Goldfish are some of the most common pets that people keep. One important thing to always have in stock is food for them. Therefore, if you want to maintain a happy and healthy goldfish, you may be looking for the best goldfish food.
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There are generally two types of goldfish food: pellets and flakes. Pellets or sinkers are the best ones if you want more fish at the bottom to be fed.
However, they may be more ideal if you have a bigger tank since they tend to pollute your tank fast due to their heavy substance. Flakes, on the other hand, are probably best for small tanks with smaller fish, but the catch is that your fish may inhale air.
Top 5 Best Goldfish Food for Color
Here are our top picks for the best goldfish food:
TetraFin Balanced Diet Goldfish Flake Food
We liked this flake food for goldfish since it comes from a reputable brand, Tetra.
Since they are flakes, it can be colorful and easy to give to goldfish. It can be fed on a daily basis.
At 7.06 ounces per pack, its ingredients include protein, crude fat, moisture, crude fiber, and various vitamins, such a vitamin A, E, B12, and more.
The formula of the flakes can enhance your goldfish’s colors. They are also easy to digest for your fish since they are made with a water formula so that you can just clean your aquarium less often. They also contain added shrimp meal in the ingredients.
Things We Liked
- A healthy mix of ingredients
- Has vitamins and minerals
- Can be a staple goldfish food
- Can last up to 18 months
- The container is easy to open and close
Things We Didn’t Like
- The flakes can be small and could be pulverized in shipping
Hikari Saki-Hikari Fancy Goldfish
This goldfish food is made in Japan and is at 200 grams or 7 ounces for each pack.
It is in the sinker pellet form so it doesn’t just float around your aquarium.
Among the ingredients include spirulina, soybean oil, wheat germ, fish meal, rice bran, dried seaweed, and much more.
Aside from that, the pellets are packed with probiotics, vitamins, and minerals to keep your fish healthy. One bag can last a month or so and it can also help with a color enhancement for your goldfish.
The food is also applicable to any goldfish species. You can also put some veggies along with this goldfish food.
Things We Liked
- Has a mix of good fish meal ingredients
- Has probiotics
- Includes vitamins and minerals
- Can be fed on all types of goldfish
- Has color enhancers
Things We Didn’t Like
- The fish may eat it up slowly
Aqueon Color Enhancing Goldfish Granules
From a trusted brand of aquatic products, Aqueon’s goldfish granules come at 3 ounces in each container.
These are slow-sinking granules so they can be fed just fine for most goldfish. They are made with natural colors and ingredients so that your fish can stay healthy.
If your goldfish live in a pond then other fish species can also be fed with this one. Each pellet is about 1 mm in size so it can be just fine even for the smaller goldfish.
The pellets are also free from artificial dyes. If your fish has GI issues on other pellets then this one can be an alternative.
Things We Liked
- Slow-sinking and easy to eat
- Small enough for small goldfish
- Also okay for other pond fish
- Comes in a 6-pack
- No artificial dyes
- Good for fish with GI problems
Things We Didn’t Like
- Some bad batches may not sink properly
TetraPond Pond Sticks
Yet another one from Tetra, this goldfish food is in the form of pond sticks or pellets.
They are made with a clear water formula to make sure your tank doesn’t get easily clouded when your fish consume it. The fish food is made with vitamins and minerals and they are also easy to digest.
The food is okay for goldfish, koi, and other pond dwellers. With each pack at 25 L or 6.65 lbs., they contain vitamin C as well for immunity.
The sticks are also quite soft so they can be easy to digest for goldfish. This pond stick batch is best fed at temperatures of 50 degrees and above, at least 2 to 3 times daily.
Things We Liked
- Easy to digest
- Soft texture
- Clearwater formula
- Contains vitamin C
- Includes vitamins and other minerals
Things We Didn’t Like
- Some bad batches may not sink properly
Ken’s Premium Sinking Pellets with Spirulina
At 1 lb. per batch, these sinking pellets can be okay for goldfish since it is designed for freshwater fish.
The bags that they are packed in are FDA-approved so your fish only gets quality food without contamination.
The bags are made with a special poly-nylon material so that the fish sticks aren’t going to be stale.
The zipper seal can also keep the fish food fresh. Among the ingredients of the fish, sticks are dehydrated alfalfa meal, dried spirulina algae, fish oil, dried krill, soybean meal, fish meal, and sources of vitamin C and D3.
It also has moisture, crude fiber, crude protein, crude fat, and others.
Things We Liked
- A healthy mix of ingredients
- Has vitamins and minerals
- FDA-approved containers
- Resealable bag
- Fast sinkers
- Small enough for baby goldfish
Things We Didn’t Like
- May sometimes clog your filter
Things to Consider Before You Buy
When looking for the best goldfish food, here are some things you might want to know first:
What are the types of goldfish food?
There are generally 2 types of goldfish food, each with their own pros and cons:
- Flakes. These are thin strips of food that are pressed so that they float on the surface of the water. They tend to be lightweight and can be bought from your local fish store or online.
The advantage is that they don’t pollute or clog your filter but the disadvantage is that your fish may eat up air. You may want to feed flakes to those who are top swimmers or if you have a small fish tank and don’t want to bother cleaning it up too often due to pellet sinkers.
- Pellets. These bad boys are probably best if you don’t want flakes floating all over the top. They are also packed with nutrients and can be easier to buy.
However, they tend to pollute your tank filter. They are best for when you have a larger tank with more fish that eat up your fish food. They are also probably ideal for goldfish who tend to swim at the bottom much more often.
How do I choose goldfish food?
You should choose your goldfish food based on:
- Species of goldfish. There are many species of goldfish out there and some may be more accustomed to a certain type of food. For instance, there are goldfish that could be allergic to certain pellets or sinkers and tend to have gastric problems. However, generally, all goldfish can be fed the same thing.
- Swimming activity. Some goldfish tend to swim upwards while some are bottom dwellers. It’s up to you – go for sinkers if your fish like to stay at the bottom all the time. Otherwise, go for flakes.
- The size of your tank. Your tank size may affect your goldfish food choice. If you find that your tank is too small and your filter gets polluted too often, you may want to opt for flakes instead of pellets since they don’t pollute or clog your filter too much.
- Your budget. Some goldfish food can be bought in bulk and can be cheaper. However, if you want more nutritional value, you may want to opt for fish food from branded sources such as Tetra and Aqueon.
- Nutritional value. What are the ingredients of goldfish food? Read the labels and make sure they have decent amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals. A good source of fish food could be crude protein, as well as other sea resources such as seaweed.
- The number of fish. If you have much fish in your tank, you may want to buy a bigger pack or container so that you can save more money in the long run. Otherwise, you can just settle for resealable packs or bags that aren’t too pricey.
How do I feed goldfish food?
To feed goldfish food, you should just take a pinch and then drop it over your aquarium. Your fish will eventually eat them up, whether they are sinkers or floating flakes. The fish may be fed 2 to 3 times a day depending on their species and their habits.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, our top pick for the best goldfish food is the TetraFin Balanced Diet Goldfish Flake Food due to its healthy mix of ingredients and the fact that it has vitamins and minerals. It can be a staple goldfish food and it can last up to 18 months.
We also liked the fact that the container is easy to open and close. While the flakes can be small and could be pulverized in shipping, this is a minor caveat and it depends upon where you buy it from.
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