Goldfish have special nutritional requirements. Their diet should contain plenty of carbohydrates and fiber while being low in proteins.
Most tropical fish foods contain too much protein for goldfish to consume safely, while their tendency to float may cause swim bladder issues in these species of fish.
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Feeding Tips
Goldfish require a high protein diet and it’s important to limit their carb intake. Flakes containing added sugars will pose problems to them; seek food with lower raw ash content (lessening water pollution).
Fish pellets tend to sink more readily than flakes and don’t disintegrate as quickly, so they should be fed two or three times per day with enough food that they can consume within minutes.
Overfeeding fish is one of the main causes of their demise and should never be done on purpose, especially with young or growing fish. Rinsing all live foods every 24 hours helps ensure no leftover food pollutes the environment and polluting water supplies.
Live Food
Goldfish are primary fish eaters, so tropical fish food may seem suitable; however, goldfish actually require more protein. Their wild-living ancestors consumed plants, algae, crustaceans and insects as food sources.
Additionally to specialized flakes and pellet food, you may also feed your goldfish live foods such as brine shrimp, earthworms or daphnia as additional varieties in their diet. However, these should only be provided as occasional treats rather than part of their regular mealtime regimen.
Vegetables are another effective way to provide goldfish with essential nutrition. Some experts advise offering them peas with their tough covers removed, zucchini or lettuce as a snack; blanching will soften these vegetables to make eating them simpler for their owner’s goldfish.
Frozen Food
Goldfish are omnivores and must have some protein added to their diet in order to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Frozen bloodworms, mosquito larvae and brine shrimp can easily be found at most pet or aquarium stores and fed once or twice every week for optimal health.
Goldfish feed on plants, crustaceans and insects found in nature; other options for feedings may include frozen boiled greens, shelled peas (with shell removed), boiled egg yolk and special fish food products like Xtreme Aquatics Spirulina Flake Food or Hikari Algae Wafers designed specifically to meet goldfish requirements.
Avoid overfeeding as excess food rots and fouls the water, depleting dissolved oxygen resources needed by goldfish. Pre-soaking pellets or flakes to eliminate air bubbles that could tempt goldfish to consume them by sucking up any air bubbles present during storage.
Pellets
Pellet foods can be easily found at pet stores. Goldfish require high levels of protein in their diet; many pellets contain this nutrient; however, for optimal results it’s also important to seek out foods which provide other essential vitamins and minerals.
Feed your goldfish sinking pellets instead of flakes as their food source as this type of food will reach all layers in their habitats more quickly.
Unseen food debris such as pellets can quickly degrade and pollute the water of your tank, pond or aquarium resulting in dangerous levels of ammonia and nitrite that promote algae growth. Therefore, any uneaten food should be removed within 10 minutes.
Vegetables
Goldfish may eat tropical fish food made specifically for them, but this is usually not their preferred food source in nature. Omnivorous by nature, goldfish typically search for plants and insects at the bottom of their habitats as food sources.
Goldfish can safely consume most vegetables as long as they have been thoroughly rinsed or lightly steamed before feeding to them, including zucchini, squash, cucumbers (remove seeds before serving), lima beans, peas (shell prior to serving), greens like cabbage and lettuce and more.
Goldfish may benefit from eating freeze-dried or live foods to supplement their stable diet of dry flakes or pellets, such as brine shrimp or earthworms; just ensure you carefully rinse or steam them to eliminate any potential disease organisms and feed no more frequently than once every week.
