Opinion: Concentrated Pure Spirulina Tablets

[Melody]

I don't believe that any one person can do a fair review of a food, let alone come to anything resembling a scientific conclusion. We can, however, share our personal experience with it, so I'll refer to these types of threads as my opinion, for what its worth. You'll be seeing this explanation/disclaimer a lot.;)

I spotted the Pure Spirulina Tablets on a US site quite some time ago but never got around to ordering them. Then I saw them on a Canadian site. When I found out he was having an impromptu sale on them, I jumped in. I just received them today so I'll start with the basics.

The appeal of these for me is:

(a) They're pure Spirulina instead of fish food with Spirulina in it, like many of the vegie foods are.
(b) They are reputed to be amazingly stable in water, to a point where they can be used as vacation feeders. I find that most algae wafers fog my water although some keep their shape.
(c) It is high in many of the things I feel are important for my particular fish/snails/shrimp, such as vegetable protein.
(d) Spirulina Algae is a natural color enhancer.
(e) There are no additives or preservatives.

From the label:

"Spirulina is a remarkably rich source of amino acids, pigments, vitamins and growth factors. Spirulina provides Phytonutrients found in the wild diet of aquatic animals . A rich source of B-vitamins and amino acids, Carotenoids and xanthophylis to help promote stronger immune systems. It contains no additives or preservatives."

Ingredients (Nutritional Analysis of Spirulina Algae):

Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A, B1 Thiamine, B2 Riboflavin, B3 Niacin, B6, B12, Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol), Inositol, Biotin, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid.

Minerals:

Calcium Magnesium, Iron, Phosphorous, Potassium, Sodium, Manganese, Zinc, Boron, Copper, Molybdenum.

Fatty Acids:

Omega 6 (Essential Linileic Acid, Gamma Linolenic Acid [GLA], Dihomogamma Linienic Acid) Omega 3 (Alpha Linolenic Acid, Dodecahexanoic Acid [DHA]), Monoethenic (Palmitoieic Acid, Oleic Acid, Erucic Acid), Other Fatty Acids (Palmitic Acid, Myristic Acid, Stearic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Behenic Acid, Lignoceric Acid).

Guaranteed Analysis: Protein 60%, Carbohydrates 19%, Lipids 6%, Minerals 8%, Moisture 7%.

These were purchased from Aquarium Provisions Canada (http://www.aquariumprovisions.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=14) in Ontario, shipped via expedited post. Friendly, fast service and I was kept informed regarding shipping. The full 3lbs of food ordered was packed in one large foil bag.

I'll let you know what I think as I go along.:smile:

[thegrandpoohbah]

I notice you don't have spirulina listed among the ingredients. I assume that was just a typo? How big are the tablets? I wonder if they would be suitable for small Mbuna? Please let us know how these work out for you.

[Melody]

Nope, not a typo, but 'ingredients' is the wrong word. I used their label wording. That is the nutritional analysis of Spirulina Algae - there is nothing else in the tablet. They are described as "Highly concentrated pure Spirulina Tablets". I assume its compressed Spirulina powder, but I could be way off base there.

I don't pretend to know enough about cichlids to say for sure if they'd be appropriate, but I'm sure they could pick at them. I'll get some pic's.:smile:

Edit: Changed the wording in original post to clarify, so don't say "Geeze Mr. GP, what part of 'nutritional analysis' did you miss?" LOL

[Melody]

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-FoilBag.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Size.jpg

I want to wait until the usual time I feed so I can judge the enthusiasm with at least some perspective. I'll post pic's of them checking it out then.

Certainly SMELLS like algae....lol...reminds me of Dulse. They were dusty in the bag so I think the guess that they're compressed powder is right, but they would have been banged around a lot in shipping too.

[thegrandpoohbah]

Hmmm... might have to buy a bit off you to try out. The Africans I'm getting are herbivorous, and it would be good for the pleco and snails too.

[CACAdmin]

Thanks for posting the pic. I can't believe how dark green they are on comparison to pellets which just contain Spirulina (even as their main ingredient). Shall be eager to hear what the response of all the critters in your tank.

As for the 'dust', :idea:I suggest moistening your finger, coating it with the dust & see who thinks your finger is a nice snack. :DevilGrin: You'll have nothing to worry about. On the other hand Mr. Jones with his piranhas, could lose a finger or two with that technique.:laugh:

[Melody]

So the first thing I did wrong was overfeed...lol....these tablets can expand to around 3 times their size, if not a little more, in both circumferance and thickness. Since they're pure Spirulina, one tablet is more than enough for a lot of fishies. Most of them seemed to stay compact and only expanded a bit, while others expanded almost immediately... different compression levels I guess. Either way, seeing the few expand gave me a better idea of just how much was in there.

I was concerned about it being powder, thinking that something ground fine would definitly fog the tank and much would be wasted. However, I was pleased to see that bits and pieces broke off. Either the powder is more coarsly ground or I'm entirely wrong about it being compressed powder in the first place. There was no detectable fogging, even in the tanks where it wasn't eaten right away.

Reactions were mixed - some dug right in and didn't stop until it was gone. Others took awhile to figure out it was food then dug in. Still others took awhile and never did get overly enthusiastic about it. All of them ate it eventually. I suppose a lot depends on how much vegetation the fish would normally eat if it could. Many Livebearers, like Mollies, are classed as omnivores but actually require more vegetation than not. They devoured the stuff.

For the fish that weren't so enthusiastic, they could go either way. They could get accustomed to it and love the stuff, or they could get less and less enthusiastic once the novelty wears off. I'll have to watch those ones for a bit.

I had to wait until the night passed to see if the shy Plecos ate the tablet after lights out - they did. :smile: It was completely gone this morning.

Tank 1: Livebearers & Snails - P. Bridgesii Applesnails, MTS, P. Velifera, Lyretail Sailfin Green Molly, P. nezhuatlcoyotle (Nezzie Sword), Blushing Red Lyretail Swordtails, Albino-Eye Pastel Swordtails, Various Plumetail Platy's, Red Velvet Platy's, mixed brooder Platy's. They all went nuts over the tablets and ate them until they were gone. Seriously overfed this tank but they cleaned it up.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish2.jpg


Tank 2 - A. Spixi Snails, P. Kykesis, Red-eye Red Swordtails (Reg & Hifin), Pineapple male who is moving soon, Lyretail Swordtail females, Albino-Eye Pastel Guppies, mixed brooder female Guppies. Same reaction as above - went at them non-stop.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish3.jpg


Tank 3: Hifin Pineapple & Red Swordtails, Blushing Red & Red female Lyretail Swordtails, Half-black Guppies. Again, same as above, couldn't get enough of them.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish6.jpg


Tank 4 - Limia Vittata, Limia Perugia, X. Captivus (Green Goodeid), B. Holdridgei, Black-eyed Yellow BN Plecos, regular BN Pleco. This tank took a long time to recognize the tablet as food and the wild-type Livebearers never did get overly enthusiastic about it. The Vitatta picked up on it first:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish5.jpg


Then the Green Goodeids:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish9.jpg


Then the Holdridgei & Plecos (Plecos are shy with the lights on and hovered around the area until they couldn't resist any longer...lol):

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish10.jpg


Then everyone joined in here and there:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Fish8.jpg


The Perugia bolt everytime I move so I didn't get a shot of them eating.

The snails all loved it. These are Striped and baby Gold Marisa:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f227/canadiansinternetdotcom/MM-SpirulinaTablets-Marisa.jpg


My lone Electric Yellow Cichlid (mix?) tried to eat one whole as I dropped it in, but couldn't quite manage that, so she amused herself pecking at it and whacking snails off it if they dared come near. I can't keep her light on so I don't have shots of it. If I turn her light on she bashes her face repeatedly into the glass, attacking her own shadow :rolleyes: .

The other tanks pretty much have more of the same types of fish/snails so I spared you that...lol. I'm a tad hesitant to feed them to the Shrimp because of the copper ingredient. Maybe most foods have that and its so little it doesn't matter - I'll have to check. Listing it out is what made me aware of it so I'll hold off for now. If I do feed them to the Shrimp, I'll have to break them up a bit as it will be way too much for them otherwise.

I can't see them being much use as vacation feeders - they had no problem devouring them in less than half an hour, and even the slower eaters had them gone overnight. They did stay very stable in the water when nothing was eating them though, as in the tank that had to wait until lights out.

As with other sinking foods, MTS or rooting bottom feeders will go a long way towards keeping it from building up in the gravel.

[Melody]

Hmmm... might have to buy a bit off you to try out. The Africans I'm getting are herbivorous, and it would be good for the pleco and snails too.

I'm sorry Mr. GP, I missed your post. Just let me know when you're in the neighbourhood and I'll give you some to try.

[CACAdmin]

Sounds like they were pretty much a hit with most of your fish. I'll be interested to see how it goes over the long term.

And great pictures of some beautiful fish, too. You should post some of those in the Photo section.

[amber2461]

Me too, me too .... :laugh::laugh::laugh:

[Melody]

Thank you thank you - the Velifera has just finally started getting more brave so I got a few decent shots. Kykesis wins for novelty Molly, but nothing will ever beat a Velifera when it comes to breathtaking sailfins, in my opinion, they positively sparkle.

[DarkDep]

Hi all,

My name is Chris, and I run www.AquariumProvisions.com where Melody picked up these Spirulina Tablets.

I'm very glad they are working out for you Melody, and hope anyone you've given samples to likes them as well.

Aquarium Provisions is a small operation primarily focused on food products. I'm just in the middle of a site revamp, and will be adding a lot of new products in the coming year. I would encourage anyone interested in the Spirulina Tablets to check out the site, and I am also very interested in hearing about other foods you're looking for sources for.

I'll be lurking around CAC in the future, and would be happy to entertain any questions or comments via PM or direct at www.aquariumprovisions.com.

Chris

[Melody]

Thanks for stopping by Chris & welcome to the site!

For the record, I purchased the tablets from Chris like any other customer, didn't know him from Adam two weeks ago...lol...and he is not currently a site sponsor. The review is part of my goal to broaden the fish food horizons of Canadians. I told Chris about the review when I contacted him to tell him how well it was working out for me. End of disclaimer. ;)

Might as well update while I'm here. Everyone is still going at the tablets with great enthusiasm, except the wild-types who still pick at it but yawn between bites...lol....they are indeed spoiled on frozen food & the like so that may have something to do with it.

I would call the introduction a success thus far. I do, of course, feed mostly veggie-loving creatures so how the various Cichlids & so on will take it I'm not sure, but I'd love to hear about everyone's experiences as you have a chance to try it.

The color & immunity effects of Spirulina are a given but I can't report on that with any degree of accuracy, because I feed a highly varied diet. If I happen to notice anything profound I'll mention it, but take it at face value.:smile:

[Melody]

Strangely enough, tonight I did a waterchange & fed three tablets to a 10G snail tank because there's all sorts of growing snails in there. Apparently they didn't eat it fast enough, because when I walked by the tank about an hour later the water was a very definite green. We're talking 'Honey I dumped the food coloring in the fish tank' green.

What I can't figure out is why it didn't turn the tank green when the Plecos didn't eat it until hours later. The only thing I can think of is that the snail tank has more current due to being over-filtered. I fished out the leftovers and did a big waterchange. There's still a definite green tint but its much better. I'll have to change the filter media out too I suppose.

The question I have is, does Spirulina contain natural 'dye/juice' (like I've found with spinnach), or is there dye added to the product?

I know you don't make this stuff with your own bare hands Chris...lol...but could you possibly contact the people who do and see if they consider dye to be an additive or not? Its says there's no additives, but maybe there's a way around vegetable dyes or something. Thanks :smile: .

Incidentally, overfeeding HBH Soft Spirulina does the same thing to a somewhat lesser degree, so I'm leaning towards Spirulina having some sort of green juice... or they use the the same feed supplier.

[DarkDep]

There is definitely no dye in these tablets. The tablets are made from highly compressed spirulina powder only. Have you ever seen what spirulina powder does to your hands?? :)

One of two things happened. Either the extra current was a factor, or you dropped in a tablet that for some reason was less dense than the others and melted.

I've had one other person report this happening once, and it was a high-flow tank as well.

[Melody]

Makes sense - powder disolves, just like Koolaid;) . I did overfeed or it would have been gone inside the hour. It just seemed odd that it did it in that tank and not the other. Its still green...lol...I'll have to do another clean up. All three left vivid green gel-type stuff with water stains around it on the Brine Shrimp net I used to fish them out, so I know it wasn't tablet-specific. The heavy current must just stir it up and disolve it quicker.

Maybe this is why nobody uses a lot of it in their products...lol...but I'm sure they could get away with something more than a grain/pellet like most of them use. Thanks for the quick reply!

[Melody]

I've used them several times now and no green water - obviously user-error, overfeeding :wideeyed: . The last test is a totally unfair one....lol....I'm going to test homemade food with them as a commercial ingredient. That should be happening tomorrow. It isn't meant to say anything about the product as that isn't its intended purpose, I just want to see how it does & let you know if its an option for your own cauldron :D .

I may be sending some home with Mr. GP this week so he can add his thoughts if he has the time.

[Melody]

They devoured the homemade food as per usual so I can't really say much there...lol...but I can say that the tablets rehydrated and blended beautifully.

I quite often scoop a couple of pitchers of water out of tanks between water changes, like those with lots of baby snails. The pitcher is white so I can really see how dirty the water is when that's the case. I did see a slight green tinge in one so I tested a couple of more and they too had a slight green tinge.

The occupants don't seem bothered by it - its just algae I suppose, but its something to watch for since it is a pollutant, not growing algae. I think it is a good trade off for having something that is 100% pure to feed the fish from a commercial source.

I won't stop using it but I'll be carefully watching how much I feed. Overall, I'm happy to add it to their diet.:smile:

[CACAdmin]

Just tried some of the spirulina tablets in my various tanks. I put a few whole tablets in the tank. Snails loved them immediately. Interestingly enough, all the fish ignored them for a while. I found this strange as platys never ignore anything that remotely resembles food...lol. After a while (20-30 minutes or so?) the platys dived in. (Maybe by then they had softened a bit???) When they did, it was with the usual zeal... typical feeding frenzy.) The plecos too were fighting the snails to get their share. The mollies seemed to ignore them.

As I had to head out the door to work, I never did get a chance to see if the mollies ever took an interest. I will feed some once again this weekend and observe more closely the response to them & post here. That will be a much more accurate evaluation. :yes:

[Melody]

That's weird - my Mollies were the most enthusiastic of the bunch.

A few tablets? Don't you ever listen to me? Don't be alarmed when you see green water.:wideeyed:lol

[CACAdmin]

That's weird - my Mollies were the most enthusiastic of the bunch.

A few tablets? Don't you ever listen to me? Don't be alarmed when you see green water.:wideeyed:lol
I listen... sort of. :laugh: To clarify - 2 in the 70G & 1 in the 20G, 1/2 tablet in each of 5G & 2G... too much for the 2G -- some green water there... so water change.:yes:

[Melody]

So basically you nod while thinking about the football score and then do whatever you want?

You are such a MALE! :laugh:

[CACAdmin]

I'm not a sports fan so can't use that as an excuse...lol... but sometimes I just have to see for myself. But hey, I then have to deal with the consequences but have no problem admitting you were right.;)

[Melody]

How long have you been single anyway? I'm always right, you're always wrong. Its the law of sexes. :rolleyes: :laugh:

I should add something on topic here I suppose. I've been feeding the homemade foods with the rehydrated Spirulina tabs in them and haven't seen any green. I did see green when I used the HBH Soft Spirulina in my recipes, but I can't remember if it was a comparable amount. I may have been more careful since I anticipated a problem and used less.

[CACAdmin]

:offtopic: Single?... 18 years, if you must know... I'm a confirmed bachelor. Marriage... been there, done that.:twitcy:
As for you alwyas being right... you can be right, but not always... and so, sometimes I just gotta see it for myself.:BOLTS:

Back on topic. I plan to fee the tablets (controlled amounts) tomorrow & observe the response of my fish. Will post observations here.

[CACAdmin]

Just fed the tablets this morning. Obviously, everybody has clued in to what these tablets are. Here is what happened:

Fry tank:
Within a minute of dropping in a pellet in the fry tanks the feeding frenzy began. The largest platy fry have taken over, but the little ones & the mollie fry (still tiny) are getting a taste whenever they can squeeze in. The snails in that tank have been are sitting on the sidelines awaiting their chance.

Snail tanks:
All snails were immediately enthusiastic

70G community tank:
Mollies were first (again within a minute) and the most eager. Once the platys took notice of them feeding, the joined in with the usual frenzied feeding. However, the mollies dominated and kept pushing them aside as best they could. At this point neither the plecos nor the snails stood a chance... though did show interest.

Once the mollies had their fill, the platys took over. Finally, bellies full they have left the tablet to the plecos who are now eagerly dining... with the snails trying to get a taste. The Gouramis showed no interest whatsoever (but that could be that they are still very shy).

So my conclusions are that except for the initial feeding (2 days ago) where it took my fish a while to recognize the newly introduced food, they all seem quite eager to eat it. The most enthusiastic (once they figured out what it was) were the mollies who actually became very pushy and aggressive with the platys in their eagerness to compete.. so obviously they loved them.:yes:

[Melody]

Thanks for your input. It appears that the only downside is the green water, which can be controlled by feeding sparingly. There's no denying that its good for them, that's for sure.

I wonder how many nutrients are lost in the drying process. Always wondered that with all foods actually - how much nutrition is left by the time its in powder form, then processed and compressed again?

I'm going to send some home with Mr. SB tomorrow (ssshhhhh its a surprise :secret:) so we'll see what he has to say too.

[mixixe]

I popped some of these in each of my tanks. When I came home, they were all gone. I was worried that my fish wouldn't be able to see them b/c they totally blend in with the eco complete. I assume the fish liked them :) No green water except for the 75 gallon tank where I put in 2. But the water wasn't very very green, just a hint of green.

[Melody]

Thanks for sharing your experience with them. I've really come to like them, especially now that I know to feed them very sparingly. The vegie-lovers go nuts for them and Spirulina is very good for them.

I see group orders in our future ;) . Three pounds sure goes a long way - I've given a bunch away, took a bunch out to keep in a container in my fridge, used them in the homemade foods and still have barely made a dent in the bag.

[mixixe]

Today is the second day i used them, my plecos went for it right away and minutes later i saw snails sucking on them. I really like them too. Sometimes i fear my plecos get hungry but now i got them some spirulina!

[Melody]

The way you worded that sounds like you ate some too....lol.

The thing I value most about them is that they're actually getting the greens that I want them to get. Most of the vegie/spirulina formulas, including algae wafers, don't even have it as the first ingredient. They get enough of the other stuff through leftovers that I feed my fish, its greens that I want a source of. That makes it worth a bit of green water occasionally.

[mixixe]

it's true, most algae wafers have shrimp as their first ingredient i think... btw... spirulina is good for fish and ppl!!! :err: but i didn't have any :laugh:

[Melody]

Good point! Its in supplement form for humans too I believe.

[CACAdmin]

Just thought I'd add a little visual perspective to the enthusiasm showed by my platys for these tablets.

Just dropped one into my fry/juvie tank and this is what happens...lol:
http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/jb_images/platys-sptab.jpg

[Soggybottom]

Hehe, thats crazy!

Melody gave me a bag of these to try out (thanks!) when I picked up my last shipment, part of which was a bucket of approximately half a million feeder snails. I got home fairly late and had no appropriate food for the snails, so I thought heck lets try these things out. I immediately turned the bucket a cool electric-blue-green colour:) I cleaned things up and tried again with a different interpretation of "sparingly". So far everyone including shrimp has been poking at them but still getting used to the idea. I can tell they've been trying it even if I don't see it, because their poos are dark green :) They seem quite stable, none of the cloud of bits seen with flake food when fish snap at that...
I'll post again with attempt #3 :yes:

[Melody]

That pic is awesome! When are you bringing me some of those big girls anyways? Enough of this fry stuff!:laugh:

Mr. SB, I still get a tad overzealous and get green water, curse myself, do waterchanges. A little definitly goes a long way - there's a lot of eating in one tablet. I often end up fishing it out. I would like to hammer it into smaller pieces but its harder to fish out the leftovers. More wasteful, but less clean-up time. I've started feeding it before water changes so I can at least get it cleaned up right away. Thanks for the report!