About a year ago we added a new bulk-quantity packaging option for our REEFreshments: Live Phytoplankton and REEFreshments: REVIVE™ Live Zooxanthellae. The new packaging option was a 64 oz. glass growler. We chose these glass growlers, because we felt that they were the most appropriate choice of packaging for our #Aquaholic and #REEFreshments branding. What's more #Aquaholic than dosing live feeds from an amber glass growler, right?! And, once you finish feeding off your plankton, there's nothing stopping you from cleaning that growler and heading to your local brewery for a fill of your favorite brew! ;)

For almost a year, we have had these glass growlers available through our website, retail and distribution partners, and at local frag swaps and trade shows. While overall our glass growlers have been a big hit with customers, we've received feedback that stores and customers would like the option to choose a more compact (and less fragile) packaging design than a glass growler. . .

One of our favorite features of these new pump jugs is that they have measurement graduation markings clearly labeled on the side of the jug. These graduations make it easy to see just how much microalgae is left, and help simplify dosing.

Like our glass growlers, these new jugs also feature a convenient handle for easy carrying and dosing. But! These new jugs ALSO come with the optional manual dispensing pump to make dosing a breeze! Just remove the cap, install the manual dispensing pump (included), and pump away! ​

There are two main merits of dry coral foods: (1) Convenience and (2) Cost-Effectiveness.

(1) Convenience
Our REEF RECIPE is easy to store (room temperature is sufficient), it has a one-year shelf life, and it is simple to feed. It doesn't get any easier than opening a jar of REEF RECIPE, hydrating a scoop of food (with tank water, RO water, or live phytoplankton), and feeding it to your reef aquarium. 

(2) Cost-Effectiveness
Let's be honest, live feeds can be costly. While we recommend that all reef aquariums are fed live feeds (live plankton is the foundation to every marine ecosystem!), supplementing your live feed regimen with a dry coral food is a great way to feed your reef economically.

REEF RECIPE consists of augmented marine plankton (both phytoplankton and zooplankton). Our recipe is a high-protein, carotenoid-rich formula with essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, omega fatty acids (PUFAs and HUFAs), and immunostimulants. REEF RECIPE is designed to not just feed your reef, but nourish it. Our recipe has been refined to maximize coral growth, coloration, and health.

(1) Variety of Micron Sizes & Suitable for ALL Corals
REEF RECIPE contains a variety of micron sizes to ensure that there are appropriately sized food particles for every type of coral in your aquarium. From the smallest polyp corals (SPS) to the largest (LPS), REEF RECIPE has them (and every size in between) covered. It is also a great food for soft corals, corallimorphs, anemones, and other suspension-feeders.

(2) High Protein
Ranking in with a minimum crude protein percentage of 58%, REEF RECIPE  has one of the highest protein counts of dry coral foods on the market. In comparison, some other dry coral foods only have about 30% crude protein.

(3) PUFAs and HUFAs
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) are essential to marine organism health and development. Most dry coral foods on the market contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), but not all of them contain highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs). REEF RECIPE contains both PUFAs and HUFAs for optimal nutrition.

(4) Carotenoid-Rich
Carotenoids are fat-soluble pigments responsible for the vibrant colors that we see in corals and fish. Of the carotenoids commonly valued for marine pigmentation, Astaxanthin (a red-pigmented carotenoid) is especially prized for its color-enhancing properties. When formulating REEF RECIPE, we included marine plankton that are naturally high in carotenoids (some with natural Astaxanthin counts of ~1500ppm), and then we further augmented these plankton with CAROPHYLL® (a reputable carotenoid additive). CAROPHYLL® is unique in that it contains impressively high Astantaxanthin levels (~10%). In comparison, NatuRose® (an Astaxanthin supplement commonly used in other dry coral foods because of its substantially lower cost) is only about 1.5% Astaxanthin. At Aquaholic Aquaculture, we don't believe in sacrificing nutrition to save a little money. By choosing to augment our plankton with CAROPHYLL®, we offer almost 7x more Astaxanthin in our product than competitors who choose to supplement with NatuRose®.

(5) Whole Plankton
When planktonic food is dehydrated and pulverized, some of the nutritional value is lost in the process. In REEF RECIPE, you can clearly identify WHOLE copepods in the mix. We intentionally chose to keep these copepods intact so that they could retain their encapsulated nutrition, providing maximum nutrition for your reef. Plus, these large whole copepods are the perfect sized food for your larger polyp corals.

(6) Minimal Water Degradation
A common issue with feeding dry coral foods is water degradation. Many coral foods on the market contain high phosphates, which can be detrimental to a reef aquarium when dosed in large quantities. We took water quality into account when formulating REEF RECIPE, and can attest that our coral food only minimally affects phosphate levels. When dosed according to our instructions (see the REEF RECIPE label on the jar or the REEF RECIPE website page), no negative phosphate affects should be observed.