Premium (Preferably Flake-Based) Food Suggestions for Goldfish...

[ArtesiaWells]

Here's specific info on the Goldfish Flakes:

Seachem. NutriDiet Goldfish Flakes

 

[HUKIT]

Here's specific info on the Goldfish Flakes:

Seachem. NutriDiet Goldfish Flakes

Looks like junk, here is your fish protein concentrate(heads), lots of junk fillers like wheat starch, rice flour, and dried yeast. Next I don't like synthetic vitamins such as Menadione Sodium Bisulfite which is a man made vitamin k.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Looks like junk, here is your fish protein concentrate(heads), lots of junk fillers like wheat starch, rice flour, and dried yeast. Next I don't like synthetic vitamins such as Menadione Sodium Bisulfite which is a man made vitamin k.

And all that is in Seachem's food?

 

[Convict2161]

Here is where I purchase mine from, they don't go into a great deal on their websites on individual foods.

Amazon.com: New Life Spectrum Freshwater Flakes 800g: Pet Supplies

HUKIT is right. I actually just purchased some flakes and pellets today. I mostly use the sinking pellets. I forget who it was... Someone had mentioned that the flakes lose there potency after only a few seconds in the water.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

HUKIT is right. I actually just purchased some flakes and pellets today. I mostly use the sinking pellets. I forget who it was... Someone had mentioned that the flakes lose there potency after only a few seconds in the water.

Got it; I will look into either the general freshwater flakes, as suggested, or the goldfish pellets, which I know my local Petco carries...

 

[Borderlesscott]

The NLS freshwater flakes, although not designed with Goldfish in mind would still be great food - NLS recommend pellet food for Goldie's, hence why no specific Goldfish flake. I tend to agree, Goldfish end up with way to many problems while gulping air at the surface while taking flake that has not been submersed first. Personally I'd put the Goldfish on the NLS Goldfish pellets.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

The NLS freshwater flakes, although not designed with Goldfish in mind would still be great food - NLS recommend pellet food for Goldie's, hence why no specific Goldfish flake. I tend to agree, Goldfish end up with way to many problems while gulping air at the surface while taking flake that has not been submersed first. Personally I'd put the Goldfish on the NLS Goldfish pellets.

I understand the logistics behind it; the only reason I asked about flakes for my goldies is because they tend to exhibit strange behavior after trying to digest the pellets which I have equated to being a bit "uncomfortable" with them...

 

[jlk]

I understand the logistics behind it; the only reason I asked about flakes for my goldies is because they tend to exhibit strange behavior after trying to digest the pellets which I have equated to being a bit "uncomfortable" with them...

Artesia, I think your missing the point here. Your hardly can make a comparison of feeding pellets that are the equivalent of a Big Mac with extra mayo or special sauce (or whatever is on it) to feeding a quality pellet. I dont think your going to get up and go for for 5 mile jog after eating a few of these either.

My fish are not $800 'show quality' fish but I do make an effort to make sure they get an appropriate diet and it shows. Your spending so much time thinking about aquascaping your tank and what to buy to decorate it. Perhaps, an investment in some quality food in additon to some daily veggies would be a more worthwhile area to spend some time considering here for the sake of the health of your fish. Keep in mind, goldfish in a natural environment have a diet that encompasses over 80% algae and greens. Simulating this to some extent with appropriate foods will result in healthier, happier fish longterm.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

my fish are not "unhealthy" or "unhappy" and I don't feel I'm missing the point. I took in, and will consider, everything that has been said here in this thread and will more than likely look to the New Life foods, whether the goldfish pellets or the general freshwater flakes, and I don't think it has anything to do with my aquascaping/theming approaches. That's a completely different situation and separate group of thoughts for this new 60 gallon setup -- believe you me, as I have learned, if the fish were exhibiting constant symptoms of "not feeling" or "doing well," I wouldn't be so concerned with the pirate ship or Asian temple I want to put in the tank. That's not what is going on here, though.

 

[HUKIT]

Artesia, I think your missing the point here. Your hardly can make a comparison of feeding pellets that are the equivalent of a Big Mac with extra mayo or special sauce (or whatever is on it) to feeding a quality pellet. I dont think your going to get up and go for for 5 mile jog after eating a few of these either.

I agree with with JLK with regards to the reaction of your fish to low quality pellets which contain hard to digest/process ingredients. The majority of my posts focused on the difference in ingredients from a quality food to the common garbage most pet stores offer. Fish especially goldfish have digestive systems that are designed so that if the food is of a protein that can not be digested properly it will simply be expell this excess immediately causing irritation and discomfort as you say, this is where highly digestable aquatic proteins make a difference.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

I agree with with JLK with regards to the reaction of your fish to low quality pellets which contain hard to digest/process ingredients. The majority of my posts focused on the difference in ingredients from a quality food to the common garbage most pet stores offer. Fish especially goldfish have digestive systems that are designed so that if the food is of a protein that can not be digested properly it will simply be expell this excess immediately causing irritation and discomfort as you say, this is where highly digestable aquatic proteins make a difference.

If that's the case, then why don't they react the same way to "cheap" flake foods?

Further, are these:

Sinking Goldfish Food from TetraColor makes Your Fish Beautiful

Or these:

Goldfish Food Crisps take the Guesswork out of Feeding your Fish!

Really all that "low end"?

 

[HUKIT]

Well that seems pretty obvious doesn't it? I'd compare that to digesting a saltine cracker vs porterhouse steak, pellets are much denser than flake foods. Plus with loads of junk fillers such as wheat and other grains it swells when water logged. Ever seen Wonder Bread hit water all those useless starches causes the dough to swell dramatically and would cause anyone digestive troubles, especially prone to digestive issues. I think everyone has answered your questions in a friendly educated manner, so use the information or don't and feed whatever you like.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Wel that seems pretty obvious doesn't it? I'd compare that to digesting a saltine cracker vs porterhouse steak, pellets are much denser than flake foods. Plus with loads of junk fillers such as wheat and other grains it swells when water logged. Ever seen Wonder Bread hit water all those useless starches swells and would cause anyone digestive troubles.

It didn't, quite frankly, seem "that obvious" to me; but of course I am not advanced so far as knowledge on feeding protocols, food agents and the like, hence why I have been asking.

I think everyone has answered your questions in a friendly educated manner, so use the information or don't and feed whatever you like.

Well, with the exception of one member I would agree with you -- and as I have stated tirelessly, I will take everything everyone has suggested in this thread into consideration for the next food purchase I make.

The input, tips, suggestions and educational overtones have been greatly appreciated and have not gone ignored.

I will, as also stated, probably end up trying out either the New Life Spectrum general freshwater flakes, or their goldfish granules...

 

[shellieca]

Hello shelli, and thank you for the input...

Indeed, every now and then we'll supplement their diet with cooked frozen and deshelled peas -- especially if there are any signs of swim bladder bloat -- but I think I will maybe give the NLS pellets a try...

I see you also vote, in a way, for Omega One foods...is there something that makes them more "premium" over, say, your garden variety Tetras, Aqueons or Wardleys?

Peas are good; my understanding (which could be completely wrong) is they also need other veggies to have a well rounded healthy diet; more veggie than pellet or flake or at least 50/50.

As for the food being more "premium", the ingredients listed tell me which is better. I believe somebody else included the ingredients list for the foods you asked about & you can clearly see which food has better ingredients.

 

[Kimlafeiet]

+1 with Hukit, I also feed just NLS to my fish. I use the pellets with Thera A and the nls Optimum H2o flakes with Garlic to my smaller fish - absolutely the best fish food around IMO.

New Life Spectrum Premium Fish Food for Colour and Vitality

So, I may sound dumb with this, and sorry to hijak tyour thread Wells, but is there a reason for the garlic? I am considering switiching to a better quality food (currently using omega-1and tetra).
Also, while I am asking.........what is Thera A for?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Peas are good; my understanding (which could be completely wrong) is they also need other veggies to have a well rounded healthy diet; more veggie than pellet or flake or at least 50/50.

As for the food being more "premium", the ingredients listed tell me which is better. I believe somebody else included the ingredients list for the foods you asked about & you can clearly see which food has better ingredients.

 

[ArtesiaWells]

THIS is what I'm currently feeding; from what I understand, it's actually made by HAGEN (the brand that makes the coveted AquaClear filters, for those that don't know):

Nutrafin Max Goldfish Flakes

RC Hagen A6838 Nutrafin Max Goldfish Flakes 6.77 Oz - Reviews & Prices @ Yahoo! Shopping

Pet Supplies - Compare Prices and Deals, Shop & Buy Online in Australia at MyShopping.com.au__

The only reason why I am feeding with these right now is because a small container of them came with a small "starter" aquarium kit we bought some time ago to house the surviving goldies -- most notably the Black Moor who has survived the whole ordeal -- when we had our tank crash emergency...

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Can Someone Explain This Behavior?

UPDATE:

Okay, so yesterday we stopped in our local Petsmart and bought THIS:

And finally picked this piece of decor up to continue experimenting with the "Asian/Zen" theme for the goldie tank:

I'll get into the Bonsai ornament in another thread and at another time, but for right now I'd like to discuss the Omega One flakes...

It's the weirdest thing -- and I am beginning to question the overall health of my fancies at this point: I would have thought that a new food, with the attractive scent (to them) of seafood, would have enticed my four fancies to the point they would go into a bit of a feeding frenzy when the flakes were introduced...instead, they did nearly the same thing when fed the Tetra sinking pellets and crisps...that is, they "gnawed" at the Omega One food but got a bit "lethargic" as they swallowed the flakes, eventually just "hovering" over the gravel in the left rear corner of the tank where there is no decor as of yet as they attempted to digest them...

If that wasn't weird enough, once all the flakes were seemingly consumed, they THEN went into like a post-feeding frenzy, where they were swimming around vigorously, going to the surface as if wanting or eating more and picking at decor/gravel...does this make any sense? Why do they seem to have a "better" time AFTER food is consumed and digested? Is it normal for them to bite pieces of flake food, or other food for that matter, and react in a "lethargic" way, in which as they consume the food they hover and kind of stay in place towards the bottom of the tank? Is this because of the makeup of their bodies?

 

[ArtesiaWells]

So, I may sound dumb with this, and sorry to hijak tyour thread Wells, but is there a reason for the garlic? I am considering switiching to a better quality food (currently using omega-1and tetra).
Also, while I am asking.........what is Thera A for?

Hey, Kim!

No need to apologize for the hijack; so long as it's about aquariums, goldfish and...well...heck, anything of the sort you're okey dokey to discuss it in any of my threads!

While I got a convo goin' with you, do me a favor and head on over to my 60 gallon decorating project thread (in which you suggested the Petco shipwreck pieces like you have in one of your tanks) and take a look at the recent developments regarding the new Bonsai tree I picked up to attempt continuing the Asian/Zen theme...and tell me what you think...

 

[ArtesiaWells]

Should I have maybe purchased the New Life Spectrum food instead of the Omega One flakes?

Have we concluded that the Omega One foods are at least "better" than the Tetra and Aqueon varieties?