• Market evolution in the USA.
• Natural health food products around the world.
• A specialty food for aquaculture.
• Health food for the aquarium.
• Spirulina - Summary of benefits for aquaculture.
• Health, beauty and color for ornamental birds.
• Healthy food for cats and dogs.
• Tonic for horses, cows and breeding bulls.
• Spirulina - Benefits for pets and animals.
• Natural colors for foods and cosmetics.
• Fluorescent markers for medical tests.
• Enzymes for genetic research.
• New super spirulina products and extracts.

Demand is surging for specialty aquaculture feeds that increase growth rates and disease resistance for farmed fish and prawns. Tropical fish, ornamental birds, animals and pets of all kinds consume much of the global spirulina production.

Color beauty for champion koi
The first modern use was to color the highly prized fancy koi carp in the Orient. These beautiful fish have distinctive bright red, yellow, orange, white and black markings and are often seen swimming in ornamental pools and fountains. They have been bred by hobbyists and fish culturists in Japan and China for centuries. If properly taken care of, koi can live longer than people, becoming family pets for several generations.

Champion fish will sell for tens of thousands of dollars each, so feeding them the right food is a good investment. Koi feeds include 5 to 20% spirulina for its rich carotene pigments that enhance the red and yellow patterns, while leaving a brilliant pure white. This clarity and color definition increases their value.

5.20. A popular brand of fish food for koi, ciclids and colorfish has spirulina as a key ingredient.

Popular for aquaculture grown products
Fishing fleets are rapidly depleting ocean fish, threatening the ocean food chains. To offset the dwindling wild catch, the fish farming industry is growing at 10% per year. Adding spirulina to fish feeds helps solve the two biggest problems for growers. First, farmed fish are susceptible to infection and disease. Second, the flavor, texture and skin color are often inferior to the wild fish.

Japan is the largest market for aquaculture grown fish. Growers of ayu, a sweet fresh water fish, know spirulina improves skin color, growth rate and even the smell. Growers of yellowtail tuna, a popular sushi fish, know it increases survival and growth rates of the fish hatchery fry and improves the yellow side lines, skin color and growth rate. Prawn growers have discovered improved health. Prawns are fed spirulina just before harvesting to enhance their splendid colors for appeal in sushi bars.

Japanese fish farmers discovered five key benefits to using feeds with spirulina: 1) better growth rates, 2) improved quality and coloration, 3) better survival rates, 4) reduced medication requirements, 5) and reduced waste in the effluent.3

5.22. Powder is a popular supplement for hatcheries.

Growth rates increase and less feed is wasted because spirulina increases palatability of the entire feed. Fish respond to its flavor, and have less abdominal fat. Fish grow faster, taste better and resist disease. Environmental restrictions make it vital to reduce effluent pollutants. This makes it easier for fish farms to improve effluent quality without costly treatment systems. These are ways spirulina improves the cost/performance ratio of fish feeds.

Improves survival of fish fry and brine shrimp
Aqaculture fish are grown from tiny hatchery fry. This first stage is difficult and critical for success in aquaculture. Often, survival rates are very low. Spirulina added to the feed ration at 1 to 10% levels increases survival rates, allowing fish to reach market size sooner. It is the best food for tiny brine shrimp, sold in pet stores as a popular food for aquarium fish. Tiny zooplankton are another delicious food for larger fish, but growers have found them hard to cultivate. When fed spirulina, chances of successful cultivation improve greatly.

For many species of exotic tropical fish, algae are an essential part of the diet. Spirulina promises five benefits for healthy aquarium fish: 1) great profile of natural vitamins and minerals, 2) rich in muco-proteins for healthy skin, 3) phycocyanin for reduced obesity and better health, 4) essential fatty acids for proper organ development, 5) rich in natural coloring agents such as carotenoids. Feeding this algae will result in beautiful, healthy and longer lived tropical fish.2

Spirulina will not grow in the aquarium tank. Hobbyists can find floating flake food enriched with spirulina in many pet shops. Tablets dropped into an aquarium can create excitement. Some hobbyists use frozen food or make their own homemade fish foods. Public aquariums use spirulina to feed marine fish and invertebrates, and to raise daphnia and brine shrimp to feed to their fish.

Zoos around the world feed flamingos and ibis a diet rich in spirulina, and report major improvement in health and color. Algae increases feather color and shine, healthy beaks and skin, and promotes good bacteria in the digestive tract. Birds appear healthier, without synthetic vitamins, drugs or chemicals.4 For hobbyists, pet birds can be more beautiful, healthier and live longer.

Spirulina is very concentrated; use at 1 or 2% of total diet. Ailing birds may be fed more, not exceeding 5% of diet. Sprinkle powder over soft food or mix dry into baby hand feeding formula.

5.23. Enhances bird beauty and health.

Enhanced fertility and health for bird breeders
Canary, finch, parrot, lovebird and other breeders use spirulina to increase coloration, accelerate growth and sexual maturity and improve fertility rates. It is used by ostrich and turkey breeders to increase fertility and reproduction rates. It enhances desirable yellow skin coloration in chickens and increases the deep yellow color of egg yolks. Studies with chickens suggest that adding a small percentage in the diet stimulates macrophage production, improving immune performance and disease resistance without side effects.5

For healthy skin and lustrous coat, spirulina is an excellent supplement for all cats and dogs, especially for nursing mothers and bottlefed kittens and puppies. Appetites of finicky cats have been known to perk up with a little sprinkled on their food. Owners report spirulina fed pets have a fresher breath odor.

Use a spoonful of powder in an empty salt shaker and sprinkle over soft moist food. Very concentrated. A little goes a long way. Use at about 1% of dry weight of daily food intake. Just a pinch each day for small cats and kittens; for large cats and nursing mothers use 1/4 teaspoon. For small dogs use 1/4 teaspoon each day; medium dogs use 1/2; large dogs use 1; giant dogs, 2 or more.

Use 1/4 or 1/2 tablet a day for small cats and kittens; large cats and nursing mothers use 1 tablet. For small dogs use 1/2 or 1 tablet; medium dogs use 2 tablets; large dogs 3-4 tablets; giant dogs, 4 or more.

5.24. Becoming a popular superfood for birds, cats and dogs.

Owners of highly valued racehorses use spirulina in their feed ration for faster times and recovery, but trainers tend to keep results secret. Dairy farmers use it to keep cows healthy by improving intestinal flora that is so important in ruminants. As a tonic for horses and cows, 1/2 ounce may be used twice a day for each 100 pounds of body weight by mixing in slightly dampened feed. Reports have circulated that it increases the sperm count of breeding bulls and fertility in females, raising the reproduction rates of valued species.