AquaThrive is a new dry aquarium feed unlike any other. Using a patented process, the pellets are made from fresh cultured (Terebellid) Polychaete worms. This is a sustainable alternative to fish meal which dominates the fish food industry. It also may prove more valuable to specialized Polychaete feeders such as some Butterflyfish species… hence I had to try them out.
Ingredients:
* Fishmeal
* Polychaetes
* Cereal
* Squid
* Seaweed
* Brewers Yeast
* Mussel
* Fish Oil
* Lecithin
* Spirulina
Besides the inclusion of farmed Polychaetes, what really separates this pellet food is the fat content. It is a staggering 11%! This is more then double the amount found in Hikari Marine-A (5%). This can be a good thing, particularly for juvenile marine fish with fast metabolisms, but must be used wisely. AquaThrive’s protein numbers hit 45% which put them in range with the leaders, while its listed ash and phosphorus properities are a percentage point or two lower than other popular brands.
The overall scent is not as strong as its competitors such as Hikari and Spectrum. However, it is interesting that the AquaThrive food illicits a much stronger coral response than other dry pellets. Even Azooxanthellate corals quickly open when this hits the water.
To test this new food I used it to condition this juvenile Prognathodes marcellae. (Reason being, my other acclimated fish will eat anything and everything!) Three weeks on a diet of Aquathrive and mysis and this fish gained significant bodymass–enough that this 2″ specimen could easily hold its own with larger 5″ Chaetodonts. While not a controlled application, I do believe the fish gained this mass quicker. I currently use Aquathrive weekly to vary the diet of the fishes, but feed it heavier when receiving fish to increase energy stores quickly. In my experience thus far, all fish have readilly accepted AquaThrive, but the 1mm oblong size can be difficult for larger fish. AquaThrive does offer a 1.5mm pellet, but I would not mind seeing larger 2mm and 3mm sizes come to fruition.
For our beloved finned friends, variety is indeed the spice of life. Overall, AquaThrive appears to be a clean, palatable food for ornamental marine fish that adds another food option for aquarists.