Feeding your goldfish the appropriate amount will not only keep it looking healthy and beautiful, but will also prevent digestive tract issues from developing.
Avoid placing unsoaked flakes into your tank water until they have been properly pre-soaked; this will protect goldfish from swallowing air bubbles which could cause swim bladder issues.
Feed your goldfish a diet high in proteins, vitamins and minerals specifically tailored for goldfish. Use food designed for this species.
Contents
Floating Pellets
Pellets are generally better for goldfish than flakes as they don’t dissolve instantly and pollute tank water; also, they don’t retain as many essential nutrients like pellets do. Furthermore, pellets come in multiple sizes suitable for goldfish as well as some with additional proteins and nutrients to keep their coloring vibrant.
Feeding your goldfish several small meals of pellets or granules throughout the day will keep them healthy while stimulating their natural hunting instincts. Soaking food first before feeding ensures it won’t expand their digestive tracts, leading to blockages or constipation; this step is especially crucial if using high quality pellets such as those offered by Saki Hikari.
Sinking Pellets
Goldfish have primitive stomachs and therefore cannot feel satisfied after they eat, leading them to remain hungry all day long and swim around looking for food sources. To keep them occupied throughout their daily activities and keep them from becoming disgruntled, feed multiple times throughout each day and space out their feeding times accordingly.
While floating flakes may be beneficial to younger goldfish, once they reach adulthood and can consume pellets it would be in their best interests and that of the tank’s water quality to switch to a pellet diet. Flakes may cause air bubbles to be swallowed accidentally leading to swim bladder issues or bloating which will negatively impact both their health and tank water quality.
Many fish hobbyists opt to pre-soak pellet food for 10 or 15 minutes prior to feeding it to their goldfish, in order to reduce air bubbles gorging up into their bodies and potentially endangering their health. Offering sinking pellets along with floating flakes also adds variety in terms of diet.
Protein
Goldfish are naturally omnivorous fish that spend most of their days “grazing” in the water. To recreate this in captivity, goldfish need a diet rich in protein.
Feed your goldfish only as much food as they can consume within two minutes, be it pellets or flakes. This will prevent overfeeding which leads to issues like fin rot and dropsy.
Feed your fish a variety of foods to keep their diet exciting and varied. Frozen blood worms, brine shrimp, artemia or daphnia are great additions that you can purchase at most chain pet stores, while high quality goldfish food such as Hikari contains ingredients such as Spirulina that promote vibrant colors in fish.
Fat
Feeding indoor goldfish less frequently during the winter can reduce stress on their core functions while increasing risk of fatty liver disease. Most likely, only once daily feedings should be performed for most goldfish species in winter indoor settings unless maximum growth is desired. Excess feeding will lead to weight gain in your fish which could impair core body functions or even lead to the possibility of fatty liver disease.
High-quality manufactured food will contain all of the nutrients goldfish need in one daily ration, whereas cheaper foods often include fillers which may harm them.
Add variety to your goldfish’s diet by providing frozen brine shrimps, bloodworms or daphnia (available from most pet shops) as part of its daily ration. Simply thaw these out before feeding to them – as they float, you’ll easily be able to monitor as the fish consume them and reduce food waste in your aquarium!
Vitamins
Goldfish require an array of nutrients and minerals in order to remain healthy. To minimize water pollution, floating pellets with lower raw ash content should be fed regularly as these can easily be scooped up without polluting the tank. Soaked foods will also make digestion simpler for your goldfish.
Many first time goldfish owners opt for fish flakes as the main food source, though these aren’t always the most ideal option for their aquatic friends. Flakes dissolve very quickly into the water quality, losing most of their nutritional value very rapidly; additionally they don’t provide long-term sustenance value like pellets would. It would be more advantageous to purchase prepared foods for goldfish with ingredients like spirulina that will promote coloring enhancement while simultaneously supporting a balanced diet.
