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Live foods

Now more than ever, there is a huge variety of foods available to the marine aquarist. If there is one, big distinction between them it is whether they are live or not live. Almost as a rule, live is better. There are several reasons for this. In some cases it’s because of what’s in them, and in others it’s because of what isn’t in them. Heavily processed aquarium foods, much like human processed foods, are formulated and manufactured with one thing in mind: Convenience. Now, it’s not like we’re all looking to make things more time-consuming or complicated for ourselves. But let’s face it; we don’t keep reef aquaria because they’re easy. We do so because they are, when healthy, amazing to behold. Building and maintaining even a modest, so-so system requires some time and expense. Just as it is with our maintenance routine, if we start to slack or skimp when it comes to animal nutrition, the system and every living in it will look much, much less than amazing to say the least. Processed foods, and even many preserved foods, lose important dietary constituents during the production and packaging process. Particularly where heat is involved, many essential vitamins, antioxidants, etc. are lost. Exposure to light, freezer burn, etc. are other factors to consider. And then substances such as preservatives are often added, even while we remain unsure about their long-term effects on the health of the potentially thousands of species we might keep. Live foods, on the other hand, are complete and natural. Even chemically delicate but nutritionally valuable compounds such as enzymes are left intact. Their natural behavior even makes a sizable difference. For example, motile phytoplankton and bacterioplankton swim in the water column long enough to get captured by sessile, filter-feeding inverts; copepods move in a manner that elicits the feeding response of picky eaters such as mandarins and sea horses. But that’s not all; live foods are, overall, comparatively less messy. Powders from dry foods and juices from frozen foods can significantly pollute your aquarium waters, necessitating extra water changes, extra use of chemical filtrants, additional equipment, etc. (who’s saving money/time now?). In contrast, live phyto actually removes nutrients from the water, and live pods actually clean the bottom and tank panels! In this section you will learn how to use live foods and how their use improves the health of your precious livestock.

39 Posts

A Closer Look at EcoPods

Recently, our friends over at Bulk Reef Supply filmed a product review on one of our bestsellers, EcoPods. If you haven’t watched the
Read More about A Closer Look at EcoPods

Ocean Pollinators

We have some very exciting news to share about ocean pollinators! Marine researchers in France have just released exciting news that
Read More about Ocean Pollinators

What Kind of Copepods do Mandarins Eat?

The Mandarin Goby is a very captivating fish. This fish is mostly prized because of its appearance. Its vibrant colors and patterns are
Read More about What Kind of Copepods do Mandarins Eat?

Galaxy Pods in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

The Ultimate Galaxy Pack is our newest live feeding system designed to provide the most balanced nutritional profile. AlgaeBarn has put
Read More about Galaxy Pods in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

How PNS ProBio works in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

Using minimally processed or live foods like those in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack, may be the simplest and safest way to bring nutrition
Read More about How PNS ProBio works in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

Ultimate Galaxy Pack

How OceanMagik Works in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

Phytoplankton and copepods are the staples of our reef tank feeding regimens here at AlgaeBarn. Without a doubt, phyto and pods also
Read More about How OceanMagik Works in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

How PNS YelloSno Works in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

As reef keepers, we are all too aware of how intricate the ecosystems of coral reefs are. And at AlgaeBarn, we are mindful that every
Read More about How PNS YelloSno Works in the Ultimate Galaxy Pack

What Copepods are Best for the Reef Tank?

One of the most fascinating parts of this hobby is the colossal variety of creatures that will take up residence in the reef tank. This
Read More about What Copepods are Best for the Reef Tank?

What are the Best Live Foods for Coral?

Many invertebrates need a consistent source of food to thrive in a reef tank. This is especially true for coral. While there are many
Read More about What are the Best Live Foods for Coral?

Ultimate Galaxy Pack

AlgaeBarn’s Ultimate Galaxy Pack and Why You Need It

A healthy reef tank features a diverse range of corals, fish, and other marine life. Reef keepers always look for innovative ways to
Read More about AlgaeBarn’s Ultimate Galaxy Pack and Why You Need It

Mesozooplankton and Multivorous Food Webs

Mesozooplankton (e.g. copepods) are characterized as planktonic animals in the size range of 0.2-20 mm. They may be divided into
Read More about Mesozooplankton and Multivorous Food Webs

Feeding Your NPS Aquarium

Photosynthetic corals dominate natural, shallow tropical coral reefs. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that they are so
Read More about Feeding Your NPS Aquarium

A green spot Mandarin

Quarantining Your Mandarin Fish

If you have even worked at the retail or wholesale end of the aquarium fish industry--even for just a week--you are probably keenly
Read More about Quarantining Your Mandarin Fish

Why Nano Brine is the Ultimate Live Artemia Product

Aside from the assorted little bugs early aquarists may have scooped out of nearby ponds, the first widely used live aquarium food was
Read More about Why Nano Brine is the Ultimate Live Artemia Product

Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Ecopack

Pods. Phyto. At AlgaeBarn, these are the bread and butter of the reef aquarium diet. And for sure, these two items form the base of
Read More about Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Ecopack

Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Refugium Starter Pack

You might be setting up a brand-new reef tank. Maybe you’re doing some upgrades to an existing aquarium. Either way, you’ll have a lot
Read More about Upgrading to the ULTIMATE Refugium Starter Pack

Do Corals Really Eat Plankton?

It’s hard to say for sure which came first for reef aquarists--the emergence of high-quality coral foods, or the realization that
Read More about Do Corals Really Eat Plankton?

Natural Water Quality Management for Non-Photosynthetic Reef Aquaria

There was once a time when zooxanthellate corals (especially SPS corals) were considered impossible to keep in captivity. Then
Read More about Natural Water Quality Management for Non-Photosynthetic Reef Aquaria

An Overview of the Firefishes

Marine aquarists are blessed with a gigantic selection of beautiful fish species to keep. Among these, only some are peaceful,
Read More about An Overview of the Firefishes

What Do I Need for a Saltwater Fish Tank?

Whether scouting for your first aquarium, or “graduating” from a freshwater aquarium, there is something about a saltwater aquarium
Read More about What Do I Need for a Saltwater Fish Tank?

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