Finding the perfect goldfish feed is becoming difficult in many communities these days. Even at a pet store where I knew I had always get some, the only feed I found were for cardinal tetra and goldfishes.
You would find a few in some stores but they are so costly you simply have to head back home without any. This situation is beginning to make pet owners wonder, can a goldfish feed on other foods, especially tropical feed?
Can Goldfish Eat Tropical Fish Food? Yes, You can feed Goldfish Tropical Fish Food, Just Don’t make it permanent, or your goldfishes could be malnourished!
You can Buy this Goldfish food from Amazon.
How is a goldfish and a tropical fish different?
A good way to start! Are the fishes even different? Well, yes they are. many people assume some fishes are similar because they have the same origin or weather conditions.
Maybe because they are varieties of the same family like the cardinal and Neon tetra fishes too. But in truth, the story isn’t the same here.
Even though there’s a trace of similarity in them, a goldfish and a tropical fish are really different in many areas. What regards? Their origin, their nutritional requirement, their mode of feeding, their water temperature need and so on are all different.
Tropical fishes refer to farmed fishes found in freshwater and saltwater, generally in the tropics, that is usually in Florida or Asia (Mollies and Guppies are perfect examples). They are common pet fishes.
Easy to rear, pretty and can be fed on simple foods that you can always find in pet stores. I will say that’s why tank owners fancy them.
It’s why you’d see people wondering if they could feed goldfishes on tropical fish foods too, after all, that is always available. Goldfishes can be found in freshwater too, but not exactly in the tropics.
So, I’d rather say you don’t call it tropical. Though they’re sorta related, you might say. That’s probably one other reason pet owners wonder if they could feed one with the other’s diet.
They differ on a great count, ranging from mode or style of eating, what they eat, nutritional requirement, temperature need, where they are found as I said, and even beauty. Goldfishes are prettier, but they are both easy to breed. So, is a goldfish and a tropical fish the same? It’s a NO, cos’ they aren’t.
Is there a difference between tropical fish food and goldfish food?
Yes, there are! The differences between the goldfish and tropical fish food are minimal, but these differences could have effects on their proper diet.
Goldfishes, in particular, can be fed with foods of a Tropical fish because they are not very different, but it would harm your fishes if you feed them on that for a long period of time.
Since some tropical fishes are from freshwater like Goldfishes, you could think they are exposed to the same environment so would feed on the same stuff, well yes! They do! Except for some complications.
Tropical fishes mostly farmed in Asia and Florida, they are caged so their diet is usually designed by farmers to suit their need.
- They need more protein than Goldfishes actually. So, while they feed on similar diets, the diets always contain a different proportion of nutrients.
- Goldfishes get more carbohydrate from their natural habitat while tropical fishes use more protein. So feeding one with the other means one thing, it is gonna be deficient in nutrients needed. And now you understand why I said it has no harm, but it is dangerous to their health!
- Most tropical fishes are familiar with flake foods too. Actually, that’s something goldfishes can eat too but would find dangerous because they prefer foods that sink before being eaten (that is mid and bottom water feeders), which flakes are rarely among.
What do Goldfishes Eat in the Wild
I once met a pet owner at a store I was going to get stocks for my pet fishes, he had goldfishes and he had been feeding them on stuff recommended at the pet stores, but he wasn’t even sure it was the best.
So he asked me, ‘sir, what is the appropriate food to feed my goldfishes with?’ It really is alright to wonder what you gon’ be feeding them if it’s your first time.
If you don’t know what to feed them in your first few days and you kept them with smaller fishes, I hate to tell you, you might have to stock your tank again with other fishes, because the smaller fishes will be gone!
So, there! Goldfishes feed on live animals, what type? I’d tell you of course. I will also tell you other things they feed on apart from those helpless younger fishes.
You really should know this just in case you could afford to give them the real wildlife experience they’ve always had in the wild, this time, in your tank.
- First, whatever you are giving them must contain less protein than the general content of fishes.
- Then feed them on green vegetables or shelled peas.
- Those beauties love glass or earthworms too!
- Find dry pellets, or dry flakes if the former isn’t available. But if you could choose, always make it dry pellets. Why? I told you! Goldfishes are mid and bottom water feeders and dry pellets sink in water way better than flakes. Got it?
- Try getting them to brine shrimps too, live ones!
- You could keep their days busy with live aquatic plants like duckweed.
- In the absence of dry and live feeds, you can try frozen stuff like plankton, squids, krill. Cyclops, daphnia and even shrimps.
Can goldfishes eat tropical food or is there an implication for feeding goldfishes with tropical fish food?
Yes, Goldfishes can eat tropical food. They don’t die if you feed them tropical fishes feed alright? It isn’t a poison as such. But you know where the complication is?
Goldfishes could die just because you feed them tropical fishes feed! I said they won’t die and now I said they’d die, complicated, isn’t it?
Let us consider these factors.
- Goldfishes love foods that are rich in carbohydrates than protein but tropical fishes prefer foods that are rich in protein. So, feeding one with the other’s food means dietary imbalance.
- Goldfishes are low and bottom water feeders, that is they eat underwater so they are fed best with foods that could sink into the water while Tropical fishes are top water feeders, that is they feed on foods that float above water level like flakes.
- Goldfishes are naturally accustomed to a cooler temperature than Tropical fishes, this means this may cause variation in what they enjoy and what they digest.
What do you feed a goldfish if you have no fish food?
I know that sometimes, it could be very difficult to find the perfect goldfish food. Without knowing an alternative food to feed them with, one would wonder, ‘can these little beauties stay as long as a day without food?’ Believe me, dear, they can’t! rather than keep them that way, you can result to;
- Tropical fish food
- Clean earthworms
- Green Vegetables.
You will always find those in your little farm or a pet store!
Finally, I’m gonna make a bit by bit analysis of everything we’ve discussed. I’ll fully explain how a goldfish differs from a tropical fish.
I’m gonna tell you about their different food patterns and explain that complicated statement, ‘eating tropical food is no harm and at the same time a poison to goldfishes’. I’ll list your examples of what goldfishes live on and their chances of surviving a day without food.
You may also get healthy and proper goldfishes food on a few online pets stores on Amazon I can guarantee
- Wardley Premium Fish food
- API Goldfish may seem costly, but worth the price.
- Everyone around here is talking about Tetra Fish. Check that out too.
- Got a bunch of heavily eating goldfishes, then check out this one.
So ‘finally, now you know if you should feed your goldfishes on tropical fishes’ food or not. You understand the differences between them and you have brilliant ideas of what you could feed your goldfish with. Is this article helpful?