jlk
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sooo.... I read somewhere, think it was on this forum but not sure, that Goldfish, specifically Ryukins, don t really have stomachs so need to be fed several times a day. ??
Goldfish do not have 'true' stomachs in the sense that they are able to store food for any length of time. Their stomachs are merely extensions of their intestines that aid in digestion. They are by design grazers that are on the constant hunt for something to eat making them best suited to small, frequent meals. Large, singular meals are not digested well and can lead to impaction, constipation, excess gas, buoyancy issues and even possibly internal infections as the result. In natural settings, goldfish diets are 80+% vegetative matter and the closer we can approximate this, the healthier they will be.
Berylla, in respect to maintenance, most serious keepers and breeders keep goldfish in the same fashion as discus owners and breeders. Water changes are very large (75-100%) and constant, tanks/tubs are kept immaculate and fish are well fed. Serious breeders do not even bother with 'cycling' as 100% of the water is changed daily or more often. While this may not be practical for most hobbiests, the bigger and more frequent the wcs along with an appropriate diet that includes daily veggie matter, the healthier and happier fish will be.