How much do I feed my goldfish?

[Yossu]

Bit confused. I have two comets, each around 2" body length in a 200l tank. I bought some sinking pellets, and the man in the shop said to feed them 4-5 pellets per fish. However, that looks like a very small amount of food compared to the size of their bodies.

The instructions on the pot say not to feed more than the fish can eat within about 5 minutes. However, depending on where my fish are when I drop the food in, they might miss it completely, in which case it all sinks to the bottom and stays there until they find it, or they notice it as it's going in, in which case they eat quite a lot quite quickly.

Anyone able to advise how much I feed and how often. Thanks

 

[Naughts]

As they are juveniles I recommend feeding twice a day. Their stomach size only equates to the size of their eyeball so that should ease your mind about the 4-5 pellets quantity. Remember that fish are cold blooded so don't need energy for warmth, only for movement and growth.

I would say only feed what they can eat in 30 seconds. The problem of them missing the food may be resolved by trying slow sinking pellets, or even floating ones. Fish that have their mouths in the middle (as opposed to the downward mouths of bottom feeders, or the upward mouths of top feeders), will eat mid water so slow sinking pellets would be more natural.

When they are adult size you can cut down to once a day and introduce a day a week where they are not fed which will help with their digestion and appetite.

They sound lovely, feel free to post a photo!

 

[Yossu]

As they are juveniles I recommend feeding twice a day. Their stomach size only equates to the size of their eyeball so that should ease your mind about the 4-5 pellets quantity. Remember that fish are cold blooded so don't need energy for warmth, only for movement and growth.

Thanks, that does ease my mind!

I would say only feed what they can eat in 30 seconds. The problem of them missing the food may be resolved by trying slow sinking pellets, or even floating ones. Fish that have their mouths in the middle (as opposed to the downward mouths of bottom feeders, or the upward mouths of top feeders), will eat mid water so slow sinking pellets would be more natural.

I got sinking pellets as I'd read quite a few posts about goldfish having problems with eating from the surface, as they take in air.

Maybe I'll try dropping the pellets in front of them so they see them.

Aside: When I was a boy, my indulgent parents bought me a pair of axolotls. These were fascinating, if stupid pets. The only way I could get them to eat was drop the food so it landed on their noses! If it landed anwhere else, even right in front of them, they ignored it. Amazingly enough, I kept them for years.

They sound lovely, feel free to post a photo!

I was going to wait a bit, as my plan was that when my spiderwood finally decided to sink, I would scape the tank, then add plants. In an attempt to push the wood to the bottom to try and soak it better (and because it looked weird floating with the fish underneath) I put a piece of wood (type unknown, bought many years ago) on top of them to weigh them down. The contrast between the light spiderwood and the dark other wood looks amazing. I'm thinking about leaving it as it is. Can't decide if plants would spoil it.

The photo really doesn't do it justice, but here we go...

 

[Naughts]

goldfish having problems with eating from the surface, as they take in air.

Yes, that's true. Flakes are better as they can pull it from the bottom, pellets do encourage them to gulp. An example of slow sinking pellets would be Fluval bug bites goldfish formula or NT Labs Fancy goldfish. What brand are you using?

pair of axolotls. These were fascinating, if stupid pets. The only way I could get them to eat was drop the food so it landed on their noses! If it landed anwhere else, even right in front of them, they ignored it.

I'm thinking about leaving it as it is. Can't decide if plants would spoil it.

Goldfish should have plant matter in their diet so I would use some, maybe use floating plants that won't crowd the wood.

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello. Fish, no matter what size they are, have a very small stomach compared to their overall size. It's roughly the size of one of their eyes. Pretty tiny. So, it doesn't take much to fill it. I feed my Goldfish and Koi a little pellet food roughly three times a week and just what they'll eat in a couple of minutes. More than this and the fish are being overfed. Your fish will be much more active and healthier if you feed just a little. This encourages them to forage around for any food that was missed. In short, they'll get their exercise. Feeding a little less gives you a slimmer and healthier fish and the water will stay clean a lot longer.

10

 

[Yossu]

@Naughts I've got AquaCare Goldfish Japan soft pellets, which is what I was recommended. The pellets are about 1mm each. Is that the right stuff, and if so, is 4-5 pellets per fish twice a day reasonable?

@10 Tanks Thanks for the info.

I'm thinking of breeding some brine shrimp (for my tropical fish as well). If so, how do I know ow much of those to put in the tank? Also, would that be a good enough diet (assuming I put some plant matter in), or should I include anything else?

Thanks again, sorry to ask so many questions!

 

[Naughts]

Thanks again, sorry to ask so many questions!

No worries, that's what forums are for!

I'm thinking of breeding some brine shrimp (for my tropical fish as well). If so, how do I know ow much of those to put in the tank? Also, would that be a good enough diet (assuming I put some plant matter in), or should I include anything else?

Live foods are great enrichment for natural behaviours. I've never bred brine shrimp, I just hatch out a spoonful of eggs/salt mix and share them out so I don't get a problem with overfeeding. Usually I'd say live food doesn't pollute the tank/add much bio-load but I suspect brine shrimp don't live too long in freshwater so that wouldn't apply. Just add as much as they'll eat in a couple of minutes.
Diet would be somewhat dependent on species - what tropical fish do you have? The goldfish could also have 'greens' which might include shelled softened peas, spinach, kale, lettuce or cucumber.

I've got AquaCare Goldfish Japan soft pellets, which is what I was recommended. The pellets are about 1mm each. Is that the right stuff, and if so, is 4-5 pellets per fish twice a day reasonable?

Those pellets sound ok. 4-5 pellets is reasonable but you were saying there were some left on the bottom so reduce it to 3 for a while. There is little chance of under feeding fish but a big risk of overfeeding.

 

[Yossu]

Live foods are great enrichment for natural behaviours. I've never bred brine shrimp, I just hatch out a spoonful of eggs/salt mix and share them out so I don't get a problem with overfeeding. Usually I'd say live food doesn't pollute the tank/add much bio-load but I suspect brine shrimp don't live too long in freshwater so that wouldn't apply. Just add as much as they'll eat in a couple of minutes.

Hatching was what I meant. I'm still waiting for the eggs to arrive, so I'll see how I get on when I get as far as hatching some. Never done it before, so it's a new adventure for me

Diet would be somewhat dependent on species - what tropical fish do you have? The goldfish could also have 'greens' which might include shelled softened peas, spinach, kale, lettuce or cucumber.

They are comets as far as I know. Don't know if you can see them clearly enough in the pic I posted yesterday, might confirm that.

Those pellets sound ok. 4-5 pellets is reasonable but you were saying there were some left on the bottom so reduce it to 3 for a while. There is little chance of under feeding fish but a big risk of overfeeding.

OK, thanks.

 

[Naughts]

They are comets as far as I know. Don't know if you can see them clearly enough in the pic I posted yesterday, might confirm that.

They are. Sorry I thought you were also asking about diet for your tropicals hence the question on species.
Good luck with the brine shrimp adventure.

 

[Yossu]

They are. Sorry I thought you were also asking about diet for your tropicals hence the question on species.
Good luck with the brine shrimp adventure.

I was asking about the goldfish, but now you've mentioned it, I'd be happy for any advice on diet for the tropicals. I have an angel, zebra danios and some neon tetras. They currently get flake, but as I said, I'm planning on supplementing that with brine shrimp.

Any comments on that diet? Thanks again

 

[Naughts]

Great, the brine shrimp will add variety. I also use daphnia and mosquito larvae from outdoor tubs, frozen food that pets@home sell, and alternate Fluval bug bites tropical formula with New Life Spectrum flake as staples.
Generally most brands of flake and pellet are nutritionally sound. I avoid bloodworm as they have hard heads, and freeze dried foods which can swell up inside the fish, both can cause blockages.

 

[Yossu]

@Naughts Thanks for the comments. I'd forgotten about frozen bugs. Used them before and always gone down well. Didn't know that about bloodworms though, they were one of the more common ones I used.