Goldfish can eat tropical fish flakes, but for optimal health they must also receive their species-appropriate diet. Goldfish prefer feeding mid and bottom water environments and prefer food that sinks such as dry pellets or food tablets.
Goldfish fish also enjoy nibbling on aquatic plants such as duckweed. However, it’s important not to overfeed your goldfish, as too much fat in its diet could damage its liver.
Contents
Protein
Goldfish are omnivores and enjoy feeding on various types of food, from flakes, pellets and plant matter to flaked food or bits of debris in their gravel environment. Pharyngeal teeth in their mouth enable them to grind and sieve food into small particles for digestion.
Although Goldfish are omnivorous creatures, their diet should primarily consist of protein- and carb-rich fish foods that include unsaturated oils like fish oil.
Goldfish fed food that does not meet their nutritional needs could begin exhibiting symptoms of nutritional deficiency such as dull coloration and slow growth. To address this potential issue, ensure you check the guaranteed analysis and ingredients of their food; specifically the protein, carbohydrate, fat and vitamin contents listed on its packaging.
Carbohydrates
Goldfish require diets high in carbohydrates and protein for energy, while they cannot digest fats found in meat, fish, cheese or biscuits. Consumption of too much fat-laden food could lead to obesity, diabetes and liver issues in goldfish.
Feeding goldfish tropical fish flakes may provide a quick fix if their favorite food runs out, but this should only be used as an emergency measure. Fish flakes typically contain more grains and vegetables than protein; therefore they may lack key vitamins needed for good health.
As goldfish are bottom feeders and prefer food that sinks under the water surface, feeding tropical fish flakes could pose serious health risks to them. To ensure they don’t overeat or overload the filter system with too many particles at one time.
Fat
Goldfish are omnivorous fish that require both plant and animal-based foods for proper health, while also needing a balanced diet to maximize longevity. Too much protein could result in obesity or disease among goldfish.
Though you can feed your goldfish tropical flakes, it is best to select food specifically tailored to them. These food are high in carbs and lower in protein to avoid waste buildup in their digestive systems.
Many goldfish owners supplement their feeding plan with vegetables. You could try feeding your goldfish boiled and crushed green peas without the shells; canned zucchini slices; peeled cucumber; lightly steamed spinach and kale; some fish owners even feed their goldfish steamed whole wheat bread (though be wary as this can swell and cause blockages), all which offer valuable fiber additions to the diet as well as being abundant sources of carotene for enhanced red pigmentation.
Vitamins
Goldfish possess hard plates in the back of their mouths called pharyngeal teeth that they use to “sift” through gravel in order to find bits of plant and food sources. Their abilities in doing this make them adept fish feeders; you may often spot them grubbing around in it, taking in mouthfuls of substrate and food at once before expertly sorting through this material using their pharyngeal teeth before swallowing what they want to consume.
Even though tropical fish flakes and other branded food items are widely available at pet stores, it is generally not advised that goldfish be fed these. They have different nutritional needs from those of their tropical fish counterparts. Flake foods tend to be high in protein with minimal fiber, lacking essential vitamins required by goldfish.
Feeding goldfish the wrong tropical food diet over an extended period can result in serious health issues for them, including diabetes, obesity, constipation, bloating, swollen fins, anorexia, an enlarged heart, poor growth and swim bladder disease. You can help your goldfish avoid these issues by offering it a diverse diet of high-quality dried foods, aquatic meaty foods and vegetable-rich food such as peas (with pod removed), zucchini slices, peeled cucumber, lightly steamed carrots & courgette as well as mashed vegetables containing paprika and parsley.
