Feeding your Goldfish

A common pet to take care of is a goldfish. They are easier to maintain and are beautiful to watch. Goldfish are omnivores, meaning they can eat both plant and animal food particles. To keep them colourful, healthy and grow well, they should have a balanced diet which includes fiber-rich foods, carbohydrates, protein and necessary vitamins. Feed a good-quality food and if it is dry food, soak it in water for a few minutes to moisten it before feeding.

Goldfish have large appetites and will eat almost anything you give them, so it is with utmost care that you control the amount of food you provide them. Be careful not to overfeed them because they can actually burst and die due to overfeeding. It is better to feed them twice a day and only in as much as they can eat in 2-3 minutes. By doing this, you reduce the level of wastes in the water. There will be less uneaten food left thus minimizing frequent water change. Another thing to note about feeding your pet goldfish is that they cannot digest excess protein, so choose those which are low on protein but high in carbohydrate.

Your goldfish can be fed with a variety of foods. Different types of food in the fish’s diet will ensure that they are receiving plenty of nutrients.

Below is a list of foods you can feed your pet goldfish.

1. Manufactured food. This can be in flake or pellet form. This is the most common fish food in the market which consists of an optimal blend of ingredients that deliver superior nutrition. Flake food is fortified with natural attractants, color enhancers, and highly digestible protein sources.
2. Live food. This can be tubifex worms, brine shrimp or mosquito larvae.
3. Frozen food. The frozen food like frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, tubifex worms or mosquito larvae are easily available at many pet stores. This can have the same nutrition as that of live food but with extra protection for the goldfish because of the growing live cultures.
4. Homemade food. Also called household foods. These foods provide fresh nutrients to the goldfish. Examples are lettuce and peas which you can feed your goldfish.

Proper goldfish care should be practiced all the time. Overfeeding is probably the leading cause of death in goldfish. But if your goldfish does not eat then perhaps your pet may be ill or needs water change. If your fish lacks feeding, this could be a sign of stress. Over- or underfeeding is not good for your pet, so keep in mind to check on them to prevent any problems later on.