Freeze dried rabbit hole

[Guppysnail]

I’ve never gone the freeze dried food route except with cyclops. I’m looking to add variety for my Pygmy cory other than commercial or live bbs. Once upon a time i read a few things on freeze dried foods binding intestines not being good etc so I didn’t bother. My hubby was less than thrilled at my mosquito larvae collecting and black worms in the fridge for my other fish. The rest of my live food colony skills are for terrestrial reptiles and amphibians.  My live fish food culture skills are even worse than hubbies reaction to mosquitoes on the porch and a tub of worms in the fridge 🤣. 
has anyone had issue with freeze dried daphnia, tubifex or grindle worms?  Omega one or hikari preferred or other brands?  Are there any other freeze dried you like for tiny mouth fish?
thanks

Oh and do I have to rehydrate them prior to feeding I have read mixed things on that as well

[ScottieB]

Freeze dried foods are great! You can provide a lot of variety but like a lot of foods I would use them as an adjunct and not the panacea. You do not specifically 'need' to hydrate them but they will likely float around until they are saturated and sink. So water column eaters and mid water swimmers will have to wait. With that said, here's an autofeeder made specifically for that purpose. Its designed for the reef tank nerm so it carries a higher premium for what it is, but it gives you an idea of how to freeze dried foods are used by some.  

Honestly, I have some freeze dried foods but find all the Extreme foods to be so much better then anything else. In your case I imagine they have to be crushed up flakes but I haven't seen a fish that didn't like the Krill flakes.

[Dancing Matt]

I have used freeze dried tubaflex with my peppered cories and white clouds and haven't had any issues. I don't feed them that often though, more as an extra treat.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Because I have a thing against feeding my animals live foods, I feed frozen and freeze dried. I've mentioned in another post my cats are on a raw food diet and some of it is freeze dried raw (along with frozen raw- thawed of course). As most of us do, I rotate through foods throughout the week. I use Hikari freeze dried Tubifex (which my fish love) and Omega freeze dried bloodworms (they seem to stay in bigger pieces with the Omega brand for some reason). I used to also feed freeze dried to my Betta (Daphnia, etc, but no more Bettas for me). 

Despite popular belief freeze dried foods are very nutritous retaining 90% of their original content. It keeps longer, and it can be easier than some foods to portion out and can be crushed for smaller fish etc. Like with most live foods I guess it can be "rich" which is why for bettas they call it a "treat". But since I rotate foods and have 8 or 9 different ones, they get it rarely enough that I've never seen issues. 

[Guppysnail]

On 1/28/2022 at 1:32 PM, ScottieB said:

Freeze dried foods are great! You can provide a lot of variety but like a lot of foods I would use them as an adjunct and not the panacea. You do not specifically 'need' to hydrate them but they will likely float around until they are saturated and sink. So water column eaters and mid water swimmers will have to wait. With that said, here's an autofeeder made specifically for that purpose. Its designed for the reef tank nerm so it carries a higher premium for what it is, but it gives you an idea of how to freeze dried foods are used by some.  

Honestly, I have some freeze dried foods but find all the Extreme foods to be so much better then anything else. In your case I imagine they have to be crushed up flakes but I haven't seen a fish that didn't like the Krill flakes.

This is awesome. Waaayyy outside my retired budget but everyone can dream 😁

@xXInkedPhoenixX I eat a lot of freeze dried as well as feed my cats freeze dried treats because it so good…why my brain couldn’t translate that to fish food is beyond me 🤣. 

Thanks folks for the help. I’m ordering grindle, tubifex and daphnia for my Pygmy. Maybe even some guppy treats if I can find them. I will rehydrate as 50% of my clan are bottom / midwater feeders. If I see they really make a difference to the Pygmy I may save up for that auto feeder @ScottieB