Frozen or live brine shrimp?

Question

for me it will be hard to have live brine shrimp but will frozen ones do and be just as nutritious and healthy for my MARINE fish

will angelfish eat them

Answer 1

Angels need to have as much (or more) vegetation in their diets as "meaty" foods.

Adult brine shrimp have very little nutritional value (the newly hatched shrimp are good for fry, but they lose nutritional value as they grow). If you want to feed them to your angel, you should feed him enriched frozen brine shrimp to increase their food value - you can buy them enriched with HUFAs, Omega 3, or spirulina (any would be okay). I would encourage you to find out what he's been eating in the store where you bought it, since it will be more likely to eat foods with which he's familiar, then add new foods gradually. Brine shrimp, even if enriched, is not suitable as a sole food item for any fish. If he's been in captivity for a while, he may be eating frozen mysis shrimp, plankton, marine cuisine, mussels, squid, clams, emerald entree, and seaweed, all of which would be better for his health than "regular" brine shrimp. Since angels are omnivores, they need to have vegetation in their diets to stay healthy, but like meaty foods as well. A good variety will also benefit the other fish you're planning as well.

Since all angels are wild-caught, what yours will eat will depend on how long he's been in captivity and what he's been given in the past. I'd strongly advise that you ask to see him eat in the store before you buy him (to make sure he IS eating) before you even purchase one.

See this article on dwarf angels - feeding info is in part 2: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/angels/centropyge/index.htm

Answer 2

Actually frozen is often more nutritious than store bought live brine. The only question is will your fish eat the frozen? If so use that as a great choice in goods.

MM

Answer 3

Hi Kelly, There are some schools of thought that say feeding live foods such as brine shrimp & bloodworms is actually bad practice as there is always a chance of introducing diseases with living organisms. How much validity in this is open to question but I have only fed the frozen varieties since reading about it. I believe the nutritional value to be the same.

Answer 4

I don't think it's necessary to have the live brine shrimp. If you want to feed your fish brine shrimp go with the frozen they are easier to keep. Even the brine shrimp aren't a necessity. Feeding it the red worms in the fish food containers that aren't frozen work just fine and help them maintain their color. Red worms are also my favorite because they float and don't sink to the bottom and make the tank dirty. Make sure you just get the kind in the fish food container not the frozen. I hope this helped :)

Answer 5

Hi. I agree with John, that frozen brine shrimp are a lot safer to feed to your fish than live ones.
This rule applies to any live food. Blood worms are also a very common live food, but I will ALWAYS opt for the frozen variety.
There are arguments for feeding your fish live food, as it is more natural to them, and probably more fun for them!
BUT, the fact that freezing the shrimps/worms will kill parasites, makes it a no brainer for me. I just wouldn't want to risk my fish catching diseases.
Marine fish enjoy live food (even if it IS frozen) just as much as any other fish on the planet.
If you think about the fact that frozen veg/meat is readily available and often recommended for us humans, then just remember that the same applies to fish.
It is also more conveniant, as you can keep it for much longer periods of time in your freezer!
So yes, if I were you, I would go for the frozen stuff!

Answer 6

Frozen shrimp are just as good as brine once. I think that the nutritional value is very close to the fresh. maybe you could try unfreezing them before you throw them in your fishtanks

Answer 7

The concern isn't which is more nutritious, but which your fish will actually eat. If they eat frozen, then you are all good.

Answer 8

frozen ones are as nutritious as live ones. so you dnt have to worry =) cheeros!

Answer 9

I agree with copper