Zooplankton are found near the bottom of the food chain. Feeding on phytoplankton (green water) and other small zooplankton, they in turn are the primary food source for the reef. The most abundant zooplankton found in the ocean reef are tiny, microscopic copepods and rotifers.
Fish, inverts and corals all feed on zooplankton, and many of them strictly feed on zooplankton. In fact many are scientifically classified as Zooplanktivores. This is problematic for the home aquarium, as zooplankton populations are nowhere near that of a similarly sized space of ocean. Fish and corals thrive and grow quickly in the wild with this abundance of zooplankton.
Zooplankton is the most natural way to feed smaller fish, corals, and inverts. Our blend contains both benthic (bottom-dwelling) and pelagic (free-floating) zooplankton. The mix is intended for optimal aquarium uptake given modern filtration systems, using only the smallest zooplankton that can reproduce readily in your aquarium.
Furthermore, chemical capture methods now used in places like the Philippines and Indonesia means that most small fish are unwilling to accept substitute foods, even to the point of starvation. The most notable case is the Mandarin Dragonet.
Your fish and corals will benefit immensely from this all-natural and live source of food. The highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) that are inside all the plankton will make corals shine and keep fish their natural colour.
As the product and resulting zooplankton culture in your aquarium are entirely live, and almost microscopic, they are a waste-free source of food, curbing your feeding requirements and excess waste. Their near-microscopic size means that they can pass unharmed through even the most advanced filtration systems.
Fish breeders rely on rotifers to feed juvenile fish, especially Clownfish. Reef creatures that are known to only feed on live zooplankton in the aquarium include Dragonets, Wrasses, Gobies, Blennies, Filefish, young Clownfish, feather dusters, worms, non-photosynthetic corals, sponges and other filter feeders along with some photosynthetic corals. They feed the entire ocean either directly, or indirectly, and they are extremely nutritious.