How many times a day are you supposed to feed goldfish?

Question

I usually feed my goldfish twice a day, but someone told me that they would be bloated if I did that. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Ok the best way to go about this is feeding them twice a day, as much as they will eat in under 2 min, the rest should be netted out immediately to prevent ammonia spikes in your tank
you are suppose to do weekly partial waterchanges of 25% with a gravelsiphon as well and replace with conditioned water

I also fast all my fish, don't matter what kind one day outa the week, this prevents them from getting constipated and swimbladder disease



Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 2

HI Jackie, I think the important thing to bear in mind regarding feeding is the total daily amount given rather then how many times. As a rough guide you should feed only what the fish can totally consume within 3 minutes. I know this is easier said than done & is one of those things that is acquired after a while rather than being easy to learn! I would add that if possible feed this amount in separate feeds thought the day, as long as you are only feeding the same total amount daily that each fish can consume in 3 minutes. This replicates the feeding patterns of the wild Carp who is happily foraging all the time picking up bits & bobs rather than sitting down to a big set meal once a day so more small feeds=healthier for the fish's digestion.

Answer 3

I have a Koi/Gold fish pond that's approx 1000 gals. with (4)koi & (4) fan tail now have babies which I hope they last the winter.
After this winter I will have to either enlarge the pond or give away the fish. I think eight fish is to much for a pond that is 3' deep x 5' wide x 8' long. Have four(4) koi & (4) fan tail is a lot of fish.

Don
I feed them once every other day and give them five mins, once the five mins are up ,I take up what floating but most of the time they clean the pond of any food given.

Answer 4

A lot of fish foods will say to feed three times a day for three minuets. This is usually just because you will be using more food and buying more of the product. Usually what I do is feed my fish sinking pellets once a day for five minutes.

Answer 5

I just read your question and all 30 answers and you haven't received a full and accurate answer.

Goldfish are members of the carp family which means they are natural bottom feeding scavenger fish. Healthy goldfish should always be scouting the bottom of the tank and around decorations and plants for food and they should always appear to be hungry. Goldfish are native to rapidly moving cold water streams of Asia and "wild" goldfish eat whenever and whatever they find (plants, tadpoles, smaller fish, insects etc...) Goldfish have extremely inefficient digestive systems and whatever goes in comes out very quickly. This waste produces enormous amounts of ammonia which is extremely toxic to fish. In the wild, the rapidly moving water protects the goldfish from ammonia toxicity by instantly sweeping the toxins away.

In indoor aquariums, you must take precautions with goldfish. Care must be taken to prevent ammonia build-up, and care must be taken to avoid overfeeding. Feeding you goldfish twice daily is fine IF you only feed what they will eat in about 2 minutes and immediately remove uneaten food. Uneaten food will produce ammonia as it decays which is why it should be removed. Keep in mind that goldfish are bottom feeders and will clean up anything that has settled into the substrate/gravel.

If you stick to a twice daily feeding schedule with your goldfish, only feed them every other day. This will encourage their natural bottom feeding instincts. Your goldfish will scout the gravel for food and find plenty to keep them going. (Goldfish can actually go 3-5 days without eating at all. )

The bloating you have heard about is a problem that occurs when goldfish are overfed. Goldfish instinctively eat whatever is offered. For this reason, constipation is a common problem with goldfish. When overfed, their bowels become impacted and the fish will appear bloated and generally sits on the bottom of the tank. Constipation can tear the fish's intestines and/or push into the swim bladder causing swimming difficulties.

If you are "squeamish" about skipping a day of food, then feed your goldfish every day, but only 1 time daily. Only feed what your goldfish will eat in about 2 minutes, and remove uneaten food.

If you have any questions about this or any other goldfish questions, feel free to e-mail me.

Answer 6

Hey i have a doubt ... i've noticed that one of my goldfish has a black spot on top of its head .. i don't remember whether it was there before .. is it a cause for concern ? and i feed my goldfish like an avg of 3 pellets each once everyday ... is that sufficient ? pls do advise

Answer 7

They do have a better chance of getting bloat if you feed twice a day. Feed once a day at the same time, just how much they will eat in a few minutes. Overfeeding will also make the water dirty quickly and could cause sickness. It is also good to give them a day now and then without food, they live longer if they eat less versus more all the time.

Answer 8

I always feed mine twice a day, and although lots of people feed their goldfish once a day, it is recommended to feed fish (not just goldfish) about 2-3 times a day.

Hope this helps!
Good luck!

P.S. Do not overfeed! Just grab a SMALL pinch of food!

Answer 9

feed them once a day, and dotn put too much food in , their bellies are only the size of a pea and they if you put the food in there they will eat it all and get poorly.

but! from watching QI (clever show) i found out that often, when fish float on the water it's because theyre ill, they've eaten too much and cant move, but! if you put that fish in a tub or bowel (without a lid) by itself then in a few days the fish with be fine and swimming around again. but! dont leave the fish to float in the bowel with other fishes because the other fishes WILL eat the poorley goldfish (why else do you think the fish food smells fishy). so yes, once a day, not too much. try putting a special plant in there, it will oxygenate the water and fish can nibble the leaves if theyre a bit hungry after the feed without eating too much.

Answer 10

Twice a day is fine, but don't feed them more then they will eat in a few minutes without a lot accumulating on the bottom of the bowl.