Psychlist1972

So, just about all the goldfish food at the local stores is floating pellets or floating flakes - and always in containers that will last me like 6 months (I'm sure it's nasty by the end of that).

As I understand it, goldfish should eat sinking food. So, what gives? Why so many bad choices and zero good ones?

Are any of you feeding your goldies with something commonly available at the stores, but not labeled as goldfish food?

If not, does anyone sell a good food online, in a quantity that won't spoil/get stale (or with a plan to preserve it) that you'd recommend?

(I get the feeling this is like the cat food problem we had years ago when we had cats. All the commonly available stuff was junk. I mean, when was the last time you saw a wild cat stalking an ear of corn?)

Thanks.

Pete

TFA101

My friend feeds her 3 goldies Hikari floating pellets, but she soaks them in tank water first so they sink and the goldfish doesn't swallow oxygen. She gets the small packs so she can always have fresh food on her and the food doesn't lose its nutritional value.

gremlin

I use the floating pellets. Dr's Foster and Smith has a variety of them. I open the large (25 lb) bag and shrink wrap it into just enough for my food jar. I use the food saver food vac. The floating pellets actually float just under the surface of the water. They keep their shape well and don't cloud up the water. It is also easier to remove any excess and let it air dry for the next day if you happen to accidentally over feed (like the container spilling in the water or something). I don't generally like the flakes because they dissolve too fast and sink too fast and muck up the water. If you look close in the pic, you can see how the majority of the pellet is actually under water. This lets the goldfish come up under the pellet and suck it in without getting too much air - which is the main problem with most floating foods.

Attached Images

fish food floating.JPG (428.9 KB, 108 views)

Psychlist1972

Thanks. I have some pellets that float like that, but I figured with all the splashing (actually got pretty wet from my big goldfish once, heh) they must be getting a lot of air. The big one seems to troll the surface looking for the pellets.

I'll double check mine to see how much they float vs. sink. I may be mistaken.

Pete

gremlin

Most of the splash is from their tails. Mine splash a lot also, but it is after they have the food and are "turning tail" to swim away. Sometimes, they splash so much, I can't see my fish!

Angela_96

Im big on buying kens fish food from his site. It seems my fish do better with that than store bought food.

aquarist48

Good morning Pete. Here is a link to Ken's website that Angela mentioned. I believe Shawnie uses this site as well to order her food.
Ken (I'm not the same Ken that owns the site)

http://www.kensfish.com/

Psychlist1972

Great, thanks!

Pete

yukoandk

Good morning Pete! You were right, this goldfish thread was hard to find. But now I found it thanks to you.

I feed my goldfish all sorts of different food in rotation. Flakes, pellets, frozen blood worms and brine shrimp, home made gel food, frozen peas, seaweed, etc.

Goldfish sucking air trying to eat food at the surface, and also dry food expanding in their stomach could become a problem, usually for the fancy or the fat bellied types. Their internal organs are already so compacted and under pressure that they are more sensitive and prone to swim bladder disease. They also experience constipation. Commercial food nowa days are usually high in protein and have some nutrient value to keep the fish fed, but not all the nutrients they like to get. Goldfish are omnivorous and their diet is similar to our food pyramid only the under water version. Sure I can live on McDonald's only, but I don't want to find out for how long.

Pellets--floating, sinking, slow sinking--are less messy compare to flakes that get scattered about in the tank. I like to be safe and soak them for a little first. What I do with the flakes is that I pinch some with my fingers and submerge it under the surface, then I let my fish come to my fingers and peck as I slowly release the flakes. Many goldfish love frozen peas--it's a good and easy addition to their diet. Just let them thaw, pop them out from the outer shell, and cut them up if your fish are small.

Overall, goldfish benefit from eating variety of food. After a rainy day, I'd go out on the yard and look under pots for earthworms. It's a special treat, but they have to eat their peas, too!

Caligo'sKeeper

I feed Caligo Hikari Brine shrimp with Spirilina, thawed frozen peas and I just picked up a flake food today. I used to feed her Bio-blend and that was good but I think they went out of business b/c I can't find it anymore...the slow sinking discs. But she's been sensitive to the sinking food since then :P

Cobalt Kairi

My goldfish are fed Nutrafin Max goldfish flakes (soaked), Tetra BabyShrimp (sun dried Gammarus pulex), and Top Fin Natural Dried Seaweed (Nori) for freshwater fish. I used to feed them some sinking spirulina pellets, but they began to cloud the water horrendously so I threw them away today. They get cucumbers on occasion and the odd shelled pea. They LOVE the shrimp - they make a loud smacking noise when they eat the shell.

Lucy

Hi! Welcome to FishLore
This thread is pretty old. Please check the dates before replying. Thanks!

shellbell4ever

I pre soak most of mine before feeding in tank water for a bit,I use pro gold and hikari brands

Fishies-for-me

Well as it is already resurected.. I might as well chime in...lol I feed a sinking stick food for my goldies. But my black moor alway has to come over and get his before they sink...he eats right out of my fingers. I always make sure he gets his as the ryukin and oranda are both faster and more able to get the food and they over eat while the poor moor is still sitting there looking for food...lol