Goldfish are natural omnivores, and as such can feed on various forms of aquatic foods. However, keep in mind that most commercial food intended for tropical fish contains higher protein levels.
Food designed specifically for tropical fish meets their dietary needs; however, goldfish require additional plant-based nutrients; for this reason it is best to choose freeze-dried food like brine shrimp or tubifex worms as the ideal solution.
Contents
Protein
Goldfish require a diet high in protein. While tropical fish food may meet some of their nutritional requirements, it typically contains more protein than goldfish require and may cause digestive issues like bloat.
Goldfish-specific food pellets offer an ideal choice. Made to sink in the water, these dry pellets include various protein sources – fish meal, dehulled soybean meal, wheat flour, oatmeal, rice, corn gluten meal and potato starch as well as brewer’s yeast algae meal krill meal dried beetroot monobasic calcium phosphate L-Lysine Monohydrochloride Lecithin etc – that are sure to please even picky eaters!
Another option for feeding goldfish frozen food made specifically for aquarium fish is feeding it frozen food specifically designed for aquarium fish, available from most pet stores and including bloodworms, mosquito larvae and brine shrimps. You’ll need to thaw these items before offering them up as treats to your goldfish.
Fat
Tropical fish food contains too much fat for goldfish to handle properly, leading them to bloat up and develop buoyancy issues that could eventually cause health issues. Furthermore, it’s vital that their diet includes plenty of plant matter to ensure optimal health.
Frozen foods tend to be better for goldfish because they’re lower in fat and higher in fiber content, though home cultivation could potentially provide live foods like brine shrimp, blood worms, daphnia or tubifex worms as alternatives.
Short term, you may feed your goldfish tropical fish flakes as part of their overall diet, however this should only comprise a small part. Goldfish require different nutrients in order to thrive; flake-based diets cannot meet them all. Furthermore, overusing goldfish flakes could cause your fish to become unhealthy and stressed – potentially even leading to their death!
Carbohydrates
Goldfish fisheries feed wild populations with algae, plants, insects, crustaceans and small fish that they consume as prey items. A high quality goldfish flake food should therefore contain medium amounts of protein with high fiber levels for colour enhancement purposes.
Tropical fish foods that are high in protein but low in fibre can contribute to Malawi Bloat or ceroidosis of organs in fish.
At regular intervals and when given dry food pellets, make sure your goldfish receive regular feedings and remove any uneaten food from their tank to prevent digestive issues caused by overfeeding. It is generally best to only give your goldfish enough food that they can consume within 2-3 minutes to ensure its digestion properly and keep polluting the environment. Soaking dry pellets before feeding your goldfish may help ensure its digestion more effectively and may prevent digestive issues in some fish species.
Vitamins
Goldfish are bottom feeders, so it is vitally important that their food contains plenty of essential vitamins. Most commercially available fish foods provide this information on the back of the packaging. You may also feed your goldfish vegetables such as canned green peas or chopped lettuce; however, processed foods should never be fed as their lack of stomachs means they cannot properly break down ingredients which could result in bacterial blooms in your tank and lead to contamination of its ecosystem.
Additionally, avoid feeding your goldfish bread crumbs as this form of mammalian fat cannot be digested by them properly. Furthermore, live insects may carry disease and bacteria which could transmit to your goldfish directly. Instead, look for prepared foods designed specifically for goldfish like Saki-Hikari Fancy Goldfish Pellets which provide vital nutrition that supports their overall wellbeing.
