Facts on What Goldfish Eat

Goldfish are simple pets, but though their simplicity is part of their appeal, they still must be taken care of. In addition to providing an adequate container and changing the water in the bowl or aquarium, fish, like all living beings, need food. Goldfish feed on several different things.

  1. Flake Food

    • The most common goldfish food is commercial flake food, which floats on the surface and is eaten when the fish swim to the top to nibble it. There are an abundance of brands and varieties of such food. Typically, flakes are composed of some combination of various vegetables, algae, spirulina, red yeast, shrimp and byproducts of other fish. Flakes are often high in protein and designed to fulfill all the nutritional requirements of the goldfish.

    Feeding Methods

    • It's important to follow the proper feeding procedure, as too little food will starve the fish, and too much food will promote harmful bacterial growth in the tank. Goldfish are fed once daily. Follow the instructions on the food canister, but as a guideline, give the fish as much food as they will eat in three to five minutes. Pet stores sell slow-dissolving fish food cakes which can be consumed over the course of several days, in the event you're not there to care for the fish.

    Alternative Foods

    • You can give your goldfish other foods besides flakes. Break lettuce, oats or spinach into little bits and sprinkle on the surface of the water. Fruits and vegetables, however, should be used sparingly, not as the main part of a fish's diet. You can also give them bits of store-bought frozen fish or meat, but meat should only be provided in very small quantities and only when other food is unavailable.

    Goldfish in the Wild

    • Of course, wild goldfish don't feed on flakes. They are omnivorous, so their natural diet combines both animal and plant matter. Goldfish consume snail eggs, insect larvae, smaller fish, tubifex worms and earthworms, Daphnia and aquatic plants.