Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Review: Do Fish Actually Like It?

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The ‘Truth’ Test: Will They Eat Bugs?

I have kept community tanks for over a decade, and I’ve always been skeptical of “gimmick” ingredients. When Fluval launched the Bug Bites line, emphasizing Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) as the main ingredient, I assumed it was just marketing hype. Fish eat bugs in the wild, sure, but does that translate to a dried granule in a bag?

To find out, I stopped feeding my 40-gallon breeder tank for 24 hours. This tank houses a school of six Corydoras, three Kuhli Loaches, and a Bristlenose Pleco. I opened the bag of Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Granules and dropped a pinch in.

The reaction was immediate and aggressive. Usually, my Corys lazily sift through the sand until they bump into a wafer. With these granules, the moment they hit the substrate, the Corys were frantic. Even my shy Kuhli Loaches, who usually wait until lights out, poked their heads out of the java fern. The scent of this food is potent, and the fish clearly recognize it as something edible right away.

🏗️ Ingredient & Quality Audit

Most fish foods start with “Fish Meal” or “Wheat Flour.” Basically, mystery fish parts and bread. I checked the label on the Bug Bites, and I was genuinely impressed.

The Top Ingredients:
1. Black Soldier Fly Larvae (40%)
2. Whole Salmon
3. Concentrated Fish Protein

This is a protein bomb. There is very little “filler” here compared to the budget brands you find at big-box stores. The fact that they use whole salmon rather than just “fish meal” suggests a higher quality source of Omega-3s.

The Smell Test:
When you open the bag, it doesn’t smell like standard fish flakes. It has a deep, earthy, almost soil-like odor mixed with dried shrimp. It’s pungent. If you are sensitive to smells, you might find it strong, but to a fish, this smells like dinner. The granules themselves are dark brown, irregular rough bits rather than perfectly smooth factory pellets.

⚙️ Real-World Performance

I’ve been using this bag exclusively for two weeks. Here is how it behaves in a real aquarium environment.

Sinking Behavior

This is critical for bottom feeders. If the food floats, the tetras at the top eat it all, and the Corys starve.
I noticed that about 90% of the granules sink immediately upon hitting the water. The remaining 10% float for about 10-15 seconds before drifting down. This is actually a good thing in a community tank because it gives the mid-water fish a chance to grab a bite while the bulk of the food makes it to the floor for the target audience.

Water Clarity

High-protein foods are notorious for fouling water if left uneaten. Because the granules are small (1.4-1.6mm), they get lost in the gravel easily. However, I didn’t see any ammonia spikes or cloudy water. The trick is that the fish hunt these down relentlessly. Because the food is highly palatable, very little is left to rot. However, if you have a bare-bottom tank, you will see a lot of “dust” as the fish chew the granules apart. It can look a bit messy during feeding time.

Who is it actually for?

The package says “Small to Medium Sized Fish,” and they mean it. These granules are tiny. My full-grown Bristlenose Pleco struggled with them initially. He would suck at the gravel and miss half of them because they are so small. Eventually, he figured it out, but this food is definitely optimized for fish with small mouths—Corydoras, Loaches, and Shrimp. It is not a replacement for large algae wafers for big plecos.

⚠️ The Downsides (Critical)

Despite the great ingredients, the user experience has some serious flaws.

1. The Packaging is Terrible
I hate the ziplock seal on these bags. It is flimsy and narrow. After about three days of opening and closing it, the “zipper” separated from the side of the bag. Now I have to use a chip clip to keep it closed. For a premium product, the bag feels cheap and frustrating.

2. It’s Messy for Sand Substrates
If you use fine white sand, be warned: these dark granules break apart into a fine dust when the fish chew them. It can make your pristine sand look dirty for an hour after feeding. It eventually gets filtered out, but it’s not a “clean” food like a solid gel wafer.

3. Size Inconsistency
While labeled as granules, the size varies wildly in the bag. Some pieces are dust, others are large chunks. This inconsistency makes it hard to portion control. A pinch one day might be mostly dust, and the next day mostly chunks.

📊 Pros/Cons Table

⚔️ Head-to-Head: Fluval Bug Bites vs. Hikari Sinking Wafers

If you own bottom feeders, you probably use Hikari Sinking Wafers (the orange bag). How do they compare?

Ingredients: 🏆 Fluval wins. Hikari relies heavily on fish meal and wheat germ. Fluval uses whole insects and salmon. It is a more natural diet.

Cleanliness: 🏆 Hikari wins. Hikari wafers stay solid for a long time. They don’t dissolve into dust as easily as the Bug Bites granules. If you want a spotless tank, Hikari is cleaner.

Feeding Response: 🏆 Fluval wins. My fish eat Hikari, but they attack Fluval. The scent of the bugs triggers a much stronger feeding frenzy.

Value: 🤝 Draw. Both are priced similarly per ounce, though Hikari is often easier to find in local stores.

👨‍⚖️ Expert Verdict

The Fluval Bug Bites Bottom Feeder Granules are currently the best food I have found for small community bottom dwellers.

Strictly For:
Owners of Corydoras, Kuhli Loaches, Rasboras, and Shrimp. If you have a planted tank with a cleanup crew, this food will make them healthier and more active than generic flakes ever will. The protein content is excellent for conditioning fish to breed.

Avoid If:
You are feeding large bottom feeders like full-grown Plecos or large Synodontis catfish. The granules are simply too small to be a satisfying meal for them. Also, avoid if you are obsessed with having perfectly white sand 24/7, as the “crumb” factor can be annoying.