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FAQs About Goldfish Foods/Feeding/Nutrition

Don't live well or long on just dried-prepared foods alone.

Lethargic calico goldfish, system unsuitably small, nutrition lacking, water unlivable nitrate-wise... 06/06/2008
Hi WWM Crew,
I have a calico goldfish, Flash, that I have had for about a year and five months. Flash is living in a ten gallon tank with a fantail, Ginger, that I got two weeks ago.
<... need more room than this>
Both fish are about 2 inches. They've been getting along just fine, but in the past week and a half Flash has been very lethargic. He stays at the top of the tank and his fins droop and kind of fold over (especially tail). He seems to swim okay, but sort of floats up sometimes. Ginger appears normal. When I feed Flash, his appetite is still normal. I changed 25% of the water last on May 26.

I tested the water levels: nitrate=20-40,
<Much too high... polluted>
nitrite=0-.5,
<Must be zero>
total hardness=150-300, alkalinity=120-180, and pH=7.2-7.8 (ran out of test strips, but last week ammonia=0). Also, before I got Ginger I had another calico, Lightning, living with Flash. Awhile after Lightning died, Flash sat at the bottom of the tank (depression after Lightning died?),
<Perhaps>
but he could swim just fine to eat. Once Ginger arrived, Flash didn't sit on the bottom anymore. Could Flash sitting on the bottom previously have anything to do with his problem now?
<Mmm, yes...>
Before I got Ginger, I was feeding Flash "Jack's Aquarium & Pets Goldfish Flakes" twice a day.
<... need more than this dried food...>
Lightning was sitting on the bottom, so I thought he might have been constipated; I decided to feed Lightning and Flash just once a day. After Lightning died, I continued to feed Flash once a day. Could his weak, lethargic behavior now be a result from me feeding him only half as much as before?
<Maybe a contributing factor>
Just today, I realized that some of Flash's waste was white (a little see-through) and kind of stringy. This is the longest I've ever had a goldfish and I want to keep him healthy! Thanks for your time and can you please help me?!
<Oh yes... can and will>
PS-Just a little more info: Over the past several years I've had several goldfish. Only two are in the tank at a time because ten gallons is pretty small.
<Really impractical... too small to be stable, stay relatively unpolluted twixt maintenance on filters, dilution of wastes via water changes... Had you read...>
Most of these fish died the same way. They'd float at the top for around a week, and then would lie on the ground on their sides and would die soon following this stage. None of these fish were around more than a year. Do you think there's just something wrong with the water I dechlorinate from the tap?
<... Please start here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and onto the linked files above. Your system is unsuitably small, nutrition lacking, water unlivable nitrate-wise... Bob Fenner>

Re: calico won't eat 06/06/2008
Hi again WWM Crew,
I just sent you an email on June 5 about my lethargic calico goldfish, Flash. I told you he still had an appetite; he doesn't anymore. Because Flash seemed weak, I decided to try to feed him a few fish flakes tonight. The flakes passed right in front of Flash, but he refused to eat them. I'm getting worried! Again, thanks for your time, and please get back to me as soon as possible!
<... reading. B>

Re: lethargic calico goldfish 6/6/08
Hi WWM Crew,
I just wanted to thank you for getting back to me so quickly. You gave me wonderful advice, and I'm going to start using it immediately! Very sadly,
Flash passed away last night. I guess it was just too late, but with your advice I know I can keep Ginger healthy!
Thanks again,
Annemarie
<And happy I hope/trust! Cheers, BobF>

Do goldfish need less food when they are older than 1 year? -05/07/08
Dear WWMC,
You have a very informative site - thanks for all the effort that evidently goes into it. It's great to see such a wealth of experience about goldfish in particular.
<Thanks for the kind words.>
I have a query that I did not find an answer to on the site (though I did find a lot of interesting information): how do goldfish nutritional requirements change with age?
<Doesn't change dramatically, though yes, bigger fish eat less food relative to their body size than smaller fish. This is in fact true across the animal kingdom. While elephants eat a lot, in terms of percentage of body weight, that food is much much less than what a mouse eats.>
I have 3 fantail goldfish in a 30 gallon tank, along with a couple of Siamese algae eaters and some white cloud minnows. Everyone is peaceful and I never see the goldfish chasing the others, though they are now much larger. The tank is heavily planted, mainly with fast-growing, low-light things.
<Hope this tank is warmed somehow: Siamese Algae Eaters (Crossocheilus siamensis) is a tropical fish and needs water at 24-26 C, slightly more than Goldfish like. Not a combination I'd have recommended, though viable.>
The goldfish came to me when they were about 1 inch long, about 10 months ago. Two are now 3-4 inches and the third is more like 2-3 inches. The smallest seems to have a deformity in his mouth that stops him from opening it fully, so I think he gets less food than the others, but he is active and seems cheerful, so I leave him be, because I don't think there is anything I can do about his mouth anyway.
<Mouth deformities are common in Goldfish, and as you say, they seem to manage.>
My goldies get Hikari goldfish pellets and a variety of flake foods (different brands), they get some of the smaller pellets I put in for the white clouds (a community pellet mix), and they also have raw lettuce, duckweed, azolla (these they will eat until it's all gone) and the live plants in the tank. They love hygro, ambulia and similar plants, but they also seem to eat pretty much anything, including anubias, java fern, crypts and other things they are not
supposed to like much. One thing they are surprisingly not so keen on is elodea, so lots of that is growing in my tank at the moment.
<Perhaps less tasty than the rest of the (excellent) salad bar you're offering them.>
I've also fed them sinking algae pellets from time to time, but not often recently, as I think they are getting enough.
<Probably enjoyed by the Crossocheilus siamensis.>
I have so far always fed my goldfish plenty, up to three times a day. This partly because it amuses them (and me) and partly because I hope that by keeping them well fed they will wreak less destruction on the plants. In the past when they have gotten hungry they have destroyed many plants, so I try to avoid that because I want the plants to keep growing well to beautify the tank and improve the water quality.
<Provided there are plants in the tanks, your fish won't go hungry. So perhaps the way to work things is to establish the minimum amount of flake/pellet food needed such that your plants are basically left alone.>
Lately, however, I have had trouble controlling the nitrate levels in the water (my target is less than 20ppm, but I have trouble keeping it there). I have been experimenting with feeding the tank less often or less food at a feed. Yesterday I even went an evening without feeding them. To my surprise this morning, there was no great plant destruction. They must have been hungrier than usual, but they hadn't then uprooted everything in sight. This is really unusual, and rather a nice surprise for me, actually.
<Temperature is a critical issue I suspect: in warm water, Goldfish metabolism rises, and they become much hungrier. If the tank was allowed to stay cool, around 15-18 C, you couldn't keep the Crossocheilus siamensis of course, but the other fish would be fine and would eat much less food.>
Could it be that my goldies are entering a phase where they need less food or are less driven by hunger to explore/destroy everything in the tank? They can't be at their maximum size yet, surely - they have good water quality, good nutrition and an interesting tank, so I expected the larger two to reach 6 inches at least before they stop growing. I am wondering whether maybe the first year or so is a time when goldfish do eat more and get hungrier when they
aren't eating. If so, maybe I can look forward to being able to put more interesting plants in the tank and have them survive long enough to get rooted in and start to thrive - that would be nice :) Much as I like elodea, I don't really want the whole tank full of only that.
<Goldfish growth rate *is* fastest when they are small, but it otherwise carries on regardless of age, so that the older the Goldfish, the bigger it is. Temperature and diet both feed into this though.>
So, can you please tell me, how do goldfish nutritional requirements change in their first couple of years or with their first few inches? (Or maybe the right question is how does goldfish plant destroying change in their first couple of years?)
<Essentially this: give them easier alternatives to the live plants. Try Sushi Nori for example, or blanched curly lettuce and see what happens.>
Thanks very much,
Helen
<Good luck, Neale.>

Re: Do goldfish need less food when they are older than 1 year? 05/08/08
Dear Neale, or whoever is reading this one.
Thank you very much for your useful information and sensible suggestions.
<You're welcome.>
Just to remove your worry on a point: I live in a relatively warm climate
(Melbourne, Australia) and the tank is heated by the lights and the surrounding air. I only added the crossocheilus siamensis when I realized that the temperature never drops below about 23.5 and is usually slightly higher than that. I have a heater in there, just in case, but I doubt it ever turns on, except possibly in the dead of night in winter.
<Ok.>
My problem is much more how to keep the tank cool in summer. I start to worry when the water gets near 29 or 30 degrees (this when the outside temperature is 38 or more and we can't keep our unairconditioned flat cooler than about 30), but actually the goldfish seemed fine this summer, despite my worry. I use all the tricks I know: loads of aeration, moving the cover so there is airflow over the top of the water, keeping the lighting period to a minimum and to the cooler times of the day and, when I'm desperate, putting frozen bottles of water into the tank. They survived their first summer just fine, so I'll be less worried next year.
<One old trick is to freeze a couple of litre-sized ice cream cartons (or similar) filled with water. Place in the aquarium when it gets very hot. But at some point, a chiller becomes more cost effective. A low-tech solution is an old "mini bar" fridge. Drill a couple of holes in it, and then buy a few metres of aquarium hose. Wind the hose a few times in the fridge, and then place the ends so they poke out the two holes. Connect the hose to the outlet from the canister filter, so that the water is pushed through the coils of hose. In theory, this system can knock a few degrees off the heat. Perhaps not as good as a real chiller, but cheap and cheerful.>
Anyway, thanks again for your excellent work!
Helen
<Good luck, Neale.>

Anacharis in aquariums, and as food for goldfish 2/29/08
Hi!
Just wanted to let you know that Anacharis is no longer being sold in Michigan. It's illegal because of the invasive nature of the plant.
I found that out when looking for a good plant to help a year-old goldfish which has developed a swim bladder problem. He was in a pond from spring - fall and did well, but has had problems in the aquarium since then. (I do feed 'sinking' pellets as well as flakes.)
So far, Sunkist is the only one who has had tummy troubles, and I'm hoping to keep it that way!
So glad I found this website, it has loads of good information!
Thanks,
Karen
<If you can't get hold of Anacharis, then other similar species will do well -- Elodea, Egeria, Cabomba, etc. Plants *are* important for Goldfish, and neglecting this aspect of their diet will end with problems! Other green foods include tinned peas, blanched lettuce (especially curly lettuce), Sushi Nori, etc. Daphnia also work well, and you can buy these frozen as well as live. Pellets and flakes, by themselves, just aren't good enough in the long term. Cheers, Neale.>

Mixing Tropical and Goldfish Foods 1/9/08
Dear WetWebMedia, I have a goldfish and some coldwater tropical fish in one tank. I feed a mixture of tropical and goldfish foods. Is it okay if the goldfish eat some tropical by accident and the tropical fish eat of goldfish food by accident, because some sites say that you have to make sure goldfish are eating goldfish food. Thanks! Pierre
< Goldfish need more fiber in their diet than other fish. If the goldfish get too much protein and get stressed there is the potential for them to get bloat. The other fish won't grow as fast on the goldfish food.-Chuck>

Re: Goldfish Food Vs Regular Fish Food 1/9/08
Thanks for the reply, I just wanted to make sure it was okay if they were eating some of each other's foods. What if I give them other supplements and foods goldfish and the other fish can eat like cooked peas, frozen and freeze-dried brine shrimp and worms, and such?
< Feeding your fish a varied diet is a good idea.>
Can that give them enough nutrition? The goldfish doesn't look stressed, he has been swimming around happily and isn't afraid of me or anyone else, in fact, I think he knows when he is about to get food. The other fish likes to follow the goldfish around. I believe they are friends since they like each other's company.
<Goldfish usually forage around the bottom of tank and get lots of vegetable matter in their diet. Other fish need more meat because they may thrive on a diet of insects instead of the plant matter that the goldfish need. If the goldfish gets too much protein it may plug up the goldfish's long intestinal tract. The goldfish stirs up the bottom of the tank and exposes potential food item for the other fish to eat.-Chuck>

Redcap Oranda problem 11/6/07
Hello, I have a red cap Oranda named snookums for about a year now and is quite healthy and just recently ive noticed the large red cap growth has grown to an extent where it covers the top of its head completely. it also has some kind of clear tissue/membrane growth by its cheeks which doesn't look like any disease at all but looks more like parts of its face... my question and concern is that the membrane by its cheeks is slowly growing and beginning to creep near its eyes. what would be the best thing or method to counter that?
<Mmm, there are times, folks who advocate some sort of surgical removal... I do not... I would just wait, allow the fish to develop other senses to finding its way about, food...>
ive seen a picture of it in a book (cant remember the title) where they would use a scalpel and remove the membrane quickly while the fish is out of the water for a few seconds?
<Yes>
I know this sounds barbaric, but they mentioned that this is the only thing that can be done to save it.
<Can, will adapt as is...>
this is exactly what happened to my brothers goldfish until it was too late and the fish couldn't see where it would swim too, then it just stayed in one place helpless... I really don't want this to happen to my fish, so any help would
be appreciated.
thanks in advance,
Ryan
<Try to not worry, anthropomorphize... All will likely be fine. Bob Fenner>

Goldfish - fussy eaters? 9/20/07
Hi there,
My two Orandas tend to spit out their flake food more often than not so I changed to pellets but they still spit these out too. Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.
Sue
<Hello Sue. Goldfish aren't fussy feeders, but like any fish they'll get bored with the same food day in, day out. Flake and pellet foods are, perhaps surprisingly, not even a particularly good food for them. Raiding the kitchen for green scraps is actually rather better, as is dumping in some pondweed every couple of weeks to let them "browse the salad bar" naturally. Goldfish are, fundamentally, herbivores that feed on algae and decaying plant material in the wild, so high protein foods like pellets just aren't necessary -- any more than humans, also largely herbivores originally, really need t-bone steaks every night! In fact your goldfish really needs a diet a lot like a perfect human diet: lots of vegetables and salad, a bit of starch, and a little bit of protein. There's a nice article on goldfish diet here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm . That should give you some ideas of what to try. Mix up their diet, so every day is different, and you'll soon find your goldies not only enjoy their food more, but will also be healthier, more active, and longer lived! Best of all, feeding them greens is cheap 'n' easy! And if setting aside some greens for your pets encourages you to eat more greens as well, so much the better! Cheers, Neale>

Re: Goldfish - fussy eaters? 7/21/07
Thank you Neale for getting back to me, I shall try as you suggested with varied 'greens'. Your site is excellent and I have learnt a lot more over the last few days. My story is: I have kept fish for quite a few years, I've always had a large tank, 4ft long and never overcrowded (about 6-8 fish or so) so had not encountered any previous problems. When my last fish died a few months back I decided to go for a smaller tank (the 4' was really too large for my room). I bought my tank from my local aquatic shop (where I have always gone to), it is roughly 37 litres, (yes, my 4' left little room for me!) set it up, left it 7 days, took a water sample to the shop, they tested it, said it was ok so I chose 2 Orandas. They are quite small at the moment. The fish seemed fine for the first couple of days then one just lay on the bottom and the other hid behind the filter. This is when I contacted you because I noticed they spat out their food too. I have spent hours reading your various bulletin boards on your site and I will not be adding any more fish (although my local shop said it could have up to 4 goldfish + small (ones). So on advice from your site I have being doing water changes, approx 30% (with dechlorinator) for the past few days, I have also added an airstone and bought some testing strips and my nitrite levels are almost down to 0. Nitrate is about 20/30. My two fish seem happier (not so lethargic) but now I think (or know) one of my Orandas has whitespot. I have bought some med (Protozin) which have first used today. Will I be able to overcome this problem - I will definitely not be adding any more fish - I shall maintain water monitoring/testing and changes. I'd be glad of any further comments. Your site should be read by all fishkeepers - I never had any problems before with my 4' tank but was obviously ignorant about downsizing.
Thanks Sue
<Hello Sue. Protozin is a pretty versatile medication, but the last time I used it to get rid of a stubborn outbreak of whitespot it didn't work, whereas eSHa EXIT worked perfectly. To be fair on Protozin, it was an old bottle I'd had lying around for literally years, so it may simply have been life expired. On the other hand, there is a "super whitespot" doing the rounds here in the UK that not all whitespot medications get first time. So if you find Protozin doesn't help, try eSHa EXIT. All this said, once you have the nitrites down to zero, your fish should pep right up, and once this outbreak of whitespot is dealt with they should be largely trouble-free. Most diseases start because either the filter is immature or else someone added new fish to the tank. Now, a 37 litre tank is pretty small (for our American readers, it's a shade under 10 US gallons). Your problem is that there's no such thing as a "small goldfish" whatever the retailer says. All goldfish get fairly big when mature, and they don't "grow to the size of the tank" either. Orandas are among the more stocky varieties, so you can comfortably expect these fish to get to about 20 cm in length and almost as much in depth. In other words, a fish about the size and shape of side plate. Hold one of those against your aquarium and you'll see where I'm going with this...! Long term, these fish will really need something around 100 litres in size. These tanks have a footprint of about 80 cm by 40 cm by 40 cm. You may of course decide to give away the goldfish when they start getting too big, but by that time I'd imagine you would have become attached to your pets (and they, of course, to you!). I hope this helps, Neale>

Feeding my fantails, general care ect <no such word... etc>.... sys. 8/30/07
First of I just want to let ya'll know you have a wonderfully helpful website.
I've had my fish since march (sons bday present) I have a calico fantail, an orange??? fantail with a black mustache, and a black moor, and two little maybe inch long sucker fish of some sort, not pleckys...
<And I do hope not a Chinese Algae Eater... Gyrinocheilus aymonieri... please take the time to search the Net, WWM re... not safe to keep with goldfish>
Hopefully living comfortably in a 29 gallon tank,
<Four fancy goldfish... will need more room than this in time... I have four in a ninety>
that's all i can afford for now, next mission is a 55 gallon... right now i have a veggie clip in their tank that always has lettuce or spinach in it since I am unsuccessful in growing aquarium plants, i feed them aprox 7 peas split in half per day, and flakes
<Look into more nutritious pellets... I use Spectrum... with great success>
on Sunday only. I don't know specifics on the filter but it is the kind you hang on the back of the tank, and i have a gravel aerator?...I change 30% water once a week, and clean out the gravel w/ water change.
<All this sounds good>
If it weren't for ya'll I'd be completely fish illiterate, everything in my tank seems to be fine, but they seem kinda lazy, they do swim around and suck on the rocks and drive me nuts but their are periods thru out the day that they just kinda go with the
flow, sometimes i wonder if their tank is too warm?
<Mmm, this is generally just the nature of goldfish...>
would that make them lazy? it stays pretty consistent at 72-76, I don't have a light on their tank, but i wonder if they should be closer to more natural light, they are approx 50 ft from the closest window and get no sun from the back of their tank, besides the little that shows thru from the bathroom.

Ohhh and i wondered about my little orange guy/girl, the dorsal fin seems to have a curve to it... i guess i associated it to captivity cause when i seen it it reminded me of what happens to a whales fin in captivity where it starts to slump over, it can be picked up straight but when she/he is at rest it just kinda slumps over... well i guess all info is more than what i know right now...lol!
<Is likely genetic...>
thanks for all the great advise
<advice>
from the site... Keep up the great work
~Briana
<Thank you... we're trying. Bob Fenner>

Re: Daughter's Goldfish, help... fdg. – 08/17/07
Well, Thunder looks better and is living higher up in the tank...away from the bottom. There is nothing IN the tank with him, I threw it all out the other night, having understood the gravel and such was a bad idea
<Mmm, no... not necessarily. Is often useful for providing needed biological filter area...>
.....we are going away for the weekend. Do you think he'll survive if we leave him, should we bring him, should we get a neighbor in to feed him??? Again, you rock. Thanks. Annie

Goldfish Questions (Black moor), sys., fdg. 5/27/07
Hello Again!
<<Hi, Megan. Tom here.>>
After enjoying the company of my new black moors (had them for approximately four weeks), I have come up with several questions.
<<Okay.>>
1. What is the reason for having the timed light source? What happens if it is on 24/7? (Other than wasting electricity!)
<<Fish, like people, need “down time”, i.e. sleep/rest. Leaving the lights on 24/7, for example, doesn’t replicate a “normal” day/night evolution for them. They can become “sleep deprived”, in a way. Stressful, to say the least. Since most all homes/dwellings will receive at least some daylight, it would be better to leave the tank lights off all the time rather than the other way around. (Still not a good idea but I think you can see my point.) In addition, limiting the amount of light that the tank is exposed to helps to keep algae growth contained. Many folks who just can’t seem to get this under control are successful once they learn to limit the period of time that the lights are on for the tank.>>
2. Of the two fish, one tends to stare into a plant for approximately 1/2 hour intervals. The other fish will sometimes brush against him, or nudge him (no more aggressive behavior since the introduction of silk plants!), and then he will act like a normal goldfish, but he seems to just "zone out" in the same spot with this plant. Is this something to be concerned about? The other fish seems extremely happy, and has not shown any behavior like this. Could it be an eye problem? (Eyes appear clear from a side view, with yellow/white irises.) He can easily locate food - in comparison to the unaffected fish - and swims with no difficulty. What could it be?
<<He may be doing exactly what you suggest, “zoning out”. Kind of a fish version of a cat nap. I wouldn’t be concerned about this unless he starts hiding or locating himself at the top or bottom of the tank. He may just be tired and finds this “restful”.>>
3. Finally - food! I have been feeding them a variety of spinach, peas, and the general flake goldfish food, and I have tried not to overfeed them, however, how much do you feed a goldfish with large eyes? According to the rule, feed a goldfish the amount equivalent to his eye - but the volume, or surface area?
<<Here’s where we could end up with “fat” Black Moors or Bubble Eye Goldfish! This “rule of thumb” references the volume of the eyeball, not the entire anatomical structure around it. Keep in mind that Goldfish, in the wild, are constantly looking for greenery, such as algae, to feed on so this admonition isn’t so much directed at how much they’ll consume (provided it’s appropriate food) as how much they’ll “miss”. Goldfish will certainly “scavenge” for morsels that got away but are, generally, pretty messy eaters. What gets missed when they’re fed too much will only contribute to the overall “messiness” of these animals. Keeping their diets well-regulated will go a long way toward controlling eliminated waste, uneaten food and the amount of ammonia excreted through their gills, which is how they get rid of it rather than through their waste.>>
Again, thanks for the help!
Megan
<<You’re more than welcome. Tom>>

Confused with stringy white poop answers and questions, Goldfish sys./hlth., fdg. 5/12/07
Hi WWM crew,
<Greetings.>
I currently own 2 fantail goldfish, 1 being 4" long; YJ and the other 1 1/2" long; Brandy, both excluding the tail. I have had YJ for over a year now and she is doing wonderfully well (ie: extremely active and always begging for food =) She even puts up with me petting her whenever I feed her). She used to live in a small tank on her own and 2 months ago, when I decided to get her a bigger tank, I also decided to get her a friend (Brandy).
<Goldfish are indeed sociable, and respond positively to having tankmates of their own kind as well as affection from their owners.>
They both live in a 10 gallon tank (which I've now found out is not big enough, after reading your website).
<Indeed. Realistically, you want something 30 gallons plus. Goldfish routinely reach around 25-30 cm in length, and at that size need more swimming space than 10 or 20 gallon tanks provide.>
I use an under-gravel filter.
<Which is fine, provided you maintain it properly, specifically give it a good stir with a rod of some sort each couple of weeks and then siphon out the gunk along with the water. Do a 50% water change weekly.>
I currently don't do any checks on the nitrate/ ammonia etc levels as I wasn't told to when I first got the tank and still have no idea how to go about this. Will this seriously effect their quality of life?
<Long term/short term? Short term you'll probably be fine. Lots of people manage to keep fish without test kits. But in the long term, being able to monitor things like pH and nitrite is very, VERY helpful when things go wrong. 90% of problems with fish come down to the wrong water chemistry or poor water quality. Even things caused by obvious pathogens (like whitespot/ick) are usually provoked by changes (declines) in water quality. If you're cheap like me, go buy the dip-stick test kits. Here in the UK they're around 10 pounds for 25 tests. But better yet, you can slice them down the middle with a scalpel or scissors and make twice as many tests! Each one has colour pads indicating multiple tests including water chemistry ones and water quality ones. While not as accurate as traditional test kits, their price/convenience factor is very high.>
I do 1/4 tank water changes every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks.
<Not enough. Do twice as much, weekly. While you might see this as more work, in the long term it massively reduces the hassle factor by helping keep the aquarium cleaner and the fish healthier than otherwise.>
When I first got Brandy, I assumed it was a female as it was quite round and heavy in the belly although I am not very sure of this anymore.
<Sexing goldfish is essentially impossible until they start spawning. Swelling in the belly by females and the appearances of "tubercles" on the head of the males are the clues.>
This is because a couple of weeks ago, to my surprise and delight, YJ spawned! =) So now I'm assuming that Brandy is in fact a male, which YJ knew from the start although he was too young to do anything about it.
<Not quite sure this is how it works. Are you sure the eggs aren't snail eggs? Very common mistake. Fish eggs are small things about 1 mm across and laid separately usually on leaves. Snail eggs are in lumps of jelly and form small masses around 5-10 mm long and often appear on the glass. Anyway, fish don't usually release eggs unless actively spawning with a male. With goldfish, which spawn first when between 2-4 year old, courtship is very vigorous and difficult to ignore. Much chasing and splashing!>
My main question is, however, is if Brandy has internal parasites. Just today, I noticed that there was white stringy poop on the bottom of the tank (and I'm assuming it's from Brandy as the thickness of the poop is rather thin, compared to YJ's, whose poop is usually thicker).
<Probably fine. Internal parasites are far less common than people think. The best sign of parasites is rapid emaciation, that is, however much the fish eats, it gets thinner. Differences in the texture of the faeces are more about dietary factors than parasites.>
The thing is, I've searched your website for answers to this question and I'm starting to get a little confused as to what it could be as most of the responses say that it MAY be internal parasites, although not necessarily. I'm also starting to think that maybe Brandy isn't round and heavy in the belly but bloated due to the internal parasites?
<Fancy goldfish are notoriously difficult to diagnose in this regard because they have such mutated shapes. The deformities bred into them make it difficult to tell "normal" from "abnormal" body shape. If a fish is loaded with internal (gut) parasites such as worms, the body cavity will be swollen but typically the fish will also lose swimming ability too. This may be deliberate on the part of the parasite, since it "wants" the fish to be eaten by a predator so the parasite can make its way into the next host in its life cycle. If your fish is swimming and feeding normally, then chances are it is fine.>
Both of them seem fine and are eating well. I feed them JBL Goldperls and some thawed peas every time I do a water change.
<Try varying the diet a little more. Goldfish are omnivores and respond positively to as mixed diet as possible. Lean towards plant material, and use meaty foods sparingly. I'd suggest a ratio of 4 parts plant food to one part animal (or flake) food. Floating plants are a convenient way to start here, using things like Elodea. Skip feeding them once or twice a week and the goldfish will nibble contentedly on this stuff. Because these foods are low protein but high fibre, they "fill up" the goldfish nicely, keeping its guts nice and clean. Goldfish are essentially similar to humans in dietary needs, more veggies, less meat being the key to good health. You can raid your salad bowl for goldfish food, too. Most anything green leafy is good for them. Have a read of this: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm >
I'm very concerned about them, although this may seem like a small matter to others as I've grown very attached to both of them and I don't want them to be sick, not even slightly.
<An excellent attitude!>
Your help and advice is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Phylicia
<Cheers, Neale>

Feeding Peas to Goldfish (& Other Fish Too!) 5/7/07
Dear sir/madam,
<Pufferpunk/Jeni here today, I'm a madam.>
I have read a lot about the benefits to feeding peas to goldfish to help their digestive system.
<Absolutely>
Do the peas have to be crushed once they have been skinned or can they be put into the tank whole? I have a image of a whole pea stuck inside a little fantail!!!
<Depending on the size of the fish, either way is fine, as long as you defrost them 1st. Also, try algae wafers. ~PP>
Thanks for your help, Chris Stone

Goldfish feeding 3/29/07
Hi,
How long do you keep the sushi Nori, lettuce or spinach on the veggie clip.
<It's safe until it disintegrates really. Minimal protein, so not much effect on water quality in terms of ammonia/nitrites. But when it starts to look messy, pull it out, just to save it going in the filter and clogging it up. Your weekly water change is the time to siphon out any crud you missed that might be hiding in the gravel.>
Do you need to change it daily? What if the fishes don't eat all of it in a given day.
<Most fish won't eat their greens on the first day; they like it softened up a little. I find by the second day they're enjoying it, and by the third, it's time to throw the greens out and put some more in. Also try vegetarian ("livebearer") flake food; usually made with Spirulina algae, and makes a good green food for omnivorous fish generally.>
thanks
<Your welcome, Neale>
Carole Gauthier

Goldfish, trouble... env., nutr... both? 2/1/07
Hello. I'm a beginner fish caretaker. And I have a number of problems.
My fantail, Charles, is not doing too well. I got him about 3 months ago and he seemed fine up until about a week ago, when I started to notice rips in his fins.
<From?>
A day went by and his condition got worse (lethargy, floats at the top on his side)
<Env., nutr.?>
I separated him from the other fish to treat him. I gave him some Melafix, bought him some new food, and feed him peas. Now, in his hospital tank, he is looking worse. He's bloated, floating on his side, lethargic. I really want to save him, but I don't know what else to do!
My other problem is with one of my other fantails, Peanut. He acts normal, but he goes to the surface and it looks like he is gasping for air. After he started doing that, I got them an air pump, but he still does it!
Before they got sick, they were in a 10 gallon with 2 other fantails and 3 small comets (I know this was too small, I have moved the others to a much bigger tank since then).
<Good...>
I would make a partial water change every week and feed them once a day.
<With?>
I had a 10-30 (?) gallon filter in it and an air pump.
Please help.
<Not enough information proffered... But you can/will find your answer by reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
and the linked files above... Could easily be water quality, lack of filtration, poor nutrition at root here. Bob Fenner>

Peas
Hello, I absolutely hate peas but I love my fish so I thought that I would do this pea thing for them. So after skinning a few peas I didn't really know what to do next. Do I have to cook the peas before I feed them and some of them are a little large, would it be sensible to cut these down a bit more. thanks. hayli fairy x
<Likely a good idea to prep. a batch of peas: "blanch" (microwave in a bit of water), allow to cool, pinch the skin off just before feeding... BobF>

Fancy goldfish gasps for air after feeding 1/11/07
Hi all,
<Taran>
Firstly, thank for offering a superb website!! Hopefully, you can help me solve my fancy goldfish problem.

I have a 49-gallon tank that contains five goldfish: a black moor, an Oranda, a Ryukin, a panda telescope and a fantail. They are all about 4½ inches long. The tank is filtered with an internal filter, that filters 600l per hour and an external filter that filters 1000l per hour.
<Good to have the redundancy here. I would only clean one out per maintenance/water change period... to preserve biological filtration>
There are also two air stones in each corner and many live plants. I change 30% of the water each week. Here is my problem.
Every time I feed my fish they gasp/gulp for air, immediately after feeding. In between feedings they occasionally gulp the odd air bubble.
However, at no other time during the day do they gasp for air as vigorously as they do after they have been fed.

My Oranda especially seems to suffer and gasps for air for up to an hour an a half after being fed. The Oranda sometimes turns upside down on its back after I feed it and remains in this position for a couple of hours.
I feed them pre-soaked sinking pellets (soaked for 5-10 min.s) once a day and pea’s or occasionally blood worms in the evening. I have tried 3 different of pellets (2 x sinking and 1 x floating and always soaked) vegetables, bloodworms, brine shrimp and raw shrimps. However, after each feeding all the fish are gulping or gasping at the surface. I have noticed that the fish seem to gasp for longer when fed high protein foods compared to the vegetables.
<Ah, yes... harder for them to digest>
Water tests show that I have no ammonia, nitrite and nitrate is at 25ppm. Can you help me to solve this problem?
I will appreciate any advice you can give me.
Many thanks
Taran
<It may be that the amount of food is at play here... either too much at one time, and/or that your fancy goldfishes are in too-bad shape to eat and swim about much... I would "cut back" on their portions, perhaps split the offered feedings into another time or two in frequency per day... and slim them down a bit... Better for their health in the long run. Bob Fenner, who often also is gasping for air after pizza and beer>

Goldfish not eating - first thing to check is environmental conditions 1/7/07
Dear crew:
Two of our gold fish do not seem to be able to open there
mouths, they go to fetch the food but never open their mouths. They don't want to swim around, and are spending most of there time on the bottom of the tank. They are losing weight and their colour is fading it makes no difference what food we put in the tank.
Regards, Stephen Walker
<Stephen, first thing to check is environmental conditions. How large is this tank, how many goldfish are living in it, how long has it been set up, is it filtered, have you tested for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate recently? Everything you mention can be a symptom of poor water quality; I'd be willing to bet there's a buildup of toxins in the aquarium. I'd suggest doing a water change ASAP, and measuring the water parameters, if you haven't already.
Here are some helpful links on properly caring for goldfish:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/
Best regards, Jorie>

Goldfish has dropsy... Pea-feeding 12/8/06
> your article you said to feed the fish peas but how exactly do you do that after the skin is off.
<Mmm, I generally just "pinch them out" and feed the blanched pea inside as is>
I mashed it and it floated to the bottom.
<Mmm, I wouldn't mash...>
I so not think my fish can even get to the bottom.
<May need to keep such a debilitated fish purposely in a shallow water setting...>
Please explain. Also, I have added Epsom salt about a 1/5 tsp since I have only a on gallon tank.
<Too small>
Tell me what else I can do.
<Read... and soon... show your concern by engaging, educating yourself... then acting... http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Millie

Re: goldfish has dropsy, feeding peas 12/9/06
I have mashed to the point where he could it and dangled it from hemostats. He would eat it and spit it out. I did not think they could eat a whole blanched pea.
Millie
<Ah yes... can/will pull on the mass till part of it is freed. Bob Fenner>

Goldfishes! Goldfishes! Goldfishes! Feeding 12/4/06
Okay, hi guys.
<Hi Ashley, Pufferpunk here>
Basically, I've had fish for a good portion of my life but they were always my mother's, so I just got to watch them and enjoy.

Now I have my own fish tank and beautiful, playful goldfish. I have a 55 gallon tank and 14 goldfish. We originally got the goldfish as "tank testers", as recommended by friends and family to do so, and then were going to get Oscars and Cichlids (who would eventually then eat the goldfish) so we weren't very concerned about them. Now we have formed an affection for them, even naming a few after family and friends (like one is named after the boyfriend's dad because he's orange and white but has an orange mustache). So, after all this blabbering... All I really need to know is how often can/should I feed them? Right now we're on a routine of 3 times a day, morning, when I get home from work and before bed, of small amounts. There never seems to be any food left, but I really don't want them to be over fed.
<2-3x/day is fine, as long as they eat it all. I'd skip one day/week from feeding, to give them a good day to digest everything. That can be tank-cleaning day. Do a 90% water change & clean out the filters. They will get quite dirty with that many goldfish. I suggest overfiltration, for these heavy eaters & high ammonia/waste-producers. Eventually, those fish will grow a foot long & you'll need about 30g/fish. If you do well with them, they can live over 20 years!>
And I also don't know what the actual breed of goldfish is, they're those $.24 ones that are meant to be feeders.
<Those are called comet goldfish. GF are basically omnivores, which means they are plant-eaters, so give them some plants, like anacharis & hornwort to eat (may make a mess of them though), in addition to algae wafers & frozen peas (thawed & skinned). Good luck with them! ~PP>
Thanks so much! Ashley

Appropriate tank sizes 9/28/06
Hello!
<Hi there>
Your site is really amazing. I've had a fantail goldfish for about a year and just recently he's been showing signs on swim bladder (floating upside down, trouble moving, and slightly distended sides). I'm going to try and make a change to his diet.
<Good>
Your site really seems to recommend peas, but I'm not really sure how to prepare them.
<Mmm, frozen/defrosted are best... but canned can work... de-skinned... by pinching>
My main question today was if I should increase the size of this tank. He is currently in a 2.5 gallon tank, Mercutio (my fish) is about 2.5 inches long, but it isn't very wide. He seems to have been doing well in this size tank so far. What do you think?
<Needs much more space... and will be much easier for you to keep clean as well>
A Big thank you in advance, you guys really know what your talking about!
Jen
<Bob Fenner>

Goldfish Not Eating Normally 8/31/06
I'm sorry if this is a repeat, but I really couldn't find my exact problem on your site (after an hour). Last month we bought 4 (tiny) goldfish at the fish store - 3 fantails and 1 which looks like a cross between a fantail and an Oranda (it has an Oranda head but a fantail tail). This last one started giving us concern about 10 days ago. He/she hid under a rock for about 3 days, never coming out to eat. Prior to that it was as happy as the rest of the group. I tested the water, which was fine for pH, nitrates, etc. We did a water change anyway. Over the next week he's slowly coming out more and more, but still not eating, and still avoiding the other 3 fish. He tries to eat, seems interested in eating, but "misses" the food - he swims up, tries to bite it, but never gets any. I haven't actually seen him eat anything lately. His sides now look "ridged" which I'm guessing are his bones showing through. He has not seemed bloated throughout this, nor otherwise diseased - no fungus, no rot. His swimming is fine, but slow, and he can cover the entire tank. The fish are in a 95 gallon tank. I've been feeding them flakes (yes, I've now read your advice and will start in on vegetables promptly). When he started acting odd I would occasionally throw an algae wafer in just in case it helped. I feed them twice a day. We also have a pleco in the tank, otherwise no other fish (hence the algae wafers).
Unfortunately we do not currently own a quarantine tank. Your advice would be most appreciated - this is the one fish my 3-year old daughter picked out. Thank you. Jen.
< Do a 50% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. I don't see any specific disease problem here so maybe a big water change will give him a boost. Watch him closely to see if his vision seems OK. damaged cloudy eyes can affect their ability to get food.-Chuck>

Re: Goldfish not Eating - Follow-up 9/18/06
Just a quick follow-up on my earlier e-mail (from maybe 20 minutes ago). I tried chopped cooked peas, no skins, but I got the same result. The sick cross-breed eagerly swam to them over and over, looked like he was trying to eat them, but didn't / couldn't. I noticed his mouth looks very very small (compared to the other fish) and he was more interested in the smaller pieces. I then chopped them up extra fine, but still no go. My other 3 fish are getting fat though. Just thought this might be helpful. Thanks again. Jen
<Mmm, don't see the prev. corr. Have you read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshfdgfaqs.htm
and the linked files above? Perhaps environment at play here... Bob Fenner>

Green Peas 8/20/06
Hello Bob and...
<<Tom? :)>>
No question this time, just an observation that may help some of your readers. I notice by reading many FAQ'S and articles on WWM that most of you recommend frozen peas for certain fish. For those of you with arthritis, shelling the peas is a little difficult. I use the dried peas in a bag like to make split pea soup. Soak them in water for about 10 min. and they seem to work fine. Just thought some of your readers may benefit from this...Thanks...DR
<<Thanks for the tip, DR. Will pass this along (as you know, by now) and I'm sure others will, indeed, benefit. Thanks, Tom>>

A few goldfish tips that have worked for me 8/13/06
Dear Crew,
<<Hi, Shellie. Tom with you.>>
I have written to you before about my fantail, Sara. Once again, I would like to thank you for reassuring us that he did not have pop eye. I have
continued to keep an eye on him and always will but now I do not worry about him. I have only had goldfish for about a year but I did successfully raise
two Fantails, a Comet and a Plecostomus without stunting them in a 10-gallon tank. This was not done on purpose however, but bad pet store advice was the culprit. With nearly daily water changes and meticulous attention they have all grown and prospered long enough to survive a move to their current home which is a 55-gallon long. It is by no means their permanent residence and I do know they will outgrow that one as well in time.
The point of this e-mail is to share a feeding regime that I found works for me. I refuse to admit how often they are fed on the grounds it can and will
incriminate me. However, I can tell you that variety is the most important element I have discovered. When these fish were first purchased, I found to
my dismay that you are told to feed them a variety but there didn't seem to be much of that in goldfish food. You could find different sizes of food for
different sizes of goldfish but that was about it. However, there were many brands of goldfish food and when I read the cans I discovered that every
company makes it differently and even may have different ingredients. Having a Pleco, I also noticed that I could add sinking algae tablets and shrimp
pellets to my goldfish diet. I have to work hard to make sure the Pleco gets his own food! Anyway, if you find this advice useful, please feel free to
pass it on. My babies get Wardley All Natural (no colors) Goldfish Flakes, TetraFin Goldfish Flakes, ColorFin Sinking Granules, TetraFin Goldfish
Crisps as well as sharing Aquarian Shrimp Pellets and the standard algae discs with the Plecostomus. At all times in the tank they have either
spinach, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, zucchini, cucumber or romaine on a veggie clip.
I do not feed them all of these foods at the same time or even necessarily in the same day. With this method though, they get a lot of variety and I
have never had a problem with swim bladder, ich, or other fish stress diseases. Even in the 55-gallon I clean the tank and filter every three days
with the requisite water change/gravel vac. My point is that you don't have to give up your goldfish if you have found out the hard way they have an
inappropriate home. With very conscientious care and a lot of hard work, they will survive and even thrive for a time in a smaller home. I would
never recommend you put them in a small place on purpose and you definitely should be seeking a bigger container as soon as possible, but you can keep
them healthy and happy long enough to get a bigger tank. Thank you for listening.
Shellie
<<Uncharacteristically, I've left your post completely intact because, frankly, there's nothing I could add to or detract from. It's well-written, concise and
makes a number of very good points. Many can/will learn from this and my thanks to you for sharing your experience. Continued success to you, Shellie. Tom>>

Re: A Few Goldfish Tips That Have Worked For Me 8/14/06
Dear Bob,
<Shel>
I will not write you guys again unless I have problems so I don't take up your valuable problem solving time. I just wanted to let you know when I
didn't receive an e-mail back I assumed you hadn't gotten my mail yet or you were kindly letting me know it was not of use to you. To my surprise, I find
my mail on your query page with glowing praise following it. To say you made my day is an understatement. I am deeply honored that you think this novice
is worth listening to.
Sincerely,
Shellie
<No worries. Thank you for pursuing the message... we have continuing problems/issues with our webmail. Am glad there are "work arounds". Cheers,
Bob Fenner>

Re: A Few Goldfish Tips That Have Worked For Me 8/14/06
Dear Tom,
I am so sorry! I just noticed after I sent my response that you were the person giving the praise. Please accept my apologies for mixing up names as
well as sending you another mail correcting the error. It's a little embarrassing to praise the person complimenting you on your accuracy and yet
the name is incorrect.
Shellie
<<Shellie,
 If this were the least of my worries... :)
 Your post was excellent and that's all I really care about.
 My best,
 Tom >>

Goldfish and Brine Shrimp 8/2/06
Hi!
<<Hi, back! Tom here.>>
I think you'll be glad to hear that I have gotten a much larger tank and so far all is going well.
<>
I was just wondering if I could feed my goldfish frozen brine shrimp or bloodworms?
<<The brine shrimp? Yes. There's roughage here that shouldn't pose a problem. I'd be reluctant about getting too "crazy" with the bloodworms, though.>>
I feed these to my tropical fish, and was wondering if I could do the same with my 2 small goldfish. I just really want to feed them something different, and I think it would be great if I could feed them those things. (They eat flakes and peas at the moment).
<<Oh, lots of different things that you can feed Goldfish that'll make them happy. You do want to steer clear of foods high in protein, however. Meaty foods, particularly. Goldfish have long digestive tracts designed to handle veggies like algae, zucchini, spinach, etc. Unfortunately, foods high in protein are for fish with short digestive tracts. Kind of a matter of digestive "speed", really. If fish, or any other animals, assimilate any food in their digestive tracts too quickly, it leads to blockage/compaction. Goldfish, despite their sometimes "silly" eating habits, are designed to feed primarily on algae. They need lots of vegetable matter in their diets.>>
Thanks again for all the help.
Great site!!
<<Thank you very much and, do research our site for Goldfish diet. Sabrina contributed a fine article regarding this that I'm sure you'll find enlightening/informative. Tom>>

Trying to feed a varied diet... for Goldfish 7/31/06
I've learned a lot from this website, thank you! I wonder if what I'm reading pertains to simple "feeder" goldfish as well as the fancy varieties. I have three goldfish in a 20 gallon tank; two are approx 2 inches and one is approx 4.
<Mmm, getting to sizes that you may need to look for a larger tank>
I fed the larger one almost exclusively earthworms from my compost bin and houseflies, and occas flake food. I realize now that this was too much protein.
<Yes>
I just upgraded the tank and added the two smaller fish. I bought floating pellets but they seemed to get lost in the bubbles from the
aeration from the power filter and the fish didn't seem to notice them.
<"Sticks, wafers" that are more discrete, sinking will work out better>
The small fish weren't interested in the blanched lettuce clipped to the side of the glass and the large one was unable to get bites out of it and then lost interest. They did eat peas that were squished out of the casings. The nibbled at blanched cucumber but it didn't look like they actually got any of it. Am I trying to feed them food that is inappropriate for their size?
<Yes, good that you realize>
Do you have suggestions for other ways to vary their diets and interest them in different food? I don't think I want to mess with the hassle of trying to grow live plants in the tank. Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.
Tami
<Do seek out prepared foods in the formats mentioned. For goldfish specifically. There are several brands that make/offer such. Bob Fenner>

Re: Trying to feed a varied diet 7/31/06
Thank you so much for your prompt reply!
I have a couple of questions to clarify your advice.
When I asked if I am feeding food that is inappropriate, I'm confused by your reply "Yes, good". Are you saying, "yes the food is inappropriate,
good for you for figuring it out" or "yes this is good food for your fish"?
<Sorry for this confusion... I did amend the response before posting to the public... The middle meaning. Good that you figured this out>
Thank you for your suggestion for looking for prepared foods, I will do that. But I am also interested in feeding fresh veggies. Do you have any other suggestions for how I can make them more appealing/obvious or easier
for the little guys to eat?
<Really a matter of blanching various types to see what is palatable... small pieces of zucchini type squashes are some faves>
And what do you suggest for feeding critters ... should I buy freeze-dried, frozen or continue to forage for live earthworms?
Thanks again! You guys are great!
<Better (most convenient) to use commercially prepared frozen/defrosted small-ish worms, crustaceans... but not in excess... Bob Fenner>

Red Cap Oranda - Red is fading 7/15/06
Hello,
<<Hello, Dan. Tom with you today.>>
I have had a Red Cap Oranda for one year and just recently the "redness" of the cap is fading. In fact, it's almost entirely gone now! Apart from that, the fish seems perfectly healthy - swims well, eats well, etc. I have another Red Cap Oranda in the tank and that one is fine...at least for now. Any thoughts?
<<Coloration changes in Goldfish are not uncommon particularly during their first year. While I've not run across your specific situation there are several factors at play including genetics, diet, exposure to sunlight and age. Since your pet appears to be quite healthy otherwise, and your other Red Cap hasn't (yet) shown any signs of the same thing happening, I would suspect a genetic predisposition to the fading and/or loss of color. Something of a more "hands-on" nature might be to investigate supplementing your Orandas' diets with Spirulina algae. The carotenoid pigments in Spirulina have been reported to significantly enhance the coloration in Koi and Goldfish so, if you feel like doing a little "dabbling", it might be worth a shot.>>
Thank you very much,
Dan Feins
Beverly, MA
<<My pleasure, Dan. Tom>>

Goldfish digestion 6/4/06
Hey Crew.
<<Hey, Justin. Tom>>
Forgive me if this question has already been answered; I searched the archives but couldn't find anything quite like it.
<<Let's see if I can help, then...>>
I have two fantail goldfish in a 33 gallon tank. I've had these fish for over a year; they are robust and in good health. I think. I've noticed something odd lately with the amount of feces they produce. I know goldfish are known to produce a lot of waste, but in the year I've had them I've never observed this. Long strings of feces, sometimes reaching a couple of inches. The poop is solid and dark in colour.
<>
When I first saw this, I suspected they had been constipated, and things were finally starting to flow, so to speak. I held off on feeding for a few days, but by the fourth day, they were still producing a lot of waste. Since then, I've fed very sparingly (once every 3-4 days) but still see them producing a lot of waste, every day. At this point, you'll probably want to know about their diet.
<<This would help, yes.>>
I try to be very balanced (frozen bloodworms, frozen brine, dried daphnia, dried Tubifex, flake food and peas) but recently realized I was probably giving them too much protein.
<<The brine shrimp and daphnia will have a "cleansing" effect as will the peas. Goldfish, as you now are aware, don't process proteins well. The flake food can be problematic if proteins constitute too much of its make-up. Best case? Proteins should account for 20%, or less, of the ingredients contained in the food.>>
But I stopped this practice month or so ago, so I'm not sure if it may still be the culprit here. Since this phenomenon began, I've been feeding only Omega One goldfish flakes, and peas.
<<Look into blanched vegetables as supplements to your pets' diets. Spinach, lettuce, cucumber, etc. provide the types of nutrition your Goldfish require. Please research Goldfish diet on WWM.>>
Is it normal for goldfish to still have food in their systems, this long after a feeding?
<<More likely that they're still not getting enough veggie matter into their systems.>>
There is no other source of food in the tank for them to snack on, other than what I feed them. Aside from the waste production, the fish look and behave normally. Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.
JM
<<Happy to help, Justin. Good luck with your pets. Tom>>

A question about Goldfish feces - 05/10/2006
Good Evening, Crew.
<<Hello, Alfredo. Tom again.>>
I have 2 goldfish, a small Ryukin and a small lionhead, in a 50 litre tank. They are kept at 26 degrees and have a hang-on filter, a powerhead, and an undergravel filter.
<<Still have the UGF? Pull it out, my friend. Old technology and likely to lead to more problems.>>
I feed them once a day and never more than their eye volume (by the way, is it the volume of one or two eyes?).
<<One.>>
Their diet consists of brine shrimp, thawed skinless peas, and sinking pellets.
<<Consider adding some flake food here. High in vitamins and other "good stuff".>>
Today's water test readings are as follow :
Ammonia : 0
Nitrite: 0
pH: 7.
Nitrate: 5
<<All good.>>
I noticed today that the Ryukin was producing a long, transparent feces that floated to the top as if filled with air. Is this normal?
<<No, it's not. Should be short and dark.>>
If not, please tell me how to fix the problem.
<<A change in diet may do the trick. If not, Metronidazole for internal infection may be in order here.>>
I love my goldfish very, very much.
Thank You,
Alfredo Echeverria Ripstein
<<De nada. Tom>>

Re: a question about Goldfish feces -revisited - 5/11/06
<<Hi, Alfredo.>>
I appreciate your quick reply, Tom. I am sorry to bother you again. What change (as you suggest below) should I make in the goldfish's diet?
<<Never a bother to help. There are high-quality flake foods formulated for Goldfish that you might try adding to your pets' diets. These are enhanced with vitamins and should be fairly high in carbohydrates. Goldfish don't digest proteins particularly well.>>
Should I medicate right away or should I change the diet first and await results? I am scared that if I wait it would be too late, or that the condition might worsen.
<<I don't like to recommend medicating a fish when the "condition" may not be a direct result of an infection. The "flip side" to this is that it's far easier to medicate a fish with food than treating the tank water. Actually, it's better overall for the fish since treating the water for internal problems is not the better of the two options.>>
As always, I appreciate your help tremendously. Thank you.
Alfredo Echeverria Ripstein
<<Again, any time, Alfredo. Tom>>

Lola, the Pampered Picky Eater - 04/19/2006
Hi Sabrina
<Steve! Good to hear from you! I hope your Abelmoschus crop is doing well - I'm still interested in trying to grow this plant some time.>
This is about Lola, the large fantail.

She was very stable for several months on a diet of mashed, cooked, peeled peas, cooked zucchini, and minced, boiled greens. When I feed her the greens, she has large, dark green, well formed stools, which she doesn't have with the peas.
<Sounds like good goldfish poo.>
Other vegetables like mashed, cooked beans and carrots seem to constipate her--as evidenced by a period of immobility and large, well formed stools.
<Immobility is definitely a symptom to avoid....>
I was--and am--concerned about a varied diet so I thought I would give both goldfish (Golda and Lola) some defrosted, frozen brine shrimp enriched with Spirulina for protein. I was hoping... They both loved it.
<Adult frozen or live brine shrimp is another very good food to use to help correct constipation, actually, as it is very high in "roughage" content.>
Golda was fine, but 3 days after the seafood, Lola stayed on the bottom, dorsal fin clamped, barely moved and barely ate!
<Yee-IKES! Any possibility that this was coincidence and related to some other variable? Water parameters ideal, I trust (ammonia, nitrite ZERO, nitrate less than 20ppm)?>
She didn't interact with Golda at all--even though Golda was constantly nudging her, trying to get her to move. This was the worst she had been ever.
<Disturbing.>
The next day, a long, irregular white thread started to emerge from her anal spot. I had read that this was not a good sign.
<Indeed.... Can be a symptom of a number of internal complaints (including constipation), but usually associated with parasites. I would probably wager that it was from constipation (again).>
After fasting for a day, I returned to her usual diet of peas. It has been 3 days of slow recovery--and a few long, thin green stools-- but she is definitely improving and eating more!
<Ahhhh, good.>
Today she raised her dorsal fin when I fed her and she actually started to resume her old feeding behavior of chasing Golda away from the peas so she can (try to) eat them all. (Golda is no dope--she sneaks in when Lola isn't looking and gulps down a lot.)
<Heh! I'm glad she's improved.... Whew!>
She is still "resting" with clamped dorsal fin but not nearly as much. Now when I enter the room, she gets up and swims around. It appears that mashed, peeled peas are the only food she can tolerate without digestive distress.
<What about the other greens that gave her well-formed stools but no distress?>
I read that a constant diet of peas can cause cataracts.
<To be honest, I wouldn't know - however, a diet of only one thing can in fact be harmful, just for not giving "well-rounded" nutrition.>
I am completely at a loss. Just about everything besides peas causes some distress as evidenced by immobility and then large stools. (When she gets just peas, I never see stools.) Yikes! Could she be that fragile?
<Yes, she really could. "Fancy" goldfish are notorious for having digestive issues, and once in a while they can be as bad as Lola. "Fancy" goldfish are bred to be (literally) deformed - deformed, shortened bodies leads to deformed "innards", too. In Lola's case, deformed to the point of being dangerously unhealthy. For this and other reasons, I am not a fan of selectively bred fish; I'm still not even sure where I stand on things like fancy guppies and long, fancy finned Bettas.... But I won't get on my soapbox now, I promise.>
What do I give her for better nutrition?
<Hey, I don't know if I'd written this before our last correspondences: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm . In Lola's case, I would try with some aquarium plants like Anacharis/Elodea/Egeria.... Maybe also some floating water lettuce or watersprite, as these plants have tasty dangling roots that would be of good nutritional value. If it were me, I would also experiment by keeping a small tub outside with water lettuce or watersprite in it and "change out" the one(s) I keep in the tank every few days - this way, not only would the plants have a chance to grow their roots back, but you'd be brining in some nice tiny little organisms living on the roots that would also be consumed by the goldfish, adding more nutritional worth. I canNOT speculate how this would cause Lola's sensitive tummy to react, but if it were me/my fish, I would try it. You know her better than I do, though, and know better what you can/should risk.... A tough call with the experiences she's had thus far.>
How much protein does she need?
<Mm, not a great deal.>
Has anyone tried baby food with goldfish?

Do I need to boil the greens even more than 5 minutes?
<Nah, even 5 minutes is longer than I do; they just need to be soft enough for her to munch.>
As usual I am so grateful for your help with Lola.
<And I am glad to be of service to her and you. Thank you for your diligent care of your animals!>
Steve
<All the best to you, -Sabrina>

Tank creep, FW systems, platies, growing Elodea 4/6/06
Hello Crew, I have a couple of questions. I just in the planning stages yet, but I have this image in my head of a warm freshwater tank with
lots of live waving grass and many fish flitting about (instead of a single Betta in a tiny 2.5 gallon tank). So with that in mind; would it
be O.K. to have 4 blue Dalmatian Platys /(Xiphophorus maculatus)/ & a Betta /(B. splendens) /in a 10 gallon tank?
<Yes>
Or should I be thinking 15gal? Can I have more than 4 Platy's in the 10gal?
<Bigger is better... but a ten will do... until/unless the platies reproduce...>
 I have fairly hard water (with Ph at 7.6), and figured that the platys would be the best choice. I don't want to spend a lot of money on lights (and conversely
the electric bill)
<You are wise here>
so I'm thinking that Java Fern & a Sword Plant would work with low/natural lighting, hard water & the proper substrate/plant
food. Do you have any other thoughts on plants?
<Lots. Posted on WWM>
 The second question relates to Goldfish (your basic comets) and Anacharis. My two very special and beautiful Goldfish think it's the yummiest stuff ever & mow
it down. Is it possible to just have a special plant tank (or bucket) with just Elodea/Anacharis (a farm tank, no fish)?
<Yes>
I'm feeling a bit cheep about lights and filtration (especially since this plant will just end up in a goldfish tummy), but I don't want to be that cheap so it
doesn't grow.
Thanks, Ann.
<You've got a bunch of good ideas Ann. Bob Fenner>

Re: Various Goldfish Questions ... fdg. - 03/17/06
Thank you Bob for your reply and for that link.
<Welcome>
I actually decided yesterday to scrap the flakes entirely since they caused my poor Pearlscale so much trouble... so I made a batch of gel food instead! It has peas, beans, carrot, egg, rice, salmon, paprika, and a little bit of the flake food just for the nutritional content.
<Sounds very good>
I had been supplementing the flakes with Cos lettuce and peas, and the occasional shrimp when we had them - but I think this and the gel food will be much much better!
<Yes>
I moved the Pearlscale back to the main tank because he looked so miserable, and he perked up straight away. He is no longer head standing but has more trouble maneuvering than he used to. I'm going to add Epsom salt to the main tank and continue with the peas and gel food. It is alright to replace the rock salt I usually put in the aquarium with Epsom salt indefinitely as a replacement, or is this just a short term treatment?
<Best not to keep salt on these fish continuously>
Thank you for all your help,
Emma
<Again, very welcome. Bob Fenner>

What in Cornation? Goldfish food 3/17/06
Dear Bob
<Deirdre>
Sorry for bothering you again but I think that I'm after doing something really stupid - I was trying to vary their diet a bit and gave them 4
kernels of sweet corn tonight to see how they'd like it - however I never took the skins off - will they be able to pass it?

I feed them peas all the time but always shelled - I just can't believe how idiotic I was not to see the possible dangers in what I was doing...
I searched all around to find specific information on this before getting back in touch with you - I am very fond of these little guys..
Thanks a million for your time and patience
Deirdre
<This too shall pass! Bob Fenner>

Goldfish and Possible Mal-Nutrition, Environmental Disease - 03/08/2005
My 4 year old fantail goldfish " Maggie" seems to be feeling poorly. Yesterday and today, she's had a serious loss of interest in food. She has no visible "critters" on or under her scales. Her focus are normal for her. She seem to be having trouble staying "afloat". She just sinks to the bottom of the tank.
<A likely sign of mal-nutrition. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm .>
She has no interest in play time, which we do every day, and she just loves. I'm at a loss. I can't seem to find any material with these symptoms. Also, her tail seems to be drooping from the attachment point of her body. Any suggestions you can give would be greatly appreciated.
<First and foremost, test your water. Ammonia and nitrite must be ZERO, nitrate ideally less than 20ppm. It is possible that your fish may be suffering from environmental disease. Please read the following link for more: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshdisease.htm .>
Thank you, -Donna
<All the best to you, -Sabrina>

Goldfish and Possible Mal-Nutrition, Environmental Disease - II - 03/09/2005
Thank you very much Sabrina.
<Sure thing, Donna.>
She seems to do better at night when we put her in the "hospital net" and let it just surface. She seems to go up for air and then the next morning she's fine. But by 5pm she right back to square one. We bought an algae eater. He might have the cancer they get. He has been separated. Seems like every time we get a new fish, Maggie gets like this.
<Please read those links I gave you, and test your water.... that will likely reveal some things you can correct for her.>
Thanks. -Donna
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Goldfish and Possible Mal-Nutrition, Environmental Disease - III - 03/11/2005
Sabrina,
You're welcome. Maggie is doing much better. She's sleeping in the squid cave now. She was all over the place yesterday. Got kinda tired around 900pm and took a snooze, but was up around 10pm last night. Could be a good possibility that she had the same thing that the algae eater had. Cotton Mouth. They were given Pimafix from Petland. No offense. As you know the treatment takes 7 days. So we shall see how they are doing then.
<I feel pretty strongly that Pimafix and Melafix are of no real value in treating advanced bacterial diseases like columnaris/"cotton mouth" - also, you've mentioned no symptoms that resemble columnaris to me. Please test the water as previously mentioned, maintain optimal water quality....>
Will keep you posted. Thanks very much for all your services. Have a good weekend.
<Thank you; you as well. I do hope you read and gain some good information from those articles.>
Donna, Shelton, CT
<Wishing you well, Sabrina, of the Santa Cruz mountains in CA>

Koi starving syndrome - 2/28/2006
Hi,
 I am so upset as to be very distraught because I think I have inadvertently "starved" one of my best koi fish!
 I purchased a lot of feeder baby koi to "save" them and tried to keep them thinned out enough in my tank so as to give them a good chance for survival and growth. Well, in so doing, it appears that one of the original koi I had bought individually in the store has been starving and I didn't know it until it's too late, or is it?
 <Never too late if the animal is alive>
 Isn't there ANYTHING I can do to make his stomach expand again? He absolutely won't eat the fish food. I've put the NovAqua water conditioner in which has vitamins and Echinacea, etc., but it is useless. Isn't there a thing I can do?
 Thanks,
 Leslie Wilson
<Small amounts of food offered frequently (a few times per day), moving the fish (if not already) into a smaller aquarium... using some cooked rice present almost continuously, along with blanched/microwaved terrestrial greens... Bob Fenner>

Goldfish feeding question 2/24/06
We have one small goldfish in a large bowl. We will be away for a couple of days and wonder if it will be ok with no food for 2 full days or do we need
a pet-sitter?
<No... I would not risk this... too much chance of over-feeding. Bob Fenner>
Please advise!
Many thanks,
Bonnie

Goldfish With Eating Problem 2/14/06
Hey, my comet has had this problem for almost a week now, he just can't seem to eat his food properly. I feed him very sparingly once a day and he seems
keen to eat - he collects it from the surface, seems to have a job swallowing then spits it all back up again...and more (food from a previous day or more
I guess). I have always fed him very little so am very confused and worried to what's wrong. Is it possible he's swallowed an aquarium stone? Or could
something else be wrong with him? I've had him for four months now and he's never had this problem before. Please help! Shanna
< Check the mouth area for an obstruction. Catch him in a net. While in the net point the head up and look in the mouth with a flashlight. Remove any obstructions with tweezers.-Chuck>

Goldfish (malnutrition 2/9/06
They are fed "TetraFin" goldfish food. What do you suggest I do differently?
<... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm
and the linked files above... Bob Fenner>

Goldfish being eaten by CAE, crowded in a system that's likely uncycled and mis-fed dry food only. Now, what's the problem? - 2/4/2006
Hi, Great site that you have.
I have 3 fish in a 10-gallon tank. 2 goldfish and 1 algae eater. I don't exactly know that how big they are, sorry. There names are, Charmander, Tiger, and Stripeback.
<Keep your eye on that algae eater...>
I have just noticed today that Tiger( biggest and oldest in the tank) is acting funny. He rarely goes up to the surface when food comes( I feed them flake food)
<Not good alone>
and has a long, brownish/reddish big streak on his tail. And he is swimming very slowly. I don't know what to do. I changed the tank completely
<Also a bad idea>
just recently and he seemed to be doing fine. Also, we just got the algae fish a couple of weeks ago. Does that have something to do with it?
<Not likely>
And today, I saw the algae eater on Tiger's tail, sucking on it, like trying to clean it.
<Not! Is damaging your goldfish. Should be removed immediately>
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you for reading.
<See the subject title above? Read on WWM re Goldfish Feeding, Systems, Algae Eaters... Bob Fenner>

Goldfish Poop 1/22/06
Bob, we have 16 Comets in a 4' indoor tank. All had been going well for the first few months. We fed them the food recommended by the pet shop when we bought them. It is called TetraFin goldfish crisps. When this food ran out we just bought another type. Since then the fish have had long feces trailing behind them. I have since finished the second lot of food and have gone back to the original product thinking this would solve the problem. But it hasn't. I was thinking that we were overfeeding them, so have been very vigilant with how much we give them for the last few days, but this has not solved the problem. Any ideas please. It is not a good look when the tank and the fish look so spectacular but the fish have long feces trailing behind them. Please help. Gavin & Ann-Louise Nolan <Hello, Gage here tonight, as long as the fish doo is green or brown in coloration your fish are in good shape. The best thing that you can do is provide them with a proper diet and see if it makes any difference, for more information on a good Goldfish diet please see the following article. Best regards, Gage http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm >

Goldfish Not Eating 1/7/06
Hi there, I have 2 goldfish (sex unknown) I have had them since November 05. They
have been fine until yesterday. We fed them as usual and noticed this morning
that they had not touched their food (which is unusual as they have normally
eaten it in the night) and still haven't touched it today. I did change the
food half way through today just incase I had affected the food as I was
cleaning before hand. I have been feeding them with some pellets that the pet shop
sold with the fish. I would be grateful for any help.
Thank you, Dawn
< Change 50% of the water, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Wait a couple of days before feeding. If they don't eat then treat with Metronidazole for internal bacterial infections. When they start to eat give them a food high in fiber and vegetable matter. Feed them once a day and only enough food so that all of it is gone in a couple of minutes.-Chuck>

Goldfish bottom feeders - 01/03/2006
Hi to the Crew
<Hello to you>
Congratulations on a wonderful site. I have really enjoyed reading and picked up many more new tips.
I have been keeping fish for quite a few years and always find this a fascinating hobby where I am constantly learning new things.

I have recently returned to keeping goldfish after having Frontosa for about six years. It is a long story about why I have had to change my whole set up which I wont bore you with here.
<Am going to Goldfish from Africans soon myself>
My tank is only small 2 foot long by 18 inches wide by 18 inches tall. The tank is planted with elodea and sword fern and Java moss with a nice piece of driftwood, I have just started using a C02 unit very successfully for the first time. I have an Eheim canister filter and a sunlight. Needless to say my Goldfish are very happy, there are just two of them, they are about an inch long and are calico. I know I will eventually have to get them a bigger tank but for now things are going fine. So what is my question? Well the Goldfish I have kept in the past have always been very active bottom feeders turning the gravel over with gusto. This included fancy varieties doing this. However my two Fantails just don't feed off the bottom. I feed them twice a day and have a variety of different foods I feed to ensure that they get all the nutrients they require, and of course they munch on the elodea. I now have a nice patch of algae growing on the gravel it is so untouched. Is this something peculiar to them or is it common for goldfish not to turn over the gravel?
<Mmm, nope. Some fancy goldfish (as individuals more as sports) don't feed much here>
Your thoughts on this would be much appreciated as I am quite puzzled by it, especially as the Goldfish seem so healthy.
Many thanks
Elizabeth
<I'd look into a couple of large mono-sex snails... Please see here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsnails.htm
Bob Fenner>

Re: Goldfish bottom feeders 1/4/06
Dear Bob
<Elizabeth>
Thank you so much for your response....seems my Cosmo and Wanda are a bit
special. Incidentally, for those people out there reading my message, I
found that having a planted tank really helped with the cycling of the tank
(not just providing the fish with roughage).
<Agreed... and strongly encouraged>
 I put Cosmo and Wanda in the
tank and fully expected an ammonia spike as the filter had to cycle. I
tested the water daily for 3 months wondering when the ammonia spike would
come and it never did, unlike my previous experiences with plastic plants.
<Mmm, to give/offer credit where due. An old (now deceased) Alan Willinger used to encourage the sale/replacement of "used" polyethylene plants (they made the Second Nature and other lines...) by retailers for this very purpose... to bag up sold "seeded" faux plants as if they were live...>
All I can think is that the real plants absorbed all the fish waste and so
made my tank cycling a much more gradual gentle process.
<This and provided microbes doing this...>
 After this
experience I can't say enough how good a planted tank is and hope that in the
future I have such well behaved goldfish....(well here's hoping) I am also
feeding them Spirulina tablets as a result of reading your site alternated
with conventional fish food. I will follow up on the snails and let you
know how I get on.
Regards
Elizabeth
<Real good. Thank you for sharing... you have saved and improved the lives of many future goldfish... Bob Fenner>

Feeding Goldfish - 01/03/2006
My black moor and angelfish died. I bought 2 more fancy goldfish and now I
have 4. They are happy and very cool. I feed them healthy stuff and
everything is going great now. Can you just tell me if feeding them lettuce
and peas is good (that's what I do) please answer.
< Vegetable matter is very good for goldfish but may not have enough protein in them for long term health. I would still recommend a high quality goldfish food like Spectrum or equivalent. Feed once a day and only enough food so that all of it is gone after two minutes once each day.-Chuck>

Goldfish... with goiter? 12/15/05
Hello,
<Evening>
I have a fantail, all of sudden last week it looked
like he was choking and he was just sitting at the
bottom of the tank. Anyway i
<"I", sigh...>
didn't like the way he was and took him to the vets, the vet gave him a
antibiotic injection. After i got him home i noticed
that his gill area is swollen ( i know fish don't have
chins but it looks like his chin is swollen).
<A good clue>
He still swims about as normal but he swims with his head
up. sometimes jumping out as well as though he's
catching something. After swimming about a bit he still
sits at the bottom of the tank.
I don't know what to do. ave checked the water and
that's fine. is there anything i could give him?
Please reply.
Thank you
Charlotte
<Your fish may have an iodine deficiency... I would administer Lugol's solution... a stock solution at a drop per five gallons every three days for three doses, and place a drop on the fish's food for the same regimen. Additionally, a level teaspoon of Epsom Salt per five gallons of system water should be placed. Bob Fenner>

Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.... 10/10/2005
Hi
<Hello.>
I wrote a while ago about my large (body is 3.5") fantail, Lola, who was just staring off into space all the time.
<Sabrina with you, today - please for future reference include previous correspondences when possible, as there are a number of us answering questions, and plenty of questions being answered; without the name of the crewmember or the previous correspondence, we have no idea where to route replies or continued correspondences.>
Everything checked out OK with water quality and Lola's health. I started feeding peas and she gradually became more active -- and obsessed with eating.
<Sounds like a goldfish!>
You guys suggested I get her a dither fish. Today I put a medium (body 2") fantail goldfish in with Lola. Lola immediately started chasing the new fish. So I fed them both peas --at the same time. Lola chased the new fish aggressively until it barfed up the food it had just eaten.
<Mm, it probably didn't actually regurgitate, just spat it out.>
Lola immediately ate the barf.
<My guess is the new fish did not know quite what to do with the peas yet, and Lola just relished this uncertainty. Give it some time.>
Now Lola is only mildly annoyed with the new fish. The aggressive chasing has stopped; more like a moderate teasing now. The new fish is not happy.
<Give it some time.>
The dorsal fin is not clamped however. Is this aggression about not feeding them enough?
<Possibly, but could just be even friendly. Or stranger yet, the newcomer may be female, and Lola may be a mature male. Again, give it some time.>
I give the larger Lola 3 peas a day. Is it about territory?
<Unlikely.... goldfish don't tend to be territorial.>
They are in a 20 gallon tank with filter. Is the tank too small?
<Will be in the long run.>
Is this just "getting to know you" behavior?
<Likely.>
Is Lola afraid she will not get enough food with a new friend in the tank?
<Perhaps.>
Would a munchie plant help the situation? If so what kind?
<An excellent idea. I would recommend Egeria/elodea/anacharis.... A few species of plants fall under these names; all grow similarly and goldfish love to eat 'em.>
Should I separate them permanently if it continues?
<Again, give it some time.>
Should I also feed them frozen brine shrimp?
<If you like.>
Besides green veggies and rice, what else would round out their diet well? I read so much about their digestive problems and have eliminated the dry food (even soaked dry food).
<Sounds like you're doing great so far. Some frozen brine would be okay to add to this, or frozen bloodworms once in a while.>
Do they need protein from other than plant sources? Can they eat Abelmoschus manihot leaves? (It's a human food crop in the tropics and loaded with protein.)
<I have absolutely no idea whatsoever. I thank you for mentioning this plant, though; I just had an opportunity to learn about Abelmoschus - apparently okra is in this genus! How neat! But, again, I have no idea whatsoever if A. manihot leaves can be eaten by fish.>
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Tell me what to do and I will do it!
<Lola is indeed a lucky fish to have you as a pal.>
Lola is a family pet and I hate to see her being so mean to her new friend--such as it is.
<Give it some time; hopefully this will sort itself out in a week or two.>
As usual I thank you for your valuable advice and for your incredible web site!
<And thank you very much for these kind words, Steve! I do hope all goes well with this.>
Steve Erickson
<Wishing you, Lola, and the newcomer well, -Sabrina>

Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.... - II - 10/12/05
Hi, Sabrina
<Hello, again.>
Thanks again for your advice. As you said, the situation is quieting down.
<Ah, good.>
In fact, Lola is back to staring off into space, motionless. The new fish, Golda, doesn't understand Lola's behavior and tries to rouse Lola into swimming around. I expect she'll be back to her old self soon.
<Yes, they will sort things out with time.>
It's amazing that she has these emotional phases. But that's why we all care for her so much!
<And a good reason, too.>
Regarding A. manihot: I can send you some seeds to grow the plant. It's very easy to grow in any climate.
<If this can be done legally, I'd absolutely love to do so. Where are you from?>
Right now most of the garden is fading but the 7 foot Abelmoschus is still blooming.
<Wow!>
Perhaps you guys could experiment with feeding the leaves and flowers--which taste like lettuce-- to goldfish. With its high protein content, I suspect that it would be an excellent food source for them.
<Certainly a worthwhile idea!!>
Thanks again.
<And thank you, as well.>
Steve
<All the best, -Sabrina>

Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.... - III - 10/12/2005
Hi Sabrina
<Aloha, Steve.>
I live in New England and I am sure there are no restrictions on Abelmoschus manihot.
<Ah, very good. I thought you were outside the US for some reason.>
I originally bought the plant at a local garden center. I start the seeds in the early spring and mid-June (for a later crop like now). I'm not sure if there are restrictions in your area. You can check on Google. Let me know--I have lots of seeds!

Steve
<Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Whatever Lola Wants - Tasty Abelmoschus, Peas, Goldfish Nutrition - 11/20/2005
Hi Sabrina
<Hey, Steve!>
Can fantails live solely on peas?
<Mm, possibly. I imagine a more varied diet would be better.>
Whenever I feed Lola frozen brine shrimp, rice, lettuce or other veggies, she goes into a funk and doesn't move around. Could this be some kind of constipation?
<Yes, perhaps. Though, it's odd that lettuce and other greens would bring about constipation in a goldfish.>
It takes a few days of a pea diet for her to start moving around better. I am, however, concerned that Lola is not getting enough nutrition with just the peas.

If the single food diet is not good for her, what would you suggest?
<First and foremost, I'd try live plants, especially Egeria and Elodea - "Anacharis", to some. Umm, I think I may have written this article after our last correspondence - you might get some ideas here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm . If you've seen that already, my apologies.>
I did feed the other goldfish blanched and chopped Abelmoschus leaves with no negative results.
<Ahh! Nifty! I do believe I'm going to have to try this plant some time. I think I've even got a spot to grow it where the deer can't get to it.... we shall see.>
<<Okra, eh? Mmmm.. slimy!>>
They seemed to like it. The leaf is rather tough though and needs to be blanched for a while.
<Good tips, thank you for this.>
Next year I'll harvest more leaves and freeze them for the goldfish.
<An excellent plan, indeed. For Lola, I think I might recommend trying some different canned veggies - asparagus was one I always gave to my fish; also green beans (which I love, fresh, canned, cooked or straight out of the can! Mmmmm....).... Maybe you could try other pea-like beans - limas, perhaps? Also you might try frozen or canned spinach.... And anything else you find in that article that you haven't yet tried. And again, I'll emphasize live plants, here.>
Steve
<All the best to you and Lola, and your Abelmoschus crop, -Sabrina>

Great Start On Goldfish - 10/09/2005
Hello!
<Good morning! Sabrina with you today, on holiday in Hawai'i>
Wonderful site, I've been searching and reading for a while now.
<Ahh, good. That's the best start you can give your fish.>
I have a 29g tank set up for a young calico lionhead (who I do not have yet, he is on hold).
<Beeeee-autiful! I'm assuming you plan to set up and cycle this tank first, eh? SO glad to read this. You're off to a great start.>
I was originally going to fall into the "goldfish/ Pleco " trap, but knew I should wait until I had done more research.
<I'm smiling bigger with every sentence!>
I plan on just the one lionhead, and then upping to a 55g when he is bigger. (Unless you suggest making the switch now.)
<Ahh, wonderful!! Unless he's already *massive*, the 29 will be a fine home for a long while. Do consider getting him a couple pals when he's into the 55 (or sooner, if they're all quite small), as goldfish seem more comfortable with conspecifics around.>
Since the Pleco route can be dangerous,
<Mm, I wouldn't say so much 'dangerous' as 'undesirable'.... Common plecs grow to be massive.... 18" or so.... and prefer somewhat warmer temps than are ideal for goldfish. If you want tankmates of a different species, look to the weather/dojo loach.>
I'd still be interested in another bottom algae eater "fish".
<Mm.... Some of the smaller plecs might be of consideration, here; but you'll still have the temperature preference issue.... I know clown plecs can hail from surprising cold waters, but they're more of a wood and meat eater, if I recall correctly (no guarantee of that!).>
In addition to the best filtration I can find, I also plan to vacuum and water change once a week, so I thought a snail might be a good choice.
<Sure, if you like snails.>
I've done some reading on the apple snails, but can't seem to find a lot of info on snails AND goldfish in the same tank. Will one snail/one goldfish get along?
<I'm sure.>
What extra food/attention will I need to give the snail?
<Plant matter.... Likely same fare as what you will be offering the goldfish.... Blanched human consumption greens (spinach, cucumber, zucchini....), live aquatic plants like Egeria/elodea/anacharis....>
In a 29 or 55, is more than one snail necessary?
<Mm, 'necessary'? Depends upon what you wish the snails to do.... Be pets? Eat algae? Eat plants?>
How big will the snails get?
<They do call them 'apple' snails for a reason.... Make a fist. Imagine it's a snail. There ya go!>
Will our heroes make it through the treacherous mines?? (It's Friday. I'm giddy)
<Heh!! It's Sunday morning (wow, sorry for the delay in response time!) and I'm almost giddy, too. Quite an ocean view here for answering fish questions!!>
Thanks so much for the help. :)
<You bet.>
P.S. If you know of any definitive resources on the differences (if any) between ranchu and lionheads I'd be interested. It's a neat subject matter!
<In all honesty, I do not. If you do come across any, send some links my way; I'd like to take a look. Also, I'd like to touch a bit on the algae janitorial work you expect of the snail(s).... There are other methods of algae control; perhaps the best/most efficient is by outcompeting the algae for nutrients with other (vascular) plants. Plants like Anubias sp., java fern (Microsorium pteropus) and java moss (Vesicularia dubyana) will hold up to most plant eaters, goldfish and snails included. Do please take a look through our Aquatic Plants articles, about fighting algae and such.... You may find that you don't need an algae consumer, and can stock more around what you like than what you think your system might (or might not) need. I'm not at all trying to discourage you from an applesnail, mind you! They're pretty cool animals. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Great Start On Goldfish - II - 10/10/2005
Thank you so much for the reply!
<Oh, sure thing!>
I was looking for the snail as algae control/pet. I decided on a golden apple snail, since according to applesnail.net http://applesnail.net , the Pomacea bridgesii prefers and does well on artificial fish food, along with dead and rotting plants. So, another question to come to mind would be- What types of artificial foods (in addition to peas, blanched greens, and eventually possibly live Water Sprite) would be good for both lionhead and snail?
<Anything primarily vegetable in nature.... Spirulina flakes/pellets/wafers, frozen prepared vegetable fish foods (like Ocean Nutrition's "Formula Two").... Plenty of options. Sushi Nori is an easy option.>
I was recommended gel, and I'm not sure if there's a brand preference.
<In all honesty, I'm not familiar with gel fish foods.>
I have floating pellets and flakes, but after reading more, I'd really like to avoid that swim bladder problem!
<A very good problem to avoid.>
I pick up Charlie (the lionhead) this evening, and am waiting until my LFS gets some golden apple snails in. Any advice is appreciated!

Thank you again!!
<Any time, my friend. Wishing you well, -Sabrina>

Great Start On Goldfish - III - 10/12/2005
Ok, last question, I swear! My lionhead is now happy in his new tank!
<Ah, good.>
He's very friendly, and even comes to the front of the tank (when I was expecting a much longer adjusting period). He does spend some time in his chosen "spot" tucked behind a bit of rock, and on the gravel, but it doesn't seem like a sick or unhappy habit. I feel he's just settling in.
<Likely so.>
Now Charlie is a small fellow, about 1 1/2", and the bubbler I have in there is pretty big- a flat round disc about 2 inches across, placed under the gravel. I was concerned that he wasn't "enjoying" the bubbles, and felt trapped on the "quiet" side of the tank. I just turned it off briefly, to see if he prefers the lessened agitation. Should I hold off on the bubbler until he's a bit bigger, or is his aversion to swimming the whole tank just due to him settling in?
<Could be. You could get a valve for the airline to shut off some of the flow so it would be less intense, if you like. These are usually sold at large/r fish stores, in packages of things like "T" splitters and such, near the air pumps and air tubing. There are brass ones, and clear or green plastic ones.>
I searched "goldfish" and "bubbler" and "small", but didn't find anything related to the goldfish size. (Or lack thereof). Your site has been SO very helpful, and I appreciate the patience for my multiple questions.
<Glad to be of service.>
Can't I send a box of cookies to the Crew or something?
<<A box of See's dark chocolates are always a good way to go. Marina>>
<Mmmm, peanut butter with chocolate chips? Just kidding.... your thanks and the fact that you have learned something that you can now pass on to others is more than thanks enough!>
:) Julie
<Wishing you the best, -Sabrina>

Dropsical Goldfish - 10/06/2005
Hey Crew. Thanks so much for all the help you've given myself and others.
<And thank you very much for these kind words - means a lot to us, really.>
Once again I've come to seek your advice. Nova, my 1" Pearlscale goldfish, has come down with dropsy. Water parameters in his main tank have always been good (ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrates consistently in the 15-20 range), so I'm not sure what the cause of this was.
<Possibly/likely dietary.... What do you feed him? Prepared dry foods like pellets and flakes are often a cause for concern in fancy goldfish.... A diet of aquatic plants and blanched human-consumption greens (peas, cucumber, spinach, zucchini....), supplemented with occasio