• Worm-like sinking action — the stick drifts and settles through the water column instead of dropping straight down, triggering a feeding response in fish used to hunting live bloodworms.
• 46% minimum crude protein — a high-protein recipe built around fish meal, krill meal and silkworm pupae rather than fillers.
• Astaxanthin included — supports natural red and orange colouration over time.
• Stabilised vitamin C — supports immune health, useful for fussy eaters not getting a varied diet.
• Two pack sizes — 125 g and 415 g, so you can trial it before committing to the larger pack.

Full ingredient declaration, reproduced verbatim from Hikari USA's published statement for Vibra Bites XL:

Fish meal, krill meal, wheat flour, flaked corn, brewers dried yeast, cuttlebone meal, wheat germ meal, wheat gluten meal, fish oil, whole crushed silkworm pupae, hydrolyzed vegetable sucrose polyesters, mealworm, astaxanthin, DL-methionine, garlic, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (stabilised vitamin C), inositol, d-calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin A supplement, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, niacin, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, disodium phosphate, salt, ferrous sulphate, magnesium sulphate, zinc sulphate, manganese sulphate, copper sulphate, calcium iodate, red 3, yellow 5 (artificial colours).

Guaranteed analysis

Contains fish, shellfish (krill) and wheat/gluten ingredients. Coloured with red 3 and yellow 5 (artificial colours) — Hikari does not publish an artificial-colour-free version of this formula.

Feed two to three times daily, only as much as your fish will completely consume in a few minutes. Remove any uneaten sticks promptly — leftover high-protein food breaks down quickly and affects water quality.

Suitable for: bettas, guppies, tetras, gouramis, discus, angelfish and other small-to-medium freshwater tropical fish that respond well to live or live-mimicking foods.

Not suitable for: very small nano fish or fry — the XL stick is the larger of the two Vibra Bites formats and is sized for community and larger tropical fish, not nano species. Hikari's standard (non-XL) Vibra Bites is the better fit there.

Why does it sink so slowly?

The stick is formulated to drift through the water column rather than drop straight to the substrate, mimicking the movement of live bloodworms and encouraging fish that are reluctant to take flake or standard pellets.

Will this cloud my aquarium water?

Not if you feed only what your fish clear within a few minutes and remove any leftover sticks — overfeeding is the main cause of cloudy water with any sinking food.

Does Vibra Bites XL contain artificial colours?

Yes — the formula includes red 3 and yellow 5. If you'd prefer a food without artificial colouring, this isn't it.

What's the difference between Vibra Bites and Vibra Bites XL?

XL is the larger stick size in the range, aimed at bettas, discus, angelfish and other mid-to-larger community fish rather than nano species.

Rotates well alongside a flake or pellet staple from Hikari's Tropical range, giving fussy eaters variety beyond a single texture.

A shelf-stable dry good, not a perishable or livestock item — no cold-chain handling is required and standard shipping applies. Check the best-before date on the pack on arrival; get in touch if anything looks wrong and we'll sort it under your rights as an Australian consumer, in addition to any manufacturer guarantee.