Beginner: Goldfish Food




Goldfish food

There are dozens of types of goldfish food on the market today and they come in a variety of forms and ingredients. Goldfish are omnivores which means they eat both plants and animals. However, they are mainly herbivores and shouldn’t only be fed animal products. Many goldfish hobbyists only buy and use one brand of goldfish food and their goldfish live long lives but by mixing up the various types of food ensures that the goldfish get a well balanced diet.




The various forms of goldfish food come in:



The various ways goldfish food is processed are:

  • Dry food
  • Freeze-dried
  • Frozen
  • Living



Goldfish food comes in these types of foods:

  • Tubifex worms
  • Brine shrimp
  • Blood worms
  • Krill
  • Plankton
  • Mysis
  • Shrimp
  • Cyclops
  • Daphnia
  • Mosquito larva
  • Algae and plants





How Much Goldfish Food per Feeding


Goldfish are cold blooded which means they don’t need as much food as warm blood creatures. Since gold blooded animals don’t need to use energy to heat themselves up, they can go much longer without being fed. A goldfish could go a week or longer without eating; they will be hungry but not starving. Goldfish won’t shrivel up and die but they will stop growing during that time. When a goldfish finally starts eating again, it will continue to grow again. Underfeeding is rarely the cause for concern; it’s overfeeding that causes the most problems.


Here is the rule of thumb for feeding goldfish; only feed goldfish as much food as they can eat in 2-3 minutes. Over feeding can be fatal because goldfish are opportunistic scavengers and will continue to eat as long as there is food in the tank. This can lead to a burst intestine. That means they die. Over feeding will not make them grow faster; it is more likely to kill them. If you want them to grow, give them plenty of space to grow and maintain the health of the tank.


How Often to Feed Goldfish


There is no clear answer to this question. In the wild, goldfish eat tiny meals throughout the day and are healthy. Smaller meals more frequently are easier on the digestive tract of a goldfish. Small meals include a few flakes or pellets per fish. Observing goldfish during feeding time will help goldfish owners know if there goldfish need more food. If the goldfish appear to still be in a frenzy when all the food is gone, they might need a bit more next during the next feeding. It’s important to observe all the goldfish individually to see if they are getting their fair share.




More Goldfish Care or Goldfish Bowl Info.