It's a known fact that carnivorous fish prefer live foods. However, most hobbyists know live food is not the best food for their home aquarium due to disease, parasites and bacteria. Hikari's extensive research has allowed us to produce a completely nutritious diet for carnivorous fish with palatability and an acceptance rate equivalent to live food. Hikari Tropical Sinking Carnivore Pellets and Hikari Tropical Food Sticks are porous pellets, that retain their shape. When fed these pellets become elastic with a hardness that closely resembles live food. For those hard to convert carnivores, Hikari has an answer!