The Best Spirulina Fish Foods for Ideal Growth & Unique Color (2024)

Are you currently raising aquatic creatures that are mostly veggie eaters? If yes, then you need to understand that picking the best spirulina fish food for your finned pets is very essential. Indeed, you are probably asking why it is a must to buy spirulina fish food so we will explore what this fish food is all about in the rest of this article.

This post aims to help fish owners learn more about the importance of feeding your pet fish with spirulina and the top-rated products that you can purchase in the market these days. Many expert fish enthusiasts prefer this fish food because it is known for being a highly nutritious source of food.

The list of products reviewed here are deemed as some of the most topnotch options because they are designed to help keep the colors of your aquatic pets become more radiant and brilliant; this is especially true if you are raising betta fish, cichlids, goldfish, koi, and tropheus although such fish food works for diverse fish species as well.

The buying and feeding tips discussed here would also serve as a very useful guide for you to take proper care of your most precious fish tank inhabitants.

Msot Trusted Spirulina Fish Food Reviews of 2023

1. Zoo Med Spirulina Fish Food

For fish owners who are looking for high quality spirulina fish food flakes, this product manufactured by Zoo Med is worth a try. This is an excellent option that you can feed your finned friends because it is high in protein and can be safely fed to goldfish, freshwater and marine fish, invertebrates and other crustaceans. It contains 20% spirulina so it is a certified highly nutritious fish diet.

Since this is fortified with spirulina contents, you can be guaranteed that your fish tank settlers will become more energetic, grow faster, obtain more elegant color and live longer. Additionally, if fed with spirulina, their reproductive, hatching and breeding processes would be significantly enhanced. You will witness a huge difference in your fish once you feed them with this complete fish diet.

These flakes come in inconsistent flake sizes and they easily get crumbled into fine dust; as a result, they create more fish waste inside the tank which means you’ll need to do tank water cleaning more often. Besides these minor gripes, these fish foods are great options worth considering.

2. Hikari Bio-Pure Freeze Dried

The quality of this product can’t be questioned because it is known for being a first-rate treat or daily diet for all saltwater and freshwater fish, diverse marine species and invertebrates. Besides, these are practical options since you can feed frogs and turtles with these foods as well.

Furthermore, this item is deemed as one of the cleanest freeze-dried fish food that is sold nowadays. Take note that you can expect a taste and texture that were not formerly available in a freeze-dried food product.

This spirulina for fish is a thumbs-up choice mainly because it is packed with nutritious ingredients that would offer a plenty of health perks to your aquarium inhabitants. Since they are fortified with essential vitamins, you can finally bid goodbye to fish stress and other fish-related illnesses. This is so easy and convenient to utilize because it was designed with patented ratcheting dispenser top.

Howbeit, these foods get instantly crumbled and transform into fine mixtures and because of this, it is expected to make the tank water whitish and look filthy. These are a few of the glitches that would slightly irk you once you start feeding your fish tank pets with these fish foods.

3. Sera Spirulina Color Pet Food

The many benefits of spirulina in aquaculture are immense. It cannot be denied that fish fed with spirulina becomes healthier, more energetic, colorful and more resistant to ailments. Luckily, there are numerous options when it comes to purchasing fish food products that contain a generous amount of spirulina contents.

These color foods are well accepted by diverse fish species and you would delight in seeing them swim actively on the surface of the water. They are formulated with ample amounts of proteins so your fish tank dwellers can grow healthily, become more vigorous in fighting off illnesses and benefit from a highly nutritious diet.

All the same, two things that you won’t find satisfying about this product are its cheap quality container bucket that gets instantly broken so the freshness of the feeds is compromised and the selling cost of this product is still expensive for anyone short in budget.

4. OSI Spirulina Flake Fish Food

Whether you are presently in the hunt for premium quality spirulina for marine fish or freshwater aquatic creatures, these flake foods are good to go for. They are manufactured with an ample amount of spirulina that does not merely act as a natural color enhancer but also does an exceptional job of vitalizing the immune system functions of your fish tank occupants.

More than that, there is no need for you to worry about the overall wellness of your pet fish because they become more robust to combat bacteria, infections and ailments. These flakes are not uniform and paper-thin like other options out there; even so they are much more natural with texture.

Please be guided that these foods are prone to get easily crumbled into fine grains so which makes them very messy to utilize and it is expected to see the tank water look filthy and cloudy. See for yourself if these downsides are a real problem for your fish tank.

5. Ocean Nutrition Spirulina Flakes

This spirulina aquarium fish food product is a good catch. It is nutrient-enriched food that could supplement regular feeding. If you wish to have colorful and energetic fish playing, roaming and swimming inside the aquarium, then these feeds can help your fish tank settlers become livelier and healthier entertainers for you, for your loved ones and your guests.

If you have omnivorous and carnivorous pet fish inside the tank and would like to make them more vibrant, healthier and robust, then one great way to achieve your goal is to feed them with these premium quality spirulina fish flakes.

These are reliable when it comes to providing the most outstanding nutrition for your finned pets. Unquestionably, these feeds can perfectly cater to their feeding needs and you’ll be stunned of the noticeable difference if you feed them with these foods.

Take into consideration that these foods are not stapled foods which means you need to feed your finned buddies with varieties to complete their daily nutrition needs. Apart from this, the price is a little costly considering the size of the container won’t last for a long period of feeding.

6. Cobalt Aquatics Mysis Spirulina Fish

Shopping for the right spirulina fish food for cichlids is interesting because there are several available options you can refer to. Just like this product, you can safely feed it to tropical fish, omnivores and marine herbivores. And, even if you have very picky aquatic pets who are transitioning to prepared foods, this food would work well on them.

It can be challenging to feed finicky eaters but this does not need to be the case if you feed them with this highly flavorful spirulina algae-based and Mysis shrimp formula. For fish owners who dream of seeing their fish sustain amazing colors and obtain the ideal shape, this food would help you do that for your most valued aquarium friends.

For sure, you will also love feeding this food to your fish because this can guarantee a cleaner diet so you can expect less fish waste inside the tank and maintain the cleanliness of your aquarium. If used correctly and avoid overfeeding, then you don’t need to exhaust yourself performing more frequent tank water replacements.

Still and all, while this food is superb in terms of advanced nutrition, a couple of things that you may find off about it are its steep selling cost and it comes with a poor quality lid that won’t function well in properly sealing the container to keep the food fresh and in good condition. It will have been better if they secure the packaging.

7. Sera Marine Spirulina Grazer

If you find it a little troublesome to decide which spirulina for goldfish fish food product to buy, then you can drop your worries and opt for this product instead. This is easy to use and contains superb ingredients that can ensure top health for your most prized finned buddies.

These tablets are uniquely manufactured and capable of sinking to the underneath section of the tank, or they can also be attached to the glass of the aquarium by slight finger pressure. Many fish hobbyists choose this product because it is designed to be well-balanced food that encourage awesome fish appearance, healthy development and supports the natural behavior of your aquatic pets.

Additionally, if you want your fish tank occupants to remain active, livelier and avoid various sorts of digestion problems, this food would help them achieve all these. It even allows for viewing timid fish consume their food right in front of you. If you need adhesive tablets that could work well for large-sized marine fish, then this can be one of your top-tier options.

Before buying this product, see to it to check a few of its demerits and these are its potentiality to break down very easily and it tends to leave a tough mark on the aquarium. Anyhow, besides these weak points, this product is still reliable in many other aspects.

What to Look for When Buying Spirulina Fish Food

Before buying fish foods that contain spirulina, be sure that you are well aware that too much or too little spirulina contents are not good for your fish tank settlers. It is possible to have a staple fish diet that contains spirulina algae as the key ingredient and can be an efficient diet for most aquatic pets.

The truth is, carnivores can also benefit by consuming spirulina-based flakes before feeding because the majority of the carnivores in the wild gain more nutrients from the intestinal tract of the fish they eat.

Keep in mind that excessive spirulina in the fish food could cause the immune system of the fish to work improperly and may lead to fish stress; on the other hand, insufficient amount would not provide the benefits that spirulina could provide.

Your fish will require 10 to 20% spirulina to obtain more benefits; however, you must not provide them beyond 20% either if you do not want them to get ill. It is good to note that some premium quality brands of fish food products that are highly recommended do not have spirulina contents at a maximum level too, so you should be cautious.

Before investing in a specific spirulina fish food product, it is practical to conduct research first, compare the ingredients, features, pros and cons of the product. Do not merely base your purchase on the price tag of the fish food but focus more on the quality and ingredients. Also, check if the product is highly recommended by many fish hobbyists and consumers.

Other Important Factors to Consider

What is spirulina fish food?

This food refers to blue-green plant plankton that is fortified with major vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, vitamins C and E and is also packed with generous amounts of protein contents. It is known for being a highly nutritious fish food because it comes with natural color enhancers, whole range of essential minerals as well as good levels of beta-carotene.

Such food can help promote faster and healthier fish development, amazing fish coloration, stronger immunity, good digestion, and healthy breeding and reproduction.

What are the different types of spirulina fish food?

Among the unique algae feed ingredients, spirulina is known for being rapidly growing cyanobacter of huge size and have been revealed as a potential protein source alternative for cultured fish primarily because of its superb and premium quality proteins, essential fatty acid contents, vitamins, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant pigments as well as anticancer properties.

Spirulina fish food products come in several different forms. These are generally available in:

• Tablets
• Fine powder
• Flakes
• Pellets
• Stick-ons
• Algae wafers

As you can see, there are several options for you to select from when feeding your fish tank residents with an adequate amount of spirulina contents.

Why do you need spirulina fish food? (Benefits)

Feeding your aquarium pets with a good amount of spirulina is highly beneficial. This food offers complete proteins although it is a plant-based source of food. For a fact, only very few plants can provide protein when fed to aquatic creatures.

This food is a great choice because it helps in vitalizing fish immunity so they become stronger in combatting bacteria, infections and other illnesses before they even start attacking your fish.

It is worth mentioning that you can expect lower rates of ailments in spirulina-fed fish which conveys that your finned friends can live healthily and extend their lifespan. Nowadays, a lot of fish hobbyists opt for spirulina fish food products because these also work effectively in making the color of your fish more vibrant and brilliant.

Hence, if you are keeping goldfish, tropheus cichlids, betta fish and koi that are colorful; then you can intensify their natural color even more if you feed them with spirulina. This food can also enhance the color of other fish species.

And, it has been revealed that fish diets that contain comparably good amounts of spirulina could minimize dependence on different kinds of toxic medications as well as the intake of antibiotics.

Aside from enhancing fish coloration, spirulina can also help promote healthier digestion. Foods containing this ingredient are primarily designed to be safe and easy to swallow and digest even for weaker and older fish.

As compared to meat-based and fish foods that contain soy meal, spirulina is digestible and won’t cause various sorts of digestion concerns like bloating and constipation.

Lastly, since spirulina can offer superb levels of proteins, this is dependable when it comes to supporting faster and healthy fish development as well. This food can also help in supporting healthy reproduction and breeding in fish and can contribute to the overall well-being of your pet fish.

As you can see, there are plenty of health perks that your fish tank inhabitants can enjoy if fed with good amounts of spirulina.

Here is a recap of the major health benefits of feeding spirulina to your pet fish:

• Significantly enhances fish coloration with rich pigments
• Accelerates and uniforms the development and growth rates of aquatic creatures
• Greatly improves the distinctive production of enzymes
• Helps minimize disease and mortality rates
• Promotes healthy digestion and ensures proper absorption of nutrients
• Assists in warding off blocked intestinal passages as well as swollen abdomen
• Invigorates the immune system functions of your finned buddies

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most trusted spirulina fish food brands?

One of the most infallible ways to feed your finned friends with proper nutrition is choosing fish food products that were especially manufactured by reputable and reliable brands that have been in the fish feeding industry for years. Needless to say, it is just right to research about respectable fish food manufacturers before spending lavishly particularly if you are still a novice in the fish hobby.

Before buying one, it is practical to look for highly recognized fish food brands that are considered the top options of expert fish enthusiasts, or you can consult local fish or pet stores regarding their best-selling fish food products. In so doing, you can have idea of which brand or product can satisfy the nutritional needs of your aquatic pets.

A few of the most recommendable brands that you can count on consist of:

• Ocean Nutrition
• Hikari
• Fluval
• Sera
• OSI

You can check out the products of the brands mentioned above and you will uncover how top-rated these are in manufacturing premium quality fish food products that most expert fish keepers use for fish feeding. As for quality, safety and nutritious ingredients, you won’t hesitate to buy products from these brands.

How do you make spirulina fish food?

When making fish foods that contain spirulina, plant or vegetable matter, it is highly suggested to utilize fresh produce that was organically grown. This is to ensure that the food you make is free of nay pesticide residues that may be toxic to the overall wellness of your pet fish.

Here is a list of possible ingredients that you can use when making your version of spirulina fish food:

• Romaine Lettuce

One of the most excellent bases for making fish foods is organically grown dark leafy greens.

• Spirulina Powder

This is deemed as one of the most preferred food additives among expert fish hobbyists whenever they make their fish food. It is mainly comprised of cyanobacteria. Spirulina powder is fortified with amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

More than that, the natural pigments within does a vital role in assisting captive fish to unleash their more vibrant and brilliant color.

• Dark Leafy Greens

These include kale, chard, lettuce, spinach, and romaine lettuce as well as sushi seaweed. All these veggies are good at providing richer and more nutritious plant-based types of food. And, since these are packed with essential minerals and vitamins, they execute a great job of mimicking the natural aquatic flora consumed by fish species.

• Corn Starch or Potato

You can add one tablespoon or so to the mixture of the fish food that you are making. The start helps to hold the mixture properly together so you can create flakes when dried.

• Garlic

This is referred to as super food for various fish species. Aside from its ability to mimic the appetite of even the pickiest eaters, garlic also helps sustain peak health for your pet fish by providing anti-bacterial properties.

• Miscellaneous Vegetables or Fruits

You can add some vegetables or fruits on top of your leafy green base when making fish food. This way, the nutrition could be obtained from diverse sources. The variety of nutrients would help keep the fish feel and looking their best.

Carrots, peas, broccoli, pears, oranges, zucchini, and apples are some examples of excellent additions when making homemade fish foods for your aquarium buddies.

Procedure:

• Prepare all the ingredients. Take note that leafy greens must be thoroughly rinsed and the harder vegetables such as carrots and broccoli must be blanched.

On the other hand, if there are any frozen ingredients, you must thaw them first. As for fish ingredients, you must de-scale them but bones on.

• The next phase should be to blend the ingredients properly. Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until the mixture has become consistent.
• Then, it is time to strain the mixture. Use a spatula or ladle when squeezing the mixture through a medium-fine mesh.

This procedure is the most tedious stage; nonetheless, it would help eliminate any big pieces of vegetable or bones that are too huge for fish consumption.

• Dry the mixture out. Allow approximately 3 to 4 hours to dry the fish food into flakes.

This procedure starts by covering big baking trays with the use of parchment paper or wax. The paper would help impede the dried food from sticking to your pan.

• Afterward, carefully pour the refined mixture onto the sheets and thoroughly spread it into a very slim layer.

Put it in the oven and set it to 150 degrees Fahrenheit and then let it dry for a few hours or until the mixture has become utterly crumbly.

• Finally, break it apart. In this stage, the sheets would come off in big chunks. You can break them down using your hands until they reach the preferred size.

Then, you may store it in a cool and dark spot. For the fish food to remain fresh and in good condition for more than a year, it is highly advised to put it in an airtight container.

How to use?

When using or feeding your fish tank settlers with spirulina, consider the following guides:

• Look for the most suitable fish food. Spirulina fish foods are a great food sources for your aquarium pets. These are available in many different forms such as flakes, pellets, tablets and the like. They are ideal for veggie eaters and can offer many nutritional benefits to your finned friends. If fed right, they become happy and healthy aquatic creatures.
• When feeding, all you need to do is to sprinkle a little number of spirulina foods and observe your fish tank inhabitants as they devour the food. If you are using the stick-ons versions, just adhere this to the glass of the aquarium and you’re good to go.
• Think about the available options. There are many different spirulina fish food options sold on the market to date. These are safe to use when feeding herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Some are ideal to use for freshwater and saltwater fish. Consider what the products are specifically made for. This way, you can be guaranteed that your fish gets the nutrition they seriously need to thrive and live a happy and disease-free life.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to the amount of food per feeding, feeding schedule and avoid giving your fish excess amounts of food to avoid digestion issues and tank water problems.

Where to buy?

Looking for the most suitable spirulina fish food products is very easy to do. You can visit the nearest local pet, fish or aquarium supply stores in your area. Some well-stocked supermarkets sell products like these too and you can find them in their pet care sections.

However, if you want a more convenient way of shopping for the best spirulina fish food products, you can refer to some legit and highly recognized online shopping sites like Live Aquaria, Amazon, Petwarehouse, PetCo and PetSmart. These sites can offer you various spirulina fish foods that were manufactured by famous and reliable brands.

Shopping online is very exciting because finding the products you need is made a lot easier and you can have the chance to select from countless options that would help you learn more about which one would work best for your requirements.

Spirulina Nutritional Information

Spirulina comes with nutritionally balanced ingredients in fish feeds. For a fact, it contains protein that ranges between 41 by up to 63% dry weight and comes with all of the vital amino acids in suitable levels, except for minimized lysine, cysteine and methionine.

In addition to this, its vital fatty acid profile consists of superior levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids while it’s mineral and vitamin contents are proportionate to other in-use protein sources of fish feeds.

Hence, because of the well-rounded amino acid content of spirulina as compared with other plant-based protein sources, makes it an excellent replacer of fish meal in the feed formulation of aquatic creatures.

What makes spirulina important as a dietary supplement?

It is worth noting that spirulina has obtained remarkable fame in the industry of health food and is labeled as an excellent vitamin and protein supplement to aquaculture diets.

Furthermore, it has been long utilized as an outstanding dietary supplement by people since it comes with superior contents of macro and micro nutrients. Bear in mind that this calls for a straightforward technology in harvesting, cultivation and processing.

In terms of aquaculture, spirulina has the potential to be utilized as an organic feed supplement to greatly aid in enhancing fish growth. The blue green algae spirulina has the potential to be included in the diets of diverse fish species due to its impressive nutrient profile and its being easy to digest.

What makes spirulina a unique fish feed?

Spirulina acquired its name from its spiral feature; however, you need to use a microscope to determine it looks that way. If viewed without using a microscope, you will see it as something that appears like a dark green seaweed grass, or something that you could see on the underneath portion of the river.

This is a highly nutritious source of food even though it comes with a strange structure. Spirulina is filled with protein, vitamin B12 and beta carotene- all of these makeup roughly 70% of the plant.

Not to mention, the protein contents serve as a complete protein that is commonly tough to find in plants. This also comes with 62% of amino acid content.

At present, spirulina is farmed worldwide for human consumption and fish feeds. Whilst, indeed, spirulina algae are precisely labeled a fish food in the commercial market, this also comes with a huge following in the field of health food.

Are spirulina fish food products pricey?

Such foods are available at great prices. You could also find some that you can purchase in bulk, wholesale or you may go for individual containers depending on your fish feeding requirements.

There are great deals for you to avail of when products are bought in bulk or wholesale. Higher price tags are expected depending on the brand chosen.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the best spirulina fish food is ideal for your aquatic pets because such food can provide complete proteins although it comes from a plant. In the same way, it does a good job of bolstering the fish immune system functions of your pet fish so they become more resistant to bacteria, infections as well as different sorts of ailments.

It is good to note that there have been several reports that fish species that are fed with spirulina are less susceptible to fish stress and diseases; they remain in top health, more active and are more likely to live longer. As what you read in this post, feeding your fish tank occupants with spirulina can also help encourage healthy digestive system functions since such food is easily digested.

The products tackled in this article are some of the top-rated options that the majority of expert fish hobbyists buy. So, for beginners, you can thoughtfully decide on the one that you think would be excellent to cater to the feeding needs of your aquarium buddies.

Moreover, these products do not contain any toxic contents that weaken your fish but they can ensure lots of health benefits. You can purchase bulk of spirulina fish food or wholesale ones; there are also available individual containers that you can buy depending on your fish feeding requirements.