Worried about overfeeding my goldfish. How often should I feed them?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Hi. I have been told by some people to feed the goldfish three times a day others say once every two days please help me I don’t want to over feed them. Thank you
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on March 25th, 2019
Most fish are fed once to twice a day. If you see a lot of food accumulating at the bottom, then you know you are over feeding. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 4th, 2020
Feed 2-3 times daily. It is important to avoid overfeeding goldfish as this can cause indigestion and/or contaminate the tank. In terms of the amount to feed, a good rule of thumb is to only feed an amount that the goldfish can consume in under two minutes or only feed as much as the size of the goldfish's eye. So, it sounds like you may be overfeeding them a bit......
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Hello, good afternoon! I have two baby goldfish, one is a black Moore, and the other is an oranda, I was curious on how much to feed them, currently I feed them once in the morning and once at night, and about five pellets each, I was curious as to i
Feed 2-3 times daily. It is important to avoid overfeeding goldfish as this can cause indigestion and/or contaminate the tank. In terms of the amount to feed, a good rule of thumb is to only feed an amount that the goldfish can consume in under two minutes or only feed as much as the size of the goldfish's eye. So, it sounds like you may be overfeeding them a bit......
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I’ve overfed my two gold fish giving them 2 pinches of fish flakes (I got them today) and I have been told to give them size of their eye and if I feed them more it is leathal. What do I do.
Hello, and thanks for your question. You are right that it’s important not to over feed goldfish, but a single feeding of an extra pinch of flakes shouldn’t be too concerning. If there are still flakes floating around in the tank, see if you can scoop them out with a fish net. Otherwise, I would skip their next feeding and restart with their smaller meal the next time they’re due to be fed. Hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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How often should you really feed your betta? How often is best for their health? Some people say once or even twice a day and others say it’s best to feed them every other day in order not to over feed them but what would be best for my bettas health
Once or twice a day are both fine. Consistency is more important, so I would set a schedule based on your own schedule with work/school/family. The MOST important thing is only feeding as much as he can eat in one sitting. If you give his food and there are left overs a couple minutes later, you'll know you need to feed less. The extra food will make his tank dirty and the organic waste is hard to break down.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Hello. My betta fish is a baby and I don't know how much to feed her. Whenever I go over to her tank, she swims around and begs for food. I don't know how much I should feed her. I feed her on flake once a day everyday. Should I be feeding her more?
While she is a baby, you can feed her twice a day. Only feed as much as she can eat in a minute or two. If you feed too much the feed will fall to the ground and then contaminate the water.Later, when she is grown up you can change to feeding her once a day. Your fish figured out that you feed her when you come near the tank, So it is fairly normal for her to beg.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My pond goldfish had swim bladder issues so has been inside for 6 weeks. He was pretty active and I brought in another to keep him company. Since Feb 1st, he is at the bottom, eating a bit especially when I drop it right in from of him. No external
Potential causes include overfeeding, low water temps, constipation, parasites or other infection. Confirm proper water chemistry, again if necessary and continue with the treatments described. Fast the the for 3 days then feed bits of cooked and shelled green peas. This will help with constipation. Make sure the water temperature is not too chilly. Low temps may affect digestion in fish. A medicated food can be fed to clear any parasites or infection. Look in the aquarium section of the local pet store for these medications. If you do not use medicated food and instead treat the tank, be sure to remove the carbon filter insert during treatment.
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Hi I'm really scared because I went to my boyfriends parents house and I left my sister to look after my 7 Fish and she sent me a photo and I saw (HEAPS) of food layers on the to and I had to cut my holiday short my 11 days and I get back to sad babi
Check the water chemistry to rule out elevated ammonia or nitrite levels. You can do this using a home test kit or by submitting a water sample for testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or for a small fee. Perform partial water changes (no more than 30% total volume at a time) to stabilize chemistry and/or to improve water quality. use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent further stress or shock. If all 7 fish are goldfish, a large tank is strongly recommended. The general rule is 20 gallons for the first fish and 10 additional gallons per extra fish. This is due to the goldfish producing a larger than average bio load (wastes) which can quickly overwhelm a small tank. Check the water temperature as well. Goldfish are cold water fish and do best between 65 F (18.3 C) and 72 F (22.2 C). The use of antibiotics or other medications would not be recommended in the absence of symptoms of illness or infection. Plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Epsom
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I would recommend to feed with bloodworms once daily, not more than that and always mixed with pellets, daphnia, and brine shrimps. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.
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How many times a day or week should I be feeding my three neon tetras?
Hello there. Thank you for using Boop by Petco. The short answer is 2-4 times per day. I think this article will answer your question more in-depth. If after reading this you have more questions then please feel free to post again. Hope this helps! https://pets.thenest.com/feed-neon-tetras-4038.html
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My black moor goldfish keep swimming to the top of the tank and make the kissy faces.. Not sure if they are trying to breathe. Or they are just hungry. One fish usually stays at the bottom of the tank but occasionally goes up and swims. They also try
Usually lack of water quality, lack of oxygen, overcrowding and abnormal temperature are all common causes of this behaviour. They could be hungry as well, but usually they come to the surface at certain time or in response to visual stimuli like your presence. Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. Clinical examination should always include a water quality check, even if you have done so already. Water testing should be performed with a quality test kit, measuring NH4, NO2 and NO3. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for these signs. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, your fish should get examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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I noticed my two fancy goldfish are lethargic, one is small ryukin, and other is oranda. They stay at the bottom of the tank. furthermore, their bellies are swollen, and their tails are droopy; the two fish are not active like other six fish in a 50
They may be bloated or constipated from the overfeeding. Fast them for 1-2 days then offer bits of shelled green peas. Once they begin defecating normally, you can switch back to a flake or pelleted diet. Check the water quality. Goldfish produce a heavy bio-load. This, in addition to 6 other fish, may be overburdening your filter. Water quality will suffer. Ammonia and nitrite levels, if elevated, can be toxic and cause the symptoms you are seeing. A properly cycled and filtered tank should have 0 ppm (parts per million) ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 40 ppm or less. Water changes and/or chemical treatment may be indicated to correct imbalances. The filter should be one that can handle twice the volume of the tank. Another consideration would be increasing the tank size or removing fish. The tank may be overcrowded now which will can stress fish.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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