Brine shrimp have very little nutrutional value after about 18 hours of life. It is at that point that the yolk sac is depleted and they then have to find food. At that time, they are not much more than a shell...a conduit of sorts. They obviously have SOME nutritional value, but very little. You'd really need to "gut pack" them with some food of value and use them as a "carrier" to get that same food to the ultimate end user, your fish and other charges within the tank.
I have used them for over 20 years as "snacks" or supplemental foods in a balanced diet. It is a good food to use if you have a fish that is finicky in eating, due to illness, or during training from live foods to frozen. They may also be important if you have mandarins or other fish that are particualar in their diets.
However, in systems such as ours, where you could really label them as "community" tanks, I'd urge folks to mix and match diets. A good
DIY fish mush is the way to go. Otherwise, use a variety of foods, ensuring that each type is accepted. There is no need to feed nori for instance, if you have no fish or other tankmates that are strictly carniverous. A lot of folks pollute their systems using too many foods that go uneaten. Even foods that are eagerly taken can cause problems if overfed. Cyclopeeze or daphnia users can attest that in the case of these foods, a little goes a long way.
In my SPS and Clam dominated tank, I fed the following: Formula 1, Formula 2, cyclopeeze, phyto products, nori, frozen mysid, flaked spirulina, and from time to time, frozen brine shrimp.
Dave
