Goldfish Lost Their Minds

by James
(Austin Texas)

I am having trouble with goldfish not eating fish food...I have gone 4 days with out feeding them...I give them fish food and they won't even attempt to eat it....they only eat peas.

What gives lol????

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Grant's Reply


Hi James

This is the first instance I have heard of Goldfish refusing food. They indeed must have lost their minds.

What Goldfish will eat continues to amaze me, from broccoli to bananas, nothing appears safe.

With this in mind, the only reason Goldfish won't eat fish food is because it is inedible, or it is completely different food from what they have been eating.

An example of this was when I changed to gel food. At first my fish sucked some into their mouths then proceeded to chew (taste) it for some time before swallowing it.

They certainly weren't keen on it at first. A week later I had to count my fingers after each feeding they were so keen for it.

If the food type changes, this can also cause Goldfish to ignore new food. As an example, when I am weaning fry (babies) off live food and on to gel food, they completely ignore the gel food at first.

A few fish will start to pick at the gel food after a few days and it is only after a week or so do the fry start chasing the food is it sinks to the bottom. Only then can I start feeding sufficient amounts to replace the live food.

Another common cause, as mentioned earlier is inedible food.

How old is your food? If it is more than three months old it will be going stale, especially if it isn't kept in the fridge.

One of the advantages of gel food such as Repashy Super Gold is you only make up a few days worth and keep it refrigerated so it is always fresh. It is also one of the best foods available because it closely resembles their natural food type, moist and soft.

Gel foods also avoid swim bladder issues with fancy varieties when they eat dry prepared foods such as pellets and flake.