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Brine Shrimp: A standard and staple offering for any marine or freshwater aquarium. Brine Shrimp are probably one of the most popular frozen/thawed food item offered by aquarists and wrasse aficionados. Wrasse will usually gobble up brine shrimp with zeal and vigor. Brine shrimp are great for small- to medium-sized wrasse. You can even purchase baby brine shrimp for the smallest of wrasses or other small fish species.
There are a few options when purchasing frozen brine shrimp, including, brine shrimp gut-loaded with Spirulina to deliver more nutrition. Brine shrimp may also be gut-loaded with bio-encapsulated vitamins and minerals making them a great fortified food. There is even brine shrimp that has been enriched with garlic extract. Garlic is a flavor enhancer and is also known for its anti-bacterial properties.
Mysis Shrimp: Mysis shrimp are found worldwide in both fresh and saltwater environments. Although the vast majority of Mysis shrimp are found in saltwater or marine environments, some are found in lakes and rivers. Mysis shrimp can be pelagic, found in the open water, or benthic, found on the ocean floor or bottom of water bodies. Most species of Mysis shrimp utilized for the aquarium trade are approximately 1/4 to 1/2" in size. Mysis Shrimp are a more nutritious food alternative to brine shrimp since they contain much more protein as well as omega fatty acids. Depending on the species of Mysis shrimp, some can grow larger between 3/4 and 1" in size. Some of the brands of Mysis Shrimp we offer are the larger species so be sure to read the product details.
Krill: Krill are also found worldwide in every ocean and offer a more substantial meal due to their larger size. Like Mysis Shrimp, there are several species of krill. Most of the krill for the aquarium hobby are the larger species Euphausia superba, which are 2 to 3 times larger than Mysis Shrimp with the exception of brands using Euphausia pacifica, which are smaller in size and comparable to the size of Mysis Shrimp. Refer to the product details for Krill type. Like Mysis and Brine Shrimp, Krill may also be enriched or fortified with vitamins and minerals depending on the brand.
Larger Krill are great for Harlequin Tusk Wrasse, Banana Wrasse, Paddlefin Wrasse or any of the larger wrasse species. Many of the larger wrasse may display a "bashing" technique when feeding on krill. "Bashing", is just what it sounds like. Wrasse will grab and hold a piece of krill between their jaws, then flip or snap their head to smash it against a rock or hard surface to break up the krill and eat it.
Ocean Plankton: Ocean Plankton is similar to Mysis Shrimp in size and nutrition. Ocean Plankton drifts with the tides and currents, is high in protein levels, lipids and fatty acids and wrasse love it! Ocean Plankton is available in flat packs or blister-type cube packs for convenience in the form of pre-portioned pop out cubes.
Marine Pellet Food: To complete any wrasses’ diet quality marine pellet foods will do the trick. Pellet food is quick and convenient to offer since it does not need to be refrigerated, thawed, soaked or enriched prior to feeding. Almost all brands of marine pellet foods come in varying pellet sizes for different wrasse types. Most wrasse are able to consume small to medium sized pellets. Many brands will show a picture of the food for visual reference or list the actual pellet size in millimeters.
Pelleted foods may not initially be eaten or accepted by wrasse, but most wrasse will eventually dine on pellets which will ensure the wrasse in your aquarium receive proper nutrition. These compact, nutritionally-dense little bites are packed with vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Many marine pellet food brands now incorporate probiotics into their foods which aid in digestion. Pellets are also much "cleaner" and more palatable to fish than they were in the past which helps maintain proper water quality and stimulates the fishes’ appetite.
VitaChem: For food enrichment and fortifying your wrasse and other marine aquarium diets we recommend adding VitaChem to frozen food items as they thaw. VitaChem is a great way to boost nutrition and is used in all frozen/thawed marine and freshwater fish diets here at the LiveAquaria® Coral Farm & Aquatic Life Facility here in Rhinelander, WI. We recommend that VitaChem should be used to enrich foods several times per week.
Other Frozen Food Options: LiveAquaria® carries and offers many frozen food brands that offer mixed marine-specific diets for carnivorous and omnivorous fish to provide variety and options for your marine fish. These mixed preparations can be very convenient and offer something for various fish types in the aquarium. Even more convenient is that frozen food items and other supplies like marine aquarium salt can be set up for Auto Delivery and earn 10% Rewards if you are a LiveAquaria® Rewards Program member!
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