After publishing our article comparing daphnia and brine shrimp, we have noticed more and more people reaching out about a dedicated mysis shrimp vs brine shrimp article so we wanted to publish this to try and help as many of our readers as possible.
There are a large number of people on social media saying that mysis shrimp and brine shrimp can be used interchangeable and although this is true in some situations, it is not correct for all use cases so we hope that we will be able to clear this up for some of our readers.
Both mysis shrimp and brine shrimp can be an excellent food source for fish, corals, and anemones depending on your aquarium setup but fry can struggle with mysis shrimp due to the larger size.
Brine shrimp tends to be better for younger fish and older dry but brine shrimp are still often too large for fish fry that has only just started moving freely with microworms often being a better option for young fry.
One thing that may be the deciding factor for many of our readers is simply the availability of the food sources in your area.
The majority of people should easily be able to find brine shrimp making it the default option in many cases while also usually having a lower price tag too.
Many people will struggle to find mysis shrimp in their area though unless they order them online but mysis shrimp will usually be more expensive than brine shrimp while also serving a very similar purpose.
What Will Eat Mysis Shrimp And Brine Shrimp?
Many species of fish will happily eat both brine shrimp or mysis shrimp as a treat food without issue.
Fry and younger fish for some of the smaller species can end up having problems with mysis shrimp though due to their small size.
Most corals and anemones will also eat both brine shrimp or mysis shrimp with minimal issues too making them a great food source if you can find them.
If you are specifically looking for something to feed corals then brine shrimp may not be the best option for larger corals as they may not be able to grab the shrimp well.
This is where the larger size of the mysis shrimp help to score them points as it can be easier for some corals to grab them but even then, some of the largest corals may require other food sources.
Due to brine shrimp being such a popular food source for so many of the fish species that are commonly kept within the fish keeping hobby, many people will get a brine shrimp hatchery as it works out much cheaper in the long run. It allows you to breed brine shrimp and provides your aquariums with a consistent supply of healthy, fresh shrimp that your fish will love.
Live, Frozen, Or Freeze Dried Shrimp?
Both brine shrimp and mysis shrimp are available in live, frozen, and freeze dried varieties but the mysis shrimp can be far more difficult to find in many areas than brine shrimp.
Each option usually has a very different price point too with live shrimp being the more expensive usually but freeze dried or frozen being cheaper.
As we covered in our article going over feeding frozen brine shrimp to your fish, when it comes to the nutritional values of your brine shrimp and mysis shrimp, you will often find that there is more nutrition in your shrimp that are frozen or even freeze dried compared to the live shrimp.
This is the total opposite to what many people initially think who are new to the fish keeping hobby.
This is why we usually recommend that people go with a frozen option or freeze dried option for their shrimp if possible due to the nutrition levels being better.
Live shrimp often lose a surprisingly high amount of their nutritional value when being shipped out to you as their body uses everything up to feed the shrimp.
You can technically gut load the live shrimp once they are delivered but the majority of beginners won’t do this making frozen or freeze dried shrimp a much better option.
The Advantages Of Brine Shrimp!
Brine shrimp can be an excellent food source for your fish, corals or anemones due to their low prices, easy availability, and potentially high nutritional content.
Most species of fish seem to really enjoy eating brine shrimp making them an excellent treat food and they can also be used to feed older fish fry to help make sure that they are getting all the nutrition that they require too.
Although brine shrimp are cheap it will work out to be much cheaper for you in the long run if you opt to go with a brine shrimp hatchery to hatch your own brine shrimp eggs in the future.
This helps to offer your fish live brine shrimp that are packed with nutrients and due to the shrimp being alive with this method, they can also offer your fish some mental stimulation as they chase the shrimp around too.
If you have a planted tank setup or some other type of aquarium that offers plenty of cover and hiding spots for your brine shrimp then it can be possible to create a self sustaining brine shrimp colony in your tanks too.
This can be a relatively passive way to constantly offer your fish live brine shrimp that are nutritious and also offer some mental stimulation when feeding.
The Advantages of Mysis Shrimp!
The main advantage of mysis shrimp is that they are larger than most other types of shrimp that are commonly used as a food for fish so larger fish, corals, and anemones are more likely to eat them.
Some of the smaller shrimp species are simply too small to be used as a food source for larger fish but mysis shrimp can be too large to use as a food source for smaller fish and fry so keep this in mind.
This limitation is one of the main reasons that mysis can be difficult to find in some areas as they are just not as popular as the alternative shrimp species for use as a food within the fish keeping community.
If you do specifically need mysis shrimp then ordering them online is almost always the best route to take as they are more reliably available in both live, frozen, and freeze dried while also being cheaper than you can usually find them in a local fish store.
Mysis shrimp can have a wider nutritional profile than the other species of shrimp too as they tend to eat a wider range of food sources due to their larger size making it easier for them to eat more things.
Keep in mind though, many of the commercially available mysis shrimp are farmed on a standard diet that does not take advantage of this so their nutritional profile will commonly be far lower than what it could potentially be.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over our mysis shrimp vs brine shrimp comparison to an end and we hope that we have been able to help as many of our readers as possible understand the advantages and disadvantages of both of these potential food sources for your fish, corals, and anemones. In our opinion, the majority of our readers will be better off just going with brine shrimp due to their lower prices and wider availability unless you specifically know you need mysis shrimp.
