removing the water from both equations, the freeze dried is 94% dry matter, and the frozen is only 14% dry matter, here is how they look going by the figures given above;

FD Frozen
Crude protein: min 51% (48/94 x 100) 49.3% (6.9/14 x 100)
Crude fat: min 5.9% (5.5/94 x 100) 11.4% (1.6/14 x 100)
dry matter 94% (100 - 6% moisture) 14% (100 - 86% moisture)

Edit: not sure why it didn't show with the spacings correct, but oh well. :?


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## 3000GT (Jan 18, 2014)

Interesting. Here is the link to the freeze dried version :

http://www.hikariusa.com/diets/fd-brine-shrimp/

So despite the labels, when you account for water, it looks like they are very close in protein. I would not have known to look at it that way.


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## Loume (Dec 27, 2014)

Yes, the protein level is very close in the two versions. I don't know if the ingredients are very similar or not, I haven't seen them, but would assume so? The fat is quite a bit lower in the freeze dried version, it might be a result of the freeze dry process, or it could be on purpose, as fats, and particularly fish oils, are very unstable and subject to rapid peroxidation/rancidity, without adequate preservatives or freezing.


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