Live Bacterioplankton Culture for Corals and Filter Feeders
ReefBugs Complete is a live, all-natural alternative to feeding corals and other filter feeders. Unlike frozen or freeze-dried plankton substitutes, it's real live bacterioplankton that creates marine micro, nano, and picoplankton directly in your aquarium in about 30 minutes.
These live organisms occupy a range of ecological niches, feeding on organic material and playing a role in nitrogen fixation, nitrification, denitrification, and remineralization. In nature, a section of reef the size of a 100-gallon aquarium receives roughly three-quarters of a pound of this kind of marine snow daily; ReefBugs replicates that process at home. Particles range from under one micron up to macroscopic sizes, so both filter feeders that prefer fine particles and those that prefer larger aggregates can use it. Corals capture the live microbes in their mucus layer to help predigest food, the same way they process natural plankton on the reef. ReefBugs also continuously inoculates the tank with pods and other beneficial organisms that help balance the substrate.
Key Features:
- Real live bacterioplankton, never frozen, never freeze-dried, no preservatives
- Creates micro, nano, and picoplankton in the aquarium in about 30 minutes
- Particle sizes from under 1 micron up to macroscopic, suited to a wide range of filter feeders and larvae
- Continuously inoculates the tank with pods and other beneficial cryptic organisms
- Adheres to particles and waste to form live marine snow, aiding coral nutrition
- Bulk 1lb increments available through a distributor or Reef Brite representative for larger operations
Ideal For:
- Hard and soft coral tanks looking for a live, natural feeding option beyond frozen or dry foods
- Reef tanks with filter feeders and cryptic live rock fauna that benefit from ongoing plankton and pod inoculation
- Hobbyists wanting to boost pod populations and substrate balance alongside coral feeding
Pro Tips:
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Hydrate before dosing for the best hatch rate. Mixing ReefBugs into a few ounces of aquarium water and letting it sit for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, gives a stronger result than dosing it straight into the tank.
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Dose into high flow, not a dead spot. Adding it directly to a high-current area during daytime use helps disperse the plankton evenly instead of settling in one corner.
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Use nighttime dosing to target pods specifically. Dosing with the lights off shifts the benefit toward pod and cryptic organism reproduction rather than direct coral feeding.
