Goldfish diet

[erin14]

So I just brought my fish in from the pond about 2 weeks ago. I have only been feeding them a little bit at night and gradually i give them a tiny bit more every night (but not so much that it falls to the bottom). I thought maybe I should do this as when they were in the pond they really only ate whatever was available in the pond (bugs that fell in the water, the occasional worm, plant matter) and how much they actually did eat i'm not sure but now that they're in I actually have to feed them. So I was wondering if what i'm feeding them is the correct thing? They currently eat a varied diet of Wardley goldfish flakes, Omega One super veggie kelp flakes, omega one super veggie kelp pellets (small) and i just recently started to give them some frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp. They only get the frozen stuff about once or twice a week, and not a whole lot. I just want to make sure its not going to be too much protein that they get constipated/bloated. I really love these guys and want to make sure they are healthy. TIA :)

P.S. They're only in from the pond for the winter months, the tank they're in now is not a permanent thing...its a 50g and they're about 3-4 inches each...

[THE V]

Erin- The diet that you are feeding them is geared toward tropical fish. These foods are great for your 55 gallon community but goldfish anatomy is different. Goldfish need less protein and more fiber in their diet. You need to look into a good quality Koi/Goldfish pellet (not flakes).

Flaringshutter posted a good link with what to look for but I can't remember it right now. Basically it said to look for lower protein and higher ash under the analysis section, if I remember right. I personally just go look in the koi food section and find one with smaller pellets. My fish have really done well since I started doing that. If you have a decent pond supply place around where you live that is the best place to go.

On a side note, unless your pond is very large and you have very few goldfish in it (500 gallons or so per fish). You will need to supliment their diet year round. Don't worry to much about daily feedings when they are outside but tossing them some food 3-4 times a week will really help.

There is also a large selection of fresh veggies that you can feed your fish. Peas, duckweed, elodea, lettuce, apples, plus several others. These can all help with the health of your fish.

[Flaringshutter]

Here are those links, V. And great advice - I agree!

http://www.feedingkoi.com/koi_feeding_assessment_koi_food_labels.html

http://www.koicarp.org.uk/koi_feeding.htm

I would definitely use a high quality pellet as a base, but give them lots of vegetables, as their normal diet is high in plant matter. You don't want to change their diet to suddenly. :)