types of live/frozen food

[mandell]

I have always used brine shrimp but have been seeing a lot of stuff latly for blood worms and black worms my question is one better than the other for the fish? Or are they about the same and my fish deside what they are going to like more?

And are frozen foods just as good for the fish as their live form?

 

[Shadowraven]

Blood worms and black worms will be nutritionally better then brine shrimp. Fish love brine shrimp, but they have little nutritional value other than a laxative.

Live food is almost always better than frozen. Some of the nutrients are lost in the frozen forms. Frozen food is usually better than prepared in many cases, but will foul the tank faster than prepared food will. It is best to provide a mix for your fish with prepared food often being the one used for everyday feedings.

 

[Fishguy2727]

IME the best diet is a high quality pellet (I prefer New Life Spectrum).

Live foods can introduce pathogens. They are also frequently underfed, overcrowded, and living in poor conditions. Unless you raise the live food yourself I wouldn't feed it.

Frozen food has effectively all the nutrition of live food without the risk of pathogens, poor nutrition, etc. Any frozen food is usually just a source of protein, brine shrimp included.

The reason a high quality pellet is best is because it is a complete and balanced diet. It has the protein, fat, and carbs needed and in the proper proportions. It also has a whole lot of supplements that are vital in a complete and balanced diet. Without these the fish will have health problems long term.

The main goal of any diet is complete and balanced nutrition. Classically this has been achieved with variety. But with the right prepared food it is possible to achieve this with one food.

 

[mandell]

Thanks for the info ill try worms next time I use a pellet/waffer type food the fish love it and its good for them I feed live food every cople of days so let's see how they react to it thanks again.

 

[Shadowraven]

What fishguy said about the live food can be true. It can introduce pathogens into the aquarium if not raised properly. It is better than frozen, but not by a tremendous amount. While it is true that brine shrimp do provide some protein, they don't provide as much as the worms do. A good deal of them is shell and the shell acts like fiber does in a human.