most of the breeders i read about swear by the salmon pellets when there small... frozen foods/worms are pretty much a "treat"... i exclusively have only fed mine pellets of different brands/types since ive had em. never frozen or live/worms... sure "treats" are nice... but pellets contain the most vits/nutrients imo. Right now mine are mostly on hikari sinking gold because i buy it in bulk for my rays, i use alot of kens brand pellets also. i used the salmon pellets and crushed trout type feed when were the size of urs. i wouldnt waste ur time with live brine if hell take pellets already, thatd b more so for fry/hatchlings, id say he past that.