newbie question

[casualsurfer]

I have a 40 gallon wet/dry acrylic system with three goldies. I have a question about feeding them. I bought the ProGold food for them, and they like it, that is, when they find it! It's hard to capture their attention all at once, and food can literally fall on them and they miss seeing it. The problem is, I put a bunch of black river rock on the bottom, ( I didn't want small gravel to get stuck in their mouths) and the food gets trapped underneath the rocks where they can't get to it. Do I have to have a bare bottom tank to feed these guys and keep a clean tank at the same time? I feel like I need to do a water change every day! I also am having a hard time telling exactly how much my guys are eating. Help!:confused:

[avoxo]

Hi casualsurfer, I had the same problem (until I switched gravel), I ended up clearing a small section in my tank so it was bare and placing the ProGold (great stuff) on it. I recommend only feeding a little at a time because ProGold will fall apart quickly (but that’s what make this stuff so great). It can foul up your tank if you overfeed.

Avoxo

[val]

Casualsurfer to Aquaria Central, home of more goldfish keepers than anywhere else on the internet:)

Is ProGold a flake or a pellet? Actually, I'm not sure why I asked that...

Anyway, I've had anywhere from 3 - 8 GF over the past 10 years and I've always used the gravel and never had them get a piece stuck in their mouths. The way GF "mouth" the gravel has been one of the attractions for me. But, if you are still worried about the gravel, you will have to come up with a way to fill in the gaps around the stone. You may fill the gaps with sand.

The bigger problem is feeding, though, it seems to me. Fish sense food by smell, maybe ProGold advertises "no artificial smells", but hungry fish in a tank normally don't let it fall.
Try not feeding the fish for 2 days and then feed them and see if they let the food fall to the bottom. You should be able to tell how much they're eating then.

HTH

Val

[avoxo]

Pro Gold is a pellet that slowly sinks as soon as you put it into the tank, it's one of the best foods to give to goldfish, you do not have to pre soak before feeding. http://www.goldfishconnection.com/ Give it a look, it better than me trying to explain.

Avoxo

[casualsurfer]

Last night I removed all the river rock, and left the bottom bare. I then fed them, and wow, what a difference! They ate it all and begged for more! I guess it's worth the odd look to keep my guys so happy. Thanks to all who helped!:D