# Live, Frozen and Freeze-dried bloodworms.



## Reflux (Oct 12, 2010)

Hey, I was wondering if there's any difference in the nutritional value of live, frozen and freeze-dried bloodworms. 

I was thinking of getting them as a treat for my fishes but I'm unsure of what to get. Live and frozen ones could be rather inconvienent due to the lack of space as well as a freezer in my apartment. 

Are the freeze-dried ones any good?


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## BlueHaven (Jul 17, 2010)

Freeze dried bloodworms are good and I don't think there is any chance of parasites with them as their are with live or frozen ones. I read that somewhere....but Omega One and Hikari are both good brands for freeze dried foods.


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## BettaBoy84 (Jul 25, 2010)

Reflux..

like Blue haven said, no parasites in freeze dried...

but live food is definitely the way to go for nutrients...fresh live food always holds more nutritional value. 

IMO the betta's grow faster, healthier and more colorful with live food, having to actively chase it down (Brine shrimp) or just benefiting from the higher nutrients in the food. This can however, prove difficult for some as it requires more space, time and little more $ sometimes...

However..I have larger planted tanks, with snails and many betta anf fry..
Also, Dry food is quick easy and can be cleaner...still having nutritional vale in the quality brands ble have mentioned!

Freeze dried I find is the messiest, if not using creative changes to packaging..Bags need to be de-thawed then frozen again after use if you cannot break pieces off easily. This causes food to slowly rot between uses and the constant freeze thaw continues to breakdown cellular structure of the food decreasing its nutritional value...

Its all preference of use and there are slight benefits to having live foods as well as freeze dried...


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

Live:
Pro-the most nutrious.
Con-Could carry diseases/parasites, so it's not recommended to feed to your betta...plus it is just gross imo.

Frozen: Don't know much about this. Again, grosses me out...Um, you'll need to break off chunks and thaw it before you feed, obviously.

Freeze-dried:
Pros-Much cleaner and easier to feed. They're sterile too!
Cons-Not as nutricious, you need to soak them first...


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## LadyDrakul (Oct 6, 2010)

Freeze dried will sometimes make you betta bloat. This happened to me so I switched to frozen.


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## Reflux (Oct 12, 2010)

Alright, thanks so much people. I think I'm going with freeze dried since it seems to be more convienent for me. I'm thinking of using them as treats for my bettas, shouldn't be feeding them that much. 

I'll keep a look out for Hikari or Omega One freeze dried bloodworms the next time I hit the pet store.


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## BettaBoy84 (Jul 25, 2010)

I use omega one, brine shrimp and blood worms, also mix in the colored smallbite sized tetras..high in nutrients apparently..

Hey any good Landscape Architecture firms you know of in Singapore?


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## Bloodeath (Aug 22, 2010)

...you can buy frozen blood worms already seperated in like 30 different chunks, that feed comfortably about 12 fish. only costs like 13$ and will make your betta happier then freeze dried imo.

its what i do, its really handy, if you only use it once a week for treats, it lasts FOREVER. lol


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## Reflux (Oct 12, 2010)

Not really Bettaboy, sorry.


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## Lion Mom (Jun 14, 2010)

Bloodeath said:


> ...you can buy frozen blood worms already seperated in like 30 different chunks, that feed comfortably about 12 fish. only costs like 13$ and will make your betta happier then freeze dried imo.
> 
> its what i do, its really handy, if you only use it once a week for treats, it lasts FOREVER. lol


Lasts forever? I was told to make sure frozen foods are used up within 4 months. :-?


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

I think Bloodeath was exaggerating a bit. 

Personally, I never use freeze-dried foods. They are lower in nutritional value than frozen and can lead to some of the worst constipation I've seen in bettas. I do not recommend them at all, but if you must use them, make sure they have been *fully rehydrated* in a bit of tank water before use and break them into smaller pieces so that there is less chance that they will cause an obstruction.

It is a myth that frozen food is any more dangerous than freeze-dried. All of the brands I have used have been guaranteed sterilized. The problem is that people often misuse them by leaving them out too long after thawing or re-freezing already thawed food. Both are big no-nos with frozen human foods too, so just use your logic and you will have no problem with frozen food. What I like about frozen is that you get a high percentage of retained nutrients despite the freezing process and they're very easy to use and store. They take up very little space in the freezer, too. I keep mine on the door. 

I have also used live black worms without any issues. People run into problems with live foods when they are stored and/or fed incorrectly. Make sure you understand how to properly store and feed your fish live food before you purchase any--and don't take the pet store's instructions, do your own research.

Also, it should be noted that blood worms are a very common allergen. You should take extra care to avoid handling them with your bare skin and keep them away from children and other pets. A lot of people have severe reactions to blood worms for some reason.


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