The best food for black moor goldfish is a high-quality sinking goldfish pellet or gel food, fed in small portions, plus blanched vegetables and an occasional frozen treat. Black moors are slow, nearsighted fancy goldfish, so how you feed matters as much as what you feed.
What to Feed a Black Moor
- Sinking goldfish pellets: these should be your staple. Look for a goldfish-specific food with whole fish or fish meal near the top of the ingredient list and moderate protein.
- Gel food: a soft, easy-to-eat option that can be a good staple for fancy goldfish.
- Blanched vegetables: shelled peas, spinach, zucchini and lettuce, chopped small. These add fiber and help with digestion.
- Treats once or twice a week: frozen or live bloodworms, daphnia and brine shrimp.
Why Pellets Should Sink or Be Soaked
Gulping air at the surface can lead to swim bladder problems in short-bodied fancy goldfish. If you feed floating food, soak it in tank water for a minute before feeding. Flakes are fine as a small part of the diet but are easy to overfeed.
How Much and How Often
Feed one or two small meals a day, only as much as your fish will finish in about two minutes. Remove leftovers with a net or siphon. Overfeeding fouls the water and is a leading cause of illness. Goldfish are always hungry, so don’t judge by begging.
Feeding Tips for Black Moors
- Black moors see poorly because of their telescope eyes. Drop the food near them so they can find it.
- Don’t house them with fast, competitive goldfish like commons and comets, which eat all the food first.
- Watch for swelling, floating sideways or sinking. These can signal a swim bladder problem. Skipping food for a day and offering a blanched, shelled pea can help. If it continues, ask a vet who treats fish.
Keeping the Water Clean
Goldfish are messy eaters and produce a lot of waste. Use a filter rated for a larger tank than you have, test for ammonia and nitrite, and change part of the water weekly. A common starting point is a 20-gallon tank for one fancy goldfish plus about 10 gallons for each additional fish. Black moors prefer water around 65 to 75 F.
Bottom Line
Feed a black moor a quality sinking goldfish pellet or gel food, add blanched vegetables, give frozen treats occasionally, and keep portions small. Pair them with other slow fancy goldfish and keep the water clean.
Related reading: feeding goldfish while on vacation, whether goldfish eat newts and feeding frozen mysis shrimp.
