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• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Know what to feed your goldfish
• Method 2 of 3: Feed your goldfish
• Method 3 of 3: Understanding the anatomy of goldfish
• Tips
• Warnings

Feeding your goldfish the right way is important to keep them happy and healthy. Overfeeding, wrong food, and wrong food preparation are common mistakes goldfish owners make when feeding their fish. Understanding how goldfish eat and what their diet should look like will help feed your goldfish the right way.

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Method 1 of 3: Know what to feed your goldfish

1. Know what foods your goldfish should eat. Goldfish are omnivores, which means they eat meat as well as plants. There are many different foods that you can feed your goldfish, and it can be quite overwhelming to go to the pet store and see all the different foods. Before you buy food, take the time to learn about the different options.
   • Remember that each food has different pros and cons.
   • Make sure your goldfish's diet consists of many different foods. Buying different types of food keeps the food interesting for your goldfish and ensures that they get all the nutrients they need to stay healthy.
2. Give your goldfish dry food. Dry food is one of the best known types of goldfish food. It is usually sold in sprinklers and consists of flakes or granules. Flakes usually float at the top of the aquarium and granules usually sink to the bottom. Your goldfish will eat at the top and bottom of the tank, so you can feed them both types of dry food.
   • Dry food is generally quite healthy for your goldfish, but it does not contain all the nutrients they need. Therefore, dry food should not be the main ingredient of your goldfish's menu.
   • Since flakes float on the surface of the water, you can easily scoop the excess flakes out of the water to keep the aquarium cleaner.
3. Give your goldfish a variety of live foods. Live food is an excellent source of protein for your goldfish and is considered the most important part of their diet. Examples of live food are earthworms, bloodworms, water fleas and brine shrimp.
   • If you don't prepare live food properly, it can make your goldfish sick. To avoid contamination with disease, purchase the live food from a pet store, rather than getting it from lakes, ponds, and the ground yourself.
   • Brine shrimp and earthworms are very unlikely to transmit disease.
   • Earthworms are easier to find during the summer months, which is their breeding season.
   • Brine shrimp are tiny crustaceans. They are very high in protein, so it is better to give them to your goldfish as a snack rather than as part of the normal food.
4. Find out what frozen foods and freeze-dried foods you can feed your goldfish. Frozen and freeze-dried foods often contain just as many nutrients as live foods. These foods are also great if you don't like handling live worms. You can buy live food in frozen or freeze-dried form from the pet store.
   • Another advantage of frozen food is that you can store it easily.
   • If you have frozen crab, lobster and mussels at home, you can also give them to your goldfish. Make sure to clean and thaw the food before putting it in your goldfish's tank.
5. Feed your goldfish small amounts of fruits and vegetables. You can also feed your goldfish fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are high in nutrients and low in fat, but don't overfeed your goldfish. You can feed your goldfish peas, lettuce, broccoli, and apples, among other things.
   • Whatever fruit or vegetable you choose, be sure to soak, cut, and peel it before giving it to your goldfish. It is also important not to season or flavor the fruit and vegetable in any way.

Method 2 of 3: Feed your goldfish

1. Feed your goldfish small amounts of food several times a day. A good rule of thumb is not to give your goldfish more than they can eat in one to two minutes. Goldfish can literally eat themselves to death, so you have to be very careful not to overfeed your goldfish. Feeding three times a day should be sufficient.
   • Grab just enough food to hold easily between your thumb and forefinger. This is approximately the amount of food you should give your goldfish.
2. Know how to prepare the different types of food. There are many different types of goldfish food available for purchase, but it is important to know how to prepare these types. This reduces the chance that your goldfish will develop digestive problems after eating.
   • Pre-soak flakes to prevent your goldfish from swallowing air bubbles when eating. If goldfish swallow air bubbles, they can develop swim bladder problems and constipation. To pre-soak the flakes, dip them in the aquarium a few times before sprinkling them in the water. Feed your goldfish flakes once or twice a week.
   • Soak granules for 10-15 minutes, or until they are about twice as large. Remove a small amount of water from the tank, put it in another container and put the granules in it. When the grains are soft and swollen, put them in the aquarium. Feed your goldfish pellets two or three times a week.
   • Soak freeze-dried food in a small container of water from the aquarium to avoid digestive upset.
   • Let frozen food thaw completely before adding it to your goldfish tank.
   • Peel and cut fruits and vegetables and soften them. Cooking is a good way to soften vegetables. You can occasionally give your goldfish fruits and vegetables as a snack.
   • Thoroughly rinse live food if you collected it yourself from nature. By rinsing earthworms you remove all soil and organisms in that soil that may carry disease.
   • To give worms, cut them into small pieces before putting them in your goldfish's tank. You can even stick the small pieces on a toothpick and feed them that way to your fish. Feed your goldfish live food once a week.
3. Monitor your fish when feeding. Keep a close eye on your goldfish when you feed them to make sure they don't overeat. If your goldfish overeat, their intestinal tract can become full of food, trapping gas in the swim bladder and causing your fish to float aimlessly in the water. If you see your goldfish floating like that, immediately remove any remaining food from the tank.
   • Contact a veterinarian or pet store for advice on how to treat goldfish that have eaten too much.
4. Make a feeding plan when you go on vacation. If you will be away from home for more than a few days, make a plan for feeding your goldfish. One option is to have someone else feed your goldfish. If you choose this option, it is a good idea to make a detailed list of all the food your goldfish eat and provide instructions on how to feed the goldfish while you are away.
   • For the person who will be feeding your goldfish, it is easier to prepare the food in advance and put it in separate containers.
   • You can also use a fish feeder. Visit a pet store to learn more about these feeders.
   • Remember that goldfish can go without food for quite some time. Goldfish can go without food for up to three weeks, although they are hungry.

Method 3 of 3: Understanding the anatomy of goldfish

1. Know where a goldfish's teeth are. Goldfish do not have teeth in their jaws. The teeth are in the back of the throat so they can crush their food and swallow it whole. If you listen carefully, you can hear a cracking sound when your goldfish chew their food.
2. Learn about your goldfish's digestive system. Goldfish do not have a stomach. Instead, the intestines do the work that a stomach would otherwise do. Because goldfish have no stomach, they cannot eat much food at the same time. The food that is eaten is quickly processed by the digestive system. Goldfish, because they don't have a stomach, are more likely to suffer from digestive problems if you don't feed them properly.
3. Learn about the purpose of the swim bladder. The swim bladder is a gas-filled internal organ that keeps goldfish afloat in the water. If goldfish don't get the right food, they can develop swim bladder problems and become unable to float properly in the water.

Tips

• Fresh tap water contains different amounts of minerals and substances than the water in the aquarium that has already been filtered. That's why it's important to soak your goldfish's food in aquarium water.
• Some goldfish are bred to develop unusual body shapes, which causes them to develop buoyancy and swim bladder problems very quickly. To avoid these problems, you can give them granules that sink to the bottom.
• It is a good idea to feed your goldfish at the same time every day.
• Spirulina is a type of algae that is added to goldfish pellets. You can buy spirulina granules at the pet store.

Warnings

• Overfeeding your goldfish can not only cause digestive and swim bladder problems, but can also cause aquarium problems. Leftover food can rot if not removed from the water quickly, and harmful substances such as ammonia can end up in the water. Excessive amount of food can also cause the water to become cloudy, which can be problematic for the aquarium's filtration system.