One of the most important aspect of feeding goldfish is to know how much food to give it. Its constant grazing behavior often tricks owners to overfeeding them, which is a sure call for the fish falling ill. Here is more information on what and how to feed a goldfish.
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Hire a Freelancer Choose from 000's of rated freelancers. Free job posts! Goldfish belongs to the carp family that were domesticated quite early by human beings. Not only are they colorful but their popularity as aquarium fish stems from the fact that they have impressive associative learning abilities. Goldfish also display keen social learning skills. Goldfish are coldwater fish. Hence, these do not require temperature of water in the aquarium to be regulated. Despite this, it is important to know that these fishes are generally sensitive to drastic or frequent change in water temperature. Goldfish can also be kept in ponds and if that is where a fish owner wants to keep his pets, then he should go for the hardier varieties like common goldfish, comet, wakin, and shubunkin goldfish, that adapt well to the temperature changes with seasons in pond water. Of the various aspects of goldfish care we will deal with one, which is feeding goldfish.
Important Aspects of Feeding Goldfish
Here are some common aspects and questions that every goldfish owner wants to know about feeding goldfish:
What to Feed a Goldfish?
Goldfish are omnivores and so one has lot of options about what to feed his pet. However, as compared to food for other fish, goldfish food should have lower protein and higher carbohydrates content. Goldfish food is commercially available in the form of flakes or pellets. Food forms that float are the best option, as that would enable one to remove excess food from the fish tank. However, to add variety one could also feed mashed peas (with skin removed) and blanched leaves of vegetables to their pet goldfish. Live and frozen foods can also be fed. However, it is best to get live food for goldfish available in pet shops, as those caught from the wild may carry parasites and organisms that cause goldfish diseases. Brine shrimp and spirulina are good for the digestive system of goldfish.
How Much to Feed a Goldfish?
Goldfish have an impressive appetite. You might notice that they gobble up all the food almost every time they are added to the fish tank. However, don't be fooled by this display of hunger as most first time fish enthusiasts are. Goldfish pollute the water in the tank frequently. If they are overfed, this leads to further dirtying of water due to increase in the amount of waste that they excrete. However, more importantly, an overfed goldfish is sure to fall sick. As a general rule, a goldfish should be fed only as much as it can eat within the first two minutes. Anything more than that is being overfed.
How Often to Feed a Goldfish?
Another question that goldfish owners want to know is how often do you feed goldfish. The answer to this question is that a goldfish should not be fed more than twice a day. However, while feeding goldfish in winter, one needs to bring the frequency of feeding down to once everyday. This is because, with drop in temperature of water, the metabolism of these fishes also drop. Hence, the amount of diet should be reduced so that goldfish do not run the risk of being overfed. For proper goldfish care the amount and frequency of feeding is just as important as what the goldfish is being fed.
Feeding Goldfish While on Vacation
It's the time of the year that you have been desperately waiting for to go out on a vacation! But how to care for your pet goldfish while you are away on vacation? The most important aspect of goldfish care while the owner is on a vacation is feeding it. If you are going out for four days or less, then your fish could do without being fed during this time. However, if it is five days or more that you are going to be away, then it is better to make arrangements for feeding your goldfish. Get someone to feed your pet every fourth day. You might have explained the amount of food that your fish has to be fed, but you can never be sure that your fish is not being overfed! Many goldfish owners come back from their vacation to hear the shocking news that their pet died...due to overfeeding! You definitely don't want that for yourself, do you? So just pack food for your goldfish in small plastic baggies with dates that they have to be fed, written on them. Another option available is to use food blocks called vacation blocks or banquet blocks. These are blocks of plaster of Paris with fish food in them. As the plaster of Paris slowly dissolves bits of fish food are exposed that fish can nibble on. Read more on interestting facts about goldfish.
Having correct information about feeding goldfish is one the most important goldfish care tips. However, before I end this article, I would reiterate that don't get too excited about the constant grazing behavior that your goldfish displays. Clean water and restraining from overfeeding your goldfish are crucial for its health!
