Bulldawg Artemia Brine Shrimp | Live Gut-Loaded Nauplii for Reef Aquariums

Bulldawg Artemia Brine Shrimp is a bottle of live, gut-loaded baby brine shrimp (Artemia nauplii) cultured in North Georgia and gut-loaded with Bulldawg's own live phytoplankton blends. Nauplii are smaller, softer, and more nutritious than adult brine — perfect for picky eaters, juveniles, anemones, and LPS corals. Browse all reef & aquarium nutrition to round out a complete feeding plan.

Why Bulldawg Artemia

• Live, not frozen. A bottle of swimming nauplii triggers a stronger feeding response than frozen or freeze-dried brine.
• Gut-loaded with phytoplankton. Each batch is fed Bulldawg's live phyto blends before bottling, so the nauplii deliver real nutrition — not empty calories.
• Cyano fighter. Baby brine actively graze cyanobacteria, helping reduce red-slime outbreaks while feeding your tank.
• Locally cultured. Bulldawg Reef is a small family farm in North Georgia — no transcontinental shipping stress on the nauplii.
• Reef-safe and saltwater-compatible. Suitable for marine reef systems and brackish/freshwater tanks alike — bettas, killifish, and fry love them too.

Feeding & Dosing

• Before you feed: For maximum nutritional payload, dose the bottle with a few mL of live phytoplankton (we recommend Bulldawg Reef Juice Elite) a few hours before feeding so the nauplii get one last gut-load.
• Target feeding: Use a pipette or turkey baster to gently squirt nauplii directly onto LPS corals, anemones, and toward mandarins, dragonets, copperband butterflies, and other picky eaters.
• Broadcast feeding: Pour a measured amount into the display with return pump on — fish chase them through the water column.
• Frequency: 2–4 times per week as a supplement to a staple flake/pellet diet. Many keepers offer small daily portions to mandarins or fry tanks.
• Storage: Refrigerate at 38–45°F. Use within 1–2 weeks. Gently shake before each feeding to redistribute the nauplii.

Specifications

Recommended Pairings

• Bulldawg Reef Juice Elite — 8-species live phyto to gut-load the brine before feeding
• Bulldawg Copepod Mix — pair with live pods to feed mandarins and seed the refugium
• Bulldawg Reef Juice Diatom Blend — diatom-rich phyto for clams, scallops, and filter feeders
• Bulldawg Reef Juice Rhodomonas salina — premium red phyto for copepod and brine gut-loading
• Full nutrition collection — flake, pellet, frozen, and live foods to build a complete feeding rotation

FAQ

Are these alive when I pick them up?
Yes. We refrigerate bottles and they remain alive for 1–2 weeks. Pop the lid, give it a gentle swirl, and you'll see the tiny nauplii swimming.

Can I use this in a freshwater tank?
Yes — brine shrimp are saltwater organisms but die quickly in freshwater, so they're a fine occasional treat for bettas, fry, killifish, and other small freshwater fish. They won't reproduce or contaminate the tank.

Do I have to gut-load with phyto first?
No, but it's strongly recommended. Nauplii are most nutritious in the first few hours after a meal — pre-loading with phyto turns "snack" into "loaded snack" before it hits your tank.

How is this different from frozen brine?
Live nauplii are smaller, softer, and trigger a stronger natural feeding response. Frozen brine is fine as a freezer-staple, but live brine wins for picky eaters, juveniles, and anything that needs to be enticed.

Will baby brine really help with red slime / cyano?
They graze cyanobacteria as part of their diet, so they can help knock back light cyano blooms — especially in fuge or display refugium settings. They're a supplement to good husbandry, not a cure-all.

Freshness and Care

Keep the bottle cool and feed within a day or two of pickup for the most active shrimp. Pour in small amounts so fish clear them quickly.