FOOD

There are several types of Goldfish food, such as live, fresh, prepared, and commercial food.

For beginners, I would recommend sticking to high-quality commercial food and natural aquarium plants. Prepared foods are for those who have more experience, because they can come up with their own recipes using different ingredients. The most common ingredients include Chicken eggs, Cow heart, green peas, and carrots.

When looking for commercial food, always check for their protein content. Thirty to thirty-five percent works best for a juvenile. Mature Goldfishes need less protein. Check also for freshness based on smell, and observe if they pollute the tank water (they shouldn’t).

Two common types of food are the floating pellets and the slow sinking type. The sinking type comes in different sizes, and works best for shallow tanks with Fishes like Ranchu, Bubbles Eyes, and Celestial. On the other hand, Goldfish with Boral tails require deeper tanks, and these do well with sinking pellets, especially when they live with fishes like Ryukin and Oranda.

Live foods encourage Fishes to mate, while also serving as treats. They are not recommended for newbies as extra care is needed when monitoring water quality with these types of food. Types include live Tubifex, Earthworms, Moina, and Mosquito wrigglers.

There are other food types that can be used as staples, but I recommend using them as a supplementary diet, mainly because of availability, nutrients, price, and palate mix. You can add them to balance your goldfish diet, to be given two to three times a week as treats. Flakes used to be very popular but have been overtaken by pellets. Spirulina bits aid in food digestion. Dried Tubifex Worms serve as alternative treats without the potential contaminants from fresh Tubifex. Frozen Bloodworms need a freezer for storage. Dried krill are natural color enhancers with a good amount of protein. Duckweeds have good protein content and are high in fiber for healthy digestion. Lastly, elodea or cabomba plants make Goldfishes happy as they can munch and nibble during the day.