Goldfish are small carp prized for their beauty. These fish have been selectively bred in China over 2000 years ago for food, but since then they have become beloved, albeit short-lived, pets around the world. Although goldfish are known for being small, under the right conditions they can grow quite large, exceeding five pounds. What do goldfish eat to grow so large in the wild and in captivity?
We’ll look at all the foods goldfish like and what you need to do to keep one healthy.
What Foods Do Goldfish Eat?
Goldish eats insects, plants and crustaceans. These omnivores are opportunistic eaters who have a little trouble with self-control; they will eat continuously, even if it is against them. Among the foods they will eat are:
- algae
- zooplankton
- mosquitoes
- tadpoles
- Decaying plant material
- worms
- fish eggs
- Bloodworms
- Brine shrimp
- Mysis shrimp
- water fleas
- Baby lobsters
- water lettuce
- Anacharis
- insect larvae
These are just some of the most common foods that goldfish eat throughout their lives in the wild. Mostly, goldfish will choose to eat insects, insect larvae, plants and the eggs of insects or other fish. They have relatively small mouths making it difficult to consume a lot of food, and their offensive abilities as hunters are limited to surprising small creatures.
Nevertheless, goldfish are very successful feeders, foraging for their favorite foods for hours of each day.
What do goldfish eat as pets?
Although they were first selectively bred in China for food over 2,000 years ago, today goldfish are more commonly seen in a home aquarium. They are common pets, valued for their beauty and ability to thrive in conditions not favorable to other fish.
They are usually kept either in aquariums or home ponds, although they also appear in natural waterways when people discard the fish as they grow too large. When kept in captivity, their diet is different than when they live in the wild.
Here is a list of foods that goldfish eat:
- algae wafers
- Artemia
- Bloodworms
- Commercial Food Granules
- Salad
- Aquarium snails
- Peas
- Kale
- Daphnia
- Spinach
Goldfish can consume any of these foods, although most people are happy with feeding them commercial food pellets when in an aquarium. The goldfish that are kept in ponds and are allowed to grow a little more often get chopped vegetables, algae wafers and insects.
In many cases, goldfish kept in ponds will still feed on insects that come close to their water, such as mosquitoes. That’s a good thing, because it prevents insects from using the pond as a breeding ground.
It is important to pay attention to a goldfish’s diet and to feed them enough to meet their nutritional needs.
How much does a goldfish eat?
The question of how much a goldfish eats must be properly qualified. For starters, a captive goldfish has specific nutritional needs that must be met. If a goldfish gets its nutrition from food grains, as many goldfish do, it’s best to feed them 2-3 times a day and only as much as the food label recommends.
It is important to remember that some goldfish do not know when to stop eating. These fish are almost standing non-stop eating habit, so goldfish owners should provide plenty of food without over-feeding. Otherwise, waste byproducts from feeding goldfish, namely ammonia, can build up in their tanks and become a hazard to them.
So if kept as pets, goldfish should eat about 2 or 3 times a day with varied foods such as algae wafers, food pellets and chopped vegetables. The amount is often described as the amount the goldfish can eat in a minute or two, as you don’t want the food to sink to the bottom of the tank and cause water quality problems.
In the wild, goldfish eat quite often because they are constantly foraging, but they have fewer concerns about water quality and limited growing space.
What not to feed your goldfish
Whether you’re trying to keep your goldfish healthy or finding wild goldfish, they should avoid certain foods. We are going to show you some of the foods that are either not the best options or should never be put in a goldfish aquarium.
- Bread
- Generic fish food
- crackers
- grain
- Beef
- Pork
Bread, crackers and cereal can cause bloating in your goldfish, which can eventually kill them. General fish food tends to lack the nutrients these fish need and cloud the water more than food made specifically for goldfish.
Although goldfish are omnivores, they should avoid foods such as beef and pork as they are high in fat, which can negatively affect the water and cause liver damage in the fish.
What predators eat goldfish?
Goldfish can grow quite large in the wild and their bright colors don’t do them any good when it comes to hiding from predators. In other words, they can be a tempting target for a predator looking for a good meal. Some of the main predators of goldfish are:
These animals will find goldfish in the wild and pick them out of the water. The danger to them also does not end when people place them in an artificial pond. If a hawk can see a goldfish from above, they will attack.
Humans are predators of goldfish in the sense that they keep them as pets, often in less than optimal conditions, but goldfish are rarely eaten by humans.
Goldfish are interesting omnivores that have a hard time knowing when it’s time to stop eating. They consume insects, insect larvae and eggs in large numbers, often helping humans by reducing the number of harmful insects, such as mosquitoes.
These beautiful fish are common in aquariums and yards around the world, and they can be healthy as long as their owners know what and how to feed them.