Goldfish typically spend their days feeding off of algae and foraging aquatic plant leaves in search of vital nutrients – but sometimes this source dries up completely.
Many pet stores sell fish-safe food alternatives. These foods may offer your goldfish nutritional advantages and ensure it remains palatable to them, such as boiling or steaming vegetables before offering it as food to your fish.
Contents
Pellets
Goldfish require a varied diet in order to stay healthy, including foods containing spirulina and proteins like meat. Flakes made of this substance are particularly attractive as a food source; other options can also provide important protein.
Search for fish food that does not contain fillers, hormone additives or soybeans. Spirulina helps promote vibrant color while other ingredients help strengthen immunity and support overall wellbeing.
Alternatively, fruit, vegetables or meat such as brine shrimp (thawed to make digestion easier for them). Cook these ingredients prior to giving them to the goldfish. Pet stores carry numerous varieties of fish food that you can find suitable for feeding goldfish; be sure to read up on what its guaranteed analysis and list of ingredients are before purchasing something from there.
Vegetables
Goldfish are herbivores or omnivores, and will happily consume vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, peas and carrots. Leafy veggies provide extra vitamins and minerals. Goldfish owners often boil or microwave kale and spinach so the fish can easily digest it.
Some individuals feed their goldfish hard-boiled eggs as an additional source of protein, though this can create cloudiness in the tank water and may cause additional waste problems. Eggs should never be used as an alternative food source.
Gel food may also be an option. These powdered food mixes can be combined with water to produce a gel-like consistency, often made of shrimp, sweet potato, garlic seasoning and gelatin for best results.
Fruits
Goldfish are naturally omnivorous creatures, so adding fresh fruits as supplements to their diet is a smart idea. Sliced strawberries provide polyphenols and manganese while orange slices provide vitamin C. Just be sure to remove the stringy rind before cutting up berries into tiny segments before feeding it to your finned friend!
Avoid giving your pet fruit that is swollen or overripe as this could block their digestive tract. Furthermore, bananas are too rich for goldfish. Pet stores carry many gel foods designed to be easily digested by goldfish; select a product with a guaranteed analysis statement and ingredients tailored specifically towards meeting their nutritional requirements.
Live Food
Goldfish are omnivorous animals and thrive when fed live food, such as brine shrimp, daphnia or worms. All three provide ample amounts of protein and other essential vitamins that will boost their energy levels and nourishment needs.
Goldfish also benefit from being fed vegetables like spinach, lettuce, kale or peas to get an instant dose of vitamins and minerals in their tank.
As fish can bloat and die quickly if fed too much food, only feed your goldfish the amount they can finish in two minutes or less and remove any uneaten food after that period of time has elapsed. This prevents overcrowding in aquariums or ponds.
Gel Food
Goldfish thrive in their aquatic environment by foraging for food at the bottom. They consume almost anything that floats or forms on it – algae, fecal matter, detritus and even their own scales! In addition, goldfish feed on aquatic plants such as azolla salvinia and duckweed.
Your goldfish should also receive fruits and vegetables as long as they do not contain mammalian fats, for instance cucumber (rich in vitamin C) or raspberries, both high in potassium and vitamin K content.
As much as you might want to, try not to feed your goldfish any food with mammalian fats such as bread. Doing so could bloat their intestines, leading to discomfort and bloat. In order to ensure your goldfish has enough time and space to eat the meal within 2-3 minutes without overloading their filter systems and overfeeding, limit how much food is given at one time.
