buldog,
I have nothing against any encapsulated prepared foods. I prepare my own food in a gelled formula. But I would not consider feeding that to the exclusion of other foods, even if the fish could live on it
ad infinitum. There are fine gel foods on the market and there are fine pellet foods on the market. The contents and analysis must still meet what I know are the proper and minimal nutritional needs of the particular fish being maintained.
Our fish, for the most part, are wild animals. I would not cage a lion and make it eat Lion Chow, even if I knew it could live on it. I would not feed a puffer fish pellets, even if it contained the right nutrition and kinds of foods. The wild animal must be offered foods that are not only nutritionally sound, but that are close to its natural diet. Their intestinal, physiological, and mental status has evolved towards specific foods in their diet, and naturally selected features (long noses, teeth, strong jaws, etc.) to obtain their food.
Even a food good for one carnivore is not necessarily the best choice for another carnivore. Some carnivores prefer pods, or what we would simulate as finely chopped foods, others emphasize large chunks of flesh ripped from their prey, eaten whole, or crushed in their teeth.
I could not get my rare butterflyfish to eat pellets. They would starve first. But if I grate my gel formula to look like worms, they charge it.
The advantage of a gel or pellet food is that the nutrition is 'captured' or encapsulated. I still prefer fresh frozen foods and frozen gelled foods over the pellets, but encourage the use of both in a balanced regime.
Thanks for reading and posting!
