San Francisco Bay and Ocean Nutrition Foods | Now Available at BRS
We're excited to share that we're now carrying San Francisco Bay Brand and Ocean Nutrition foods here at BRS!
If you've been in the aquarium hobby for any length of time, you've undoubtedly seen the freezer at your local fish store stocked with San Francisco Bay Brand foods. These are products that many hobbyists recognize instantly because they've been part of the hobby for decades.
San Francisco Bay Brand frozen brine shrimp was the first fish food I ever used in my first freshwater aquarium more than 20 years ago. When I set up my first saltwater tank, their Marine Cuisine quickly became a staple. These foods have earned their reputation by consistently delivering real nutrition to fish and corals time after time.
Fast forward to today and both San Francisco Bay Brand and Ocean Nutrition offer deep lineups of frozen foods, along with flake and pellet options. You'll find everything from classic brine shrimp to more specialized blends designed for picky eaters and specific dietary needs.
We're excited to be able to offer these foods so you can order online and have them shipped right to your door, making it easier than ever to keep your freezer stocked.
San Francisco Bay Brand
Most people know them for their frozen foods, and for good reason. Their lineup covers a wide range of food types in both cube and flat-pack formats, and fish tend to go absolutely nuts for them.
Many offerings focus on simple, single-ingredient foods like brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and plankton. They also offer popular blended options like Marine Cuisine, Carnivore Cuisine, and Emerald Entree, which combine multiple foods into one convenient mix.
These blends work especially well in reef tanks, where different species have different feeding preferences.
Ocean Nutrition
Ocean Nutrition was founded in San Diego in 1982, meaning they've been producing premium fish food for over 40 years now.
They're best known for their Formula lineup of specialized foods that provide targeted nutrition solutions for more demanding species. Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, these blends are designed to deliver nutrition that better matches how different fish actually feed.
For example, Formula One is a great option for carnivorous and omnivorous fish, while Formula Two is ideal for species that prefer an algae-based diet.
Don't Skip Over Your Aquarium's Nutrition
Food is one of the few things every hobbyist interacts with on a daily basis, yet it's often treated like an afterthought. Lighting, filtration, and flow get a lot of attention, but what you feed your fish and corals has a direct impact on their health, color, and long-term success.
Both San Francisco Bay Brand and Ocean Nutrition have built their reputations around getting the right nutrition to your fish in a way that makes sense for your situation, whether that be frozen, flake, or pellet foods.
They also strike a nice balance between single-ingredient foods and blended formulas, which makes it easier to create a well-rounded feeding routine for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums.
How to Pick the Right Food for Your Tank
If you're staring at a long list of foods and not sure where to start, you're not alone. The good news is that feeding your tank doesn't need to be complicated.
For most reefers, the goal is simple: provide consistent, appropriate nutrition and a little variety. You don't need every food on the shelf.
Start With a Quality Staple
For a typical reef tank with a mix of fish, a well-rounded frozen blend is a great place to start. Foods like Marine Cuisine or Formula One provide a mix of proteins and fats that work well for many carnivorous and omnivorous species.
This covers all of the most popular fish like clownfish, damsels, chromis, dottybacks, basslets, cardinals, gobies, and the list goes on.
Tip: If you're just getting started, the cubed packs make for easy portioning.
Match the Food to the Fish
If your tank includes herbivores or algae grazers, adding an algae-based option like Seaweed Delight or Formula Two designed for plant-eating fish can make a big difference.
This covers popular herbivorous fish like tangs, rabbitfish, and most blennies, just to name a few.
Don't Skip Pellets and Flake Food
Frozen food works great as a daily fish food, but I like having some quality flake or pellet food on hand for those times where I'm rushing out the door and need to feed quickly.
Getting your fish used to a quality flake or pellet food can also be extremely helpful for when you're away on vacation and need to use an automatic feeder.
Feed Small Amounts, More Often
It's almost always better to feed smaller amounts more frequently than to dump in a large feeding all at once. This helps reduce waste, keeps nutrients in check, and allows more fish to actually get the food. A good rule of thumb is to feed only what your fish can consume within a minute or two.
Depending on your lighting schedule, try feeding when you get home from work, then again 30 minutes or so before lights out.
Don't be afraid to use an automatic feeder as a tool to deliver small amounts of food to the tank over the course of the day. This is an especially good idea if you have high-energy fish like anthias or chromis that need small, but frequent feedings.
My Personal Picks
There's no single "right" food for every tank, but over the years I've found a few go-to options that work especially well. Keep in mind, these aren't the only choices, just some good starting points if you're feeling overwhelmed.
Food For Mixed Reef Tanks
These options work best for a vast majority of saltwater aquariums and reef tanks. They are primarily protein-focused foods, so be sure to also feed an algae-based food if you have herbivores.
Food For Nano Tanks
These three options all have unique advantages for nano tanks, which are typically home to smaller fish and require less food than larger systems.
Food For Herbivores
Algae-based foods that help support popular utilitarian fish like tangs, rabbitfish, blennies, and other algae grazers.
Tip: Many herbivores still need some protein. A plant-based staple plus a mixed reef blend is usually the way to go.
Food For Predator or Large-Fish Tanks
Protein-first options that meet the nutritional needs of many bigger fish.
Tip: Predators are often the exception to the "feed small amounts frequently" rule and often do best with less frequent meals, sometimes just a couple times per week.
Food For Busy Schedules & Auto Feeders
These options work well if you have a busy schedule, want to use an auto feeder, or are looking to add variety to your feeding routine without adding another frozen food to your freezer.
Tip: If you plan to travel, start using pellets early. It's much easier than trying to switch diets the week before a trip.
Food For Picky Eaters
It's normal for some fish to be pickier than others. If you find yourself in a situation where your fish won't eat, consider some of these options.
Looking for More?
These are only some of the new options we're carrying from these two great brands! You can explore the Ocean Nutrition and San Francisco Bay Brand lineups by clicking one of the buttons below.
Adam has been reef keeping since 2010 and got his start on the Bulk Reef Supply Customer Service team. He believes the best tanks are built around what you enjoy, not what’s trending. Adam is especially interested in simplifying the hobby, exploring the latest gear, and helping others focus on long-term success over chasing perfection.
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