When you’re stressed, watching your goldfish swim around the tank can help you forget about it. But your peace can be broken quickly when you realize you’re out of fish food. Although your pets can last close to 2 weeks without food, starving your fish risks their health. When you can’t get to the pet store right away, you can feed your pet human food until you can get to the pet store.
Goldfish are a popular pet fish that are relatively easy to care for. However, like any pet, they require proper nutrition to stay healthy. Goldfish are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter. Traditionally, most goldfish owners feed their fish commercially prepared goldfish flakes or pellets. But what do you do when you run out of fish food and can’t make it to the store? Don’t panic! There are plenty of healthy human foods you can use to temporarily feed your goldfish until you can restock their normal food.
Why Proper Nutrition is Important for Goldfish
While goldfish are hardy fish, they still require balanced nutrition to thrive. Goldfish need protein to help their muscles grow properly and support an active lifestyle. They also need plant matter and algae to provide carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Some key nutrients goldfish need include:
- Protein
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin B6
- Vitamin K
- Calcium
- Potassium
Without proper nutrition, goldfish can develop nutritional deficiencies that negatively impact their health. Signs of nutritional deficiencies include lack of appetite, poor growth, loss of color, fin fraying, sluggishness, and increased susceptibility to disease. That’s why it’s crucial to feed your goldfish a varied diet with both plant and animal sources.
15 Human Foods You Can Use to Feed Your Goldfish
Here are 15 common human foods that make great temporary goldfish snacks when you run out of fish food
Fruits and Veggies
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Spinach – High in calcium and vitamin K. Blanch and chop into small pieces.
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Peas – Excellent fiber source that helps with digestion, Defrost frozen peas first,
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Zucchini – Provides vitamin A. Grate or finely chop cooked zucchini.
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Sweet Potatoes – Full of beta-carotene and vitamin C. Steam and mash.
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Cucumber – Has antioxidants and is mostly water. Dice into small bits.
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Shelled peas – Packed with protein. Thaw frozen peas before feeding.
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Cantaloupe – Contains beta-carotene. Scoop out soft inner flesh.
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Watermelon- High water content. Offer small diced cubes.
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Apple – Provides fiber. Core and finely chop peeled apple.
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Carrots – Great source of vitamin A. Shred cooked carrots.
Animal Proteins
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Hard boiled egg yolk – Provides protein. Chop egg into tiny bits.
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Cooked shrimp – Contains omega-3s. Cut up into mini pieces.
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Earthworms – Nutrient-dense choice. Rinse well before feeding.
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Mealworms – Full of protein. Rinse off before adding to tank.
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Crickets – Can be purchased as feeders. Rinse and cut up into small bits.
When preparing fruits and veggies for your goldfish, be sure to wash thoroughly, remove any inedible parts, steam until soft, then chop into tiny pieces or mash before adding to the tank. For animal proteins, pick items that are small enough for your goldfish to eat. Rinse well and cut into bite-size pieces if needed.
Only feed a small amount of these substitute foods at a time, and remove any uneaten remnants after 5-10 minutes. Uneaten food can quickly foul the water quality. It’s best to stick to your goldfish’s normal staple diet and use these alternatives sparingly until you can get more fish food.
Foods to Avoid Feeding Goldfish
While goldfish are omnivores, there are still some human foods you should never feed them. Avoid feeding goldfish these unsafe options:
- Chocolate
- Carbonated beverages
- Coffee
- Tea
- Alcohol
- Avocado
- Citrus fruits
- Onions
- Garlic
- Apple seeds
- Breads and grains
- Junk food
- Processed meats like bacon or sausage
- Anything artificially colored or flavored
These foods are either toxic to fish or may cause digestive upset. When in doubt, avoid feeding any questionable foods to your goldfish.
Making Your Own Gel Food for Goldfish
Another great option is to make your own gel-based goldfish food using human ingredients. There are many gel food recipes available online, but here is a basic formula to try:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of vegetable baby food (carrots, peas, green beans etc)
- 1 raw shelled egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon omega-3 fish oil
- 1 teaspoon spirulina powder
- 1 teaspoon agar powder (gelatin substitute found in Asian markets)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable baby food, egg yolk, fish oil, spirulina and water. Whisk thoroughly to blend.
- Sprinkle in agar powder and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until mixture thickens to gel consistency (about 5 minutes).
- Remove from heat and pour into an ice cube tray or small container. Refrigerate 2-3 hours until firm.
- Cut into cube sized pieces and feed 1-2 cubes per goldfish. Keep unused portions refrigerated for up to 3 days.
The egg yolk and spirulina provide protein while the veggies offer key nutrients. This nutritious gel recipe can help fill dietary gaps until you can restock your goldfish’s normal food.
Paying Attention to Proper Portion Sizes
When using alternative foods to feed your goldfish, pay close attention to proper portion sizes. Goldfish have small stomachs so they should only be fed very small amounts at a time. For each medium sized goldfish, offer just 1-2 teaspoons of substitute food per feeding.
Remove any leftovers after 5-10 minutes to prevent water fouling. Overfeeding can quickly deteriorate water quality and cause swim bladder disorders in goldfish. Stick with pinches of food rather than piles.
Frequency of Feeding Goldfish
Normally, goldfish should be fed small amounts 1-2 times per day. But when substituting alternative foods, it’s best to only offer a feeding once per day until you can obtain more goldfish food. Try spacing out feedings about 12 hours apart.
Observe your goldfish carefully after feeding. If food passes through them quickly, increase portions slightly. If food lingers in their digestive system for several hours, decrease the amount at next feeding. Keep a close eye on goldfish behavior and stool to prevent over or under feeding.
Final Tips on Feeding Goldfish
Here are a few final tips when using alternative foods for goldfish:
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Variety is important, rotate different foods instead of feeding the same thing repeatedly.
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Avoid sudden food changes, transition slowly if switching to a new diet.
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Don’t forget to regularly clean filters during alternative feeding to prevent clogs.
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Crush hard foods and cut into tiny pieces to prevent choking hazards.
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Don’t feed saltwater fish foods meant for marine species.
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If possible, fast goldfish for 1 day a week to aid digestion.
While these alternatives can work in a pinch, they should not replace a balanced staple goldfish diet long term. Try to use substitute foods sparingly until you can obtain more fish food. Pay close attention to proper portions and monitor water quality closely when using alternative feeding. With some creativity and care, you can keep your goldfish happy, healthy and well-fed!
1 Leafy Greens
Leafy greens like spinach, romaine, and kale can be steamed, chopped, and served to your goldfish. Darker greens such as baby spinach are typically more nutritious than lighter greens and provide more carbohydrates. Some of the nutritional benefits of feeding spinach, when using a 1 cup portion, to your fish include:
- 24 milligrams of magnesium
- 167 milligrams of potassium
- 86 grams of protein
- 145 micrograms of vitamin K
- 09 grams of carbohydrates
Savoy spinach has thick, fibrous stems that need to be cut off. Baby spinach has shorter stems that can be chopped up.
While not as good for a goldfish as fruits and vegetables, a hard-boiled egg can be used instead of fish food. Eggs are sometimes fed to young fish to help them grow, but adult fish need foods that are lower in protein than eggs. The most significant disadvantage to using an egg is how it muddies the water in the tank. You’ll have to clean the tank more often if you serve eggs more than a few times a week.
Grapes are healthy substitutes for fish food, and you can supplement your goldfish’s regular diet by adding grapes once or twice a week. One cup of red grapes contains 27.33 grams of carbohydrates, 1.4 grams of fiber, 288 milligrams of potassium, and 1.09 grams of protein. Of course, you will only need one or two grapes to feed a single adult, and you should remove the skin and dice the fruit into small pieces before serving.
Gel Food
You can make your own gel food for your goldfish if you want to get creative with what you feed them. You can buy gel tablets and powders online and at pet stores, but you can save money by using food from your own kitchen. For store-bought instant powders, the process only takes a few minutes. For most home-made recipes, it should take an hour or less. Some popular recipes use brine shrimp, spinach, sweet potato, garlic seasoning, and gelatin. After steaming and blending the vegetables and shrimp, you add the seasoning and mix the material with gelatin. After the gel has set, you can cut it into servable pieces.
Ants, mosquitos, flies, and mosquito larvae are healthy snacks that your goldfish will love. However, you should avoid serving insects from your yard to your fish. Store-bought insects are more sanitary for your tank and fish, and they are not likely to have pollutants, insecticides, or fertilizer from your yard on their bodies. Also, avoid serving giant grasshoppers or other bugs too massive for the fish to eat. In outdoor ponds and their natural environment, goldfish enjoy munching on mosquito larvae.
If you keep a colony of pet store worms in your home, you can feed them to your fish as a healthy snack when their food runs out. Worms provide a healthy dose of protein and fat, and they’re inexpensive to purchase from pet stores. Avoid using wild worms from your yard to prevent tank contamination. Worms that make excellent meals include:
- Tubifex worms
- Earthworms
- Bloodworms
- Mealworms
- Waxworms
When using larger worms, you can dice them up to make them easier for your fish to eat.
Oranges are loaded with vitamin C and can give your pet an immune system boost. Once the orange’s skin is off, try to get rid of most of the stringy parts that are still stuck to the meat. They’re not harmful to the fish, but they make cleaning the tank more difficult. Dice the orange slices into small pieces, and feed a small handful to the fish. Because oranges are acidic, they change the chemistry of the water, so you need to clean the tank more often when you serve them.
You can serve your goldfish fresh or frozen strawberries, but thaw the frozen ones and avoid brands that add additional sugar to the berries. Goldfish thrive on foods that are higher in carbohydrates than protein, and if you examine the nutritional profile of strawberries, you’ll see that they make a nutritious snack. They have seven times more carbohydrates than protein, and they’re a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Serving freeze-dried strawberries is another option, but they need to be hydrated before serving.
A lot of goldfish die because they aren’t fed right or because they eat too much. This can be easily avoided by teaching them the right way to eat.
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Like strawberries, raspberries have a high carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, and they’re inexpensive when they’re in season at farmer’s markets. Although they’re vitamin-rich and sure to please your pet, you should only serve small portions to your goldfish. After dicing the berries and adding them to the tank, the water can become murky quickly. Raspberries are a healthy source of vitamin K and vitamin C, and they’re high in fiber and potassium.
Your goldfish can get soluble fiber, carbohydrates, and vitamins from zucchini, but it can be hard for them to digest if you give it to them raw. Remove the zucchini’s skin with a peeler or knife, then steam or boil it for a few minutes. Rampicante and cocozelle zucchini are milder than other varieties and may be more suitable for your pet. If you use fresh zucchini, wash it thoroughly to remove any traces of contaminants.
Cucumbers are fat-free vegetables that contain vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, fiber, and twice the level of carbohydrates as protein. Peeling the skin off will make it easier to consume, and de-seeding the cucumber will make cleaning your tank much easier. Garden cucumbers are easier to peel than pickling varieties, and you can save time in your prep work by purchasing a seedless cucumber. Compared to the other fruits and vegetables on our list, cucumbers are one of the most affordable options.
Goldfish owners often supplement fish food with delicious peas. Peas are an excellent source of fiber that can help your goldfish by removing waste and easing digestion. Since they sink to the bottom of the tank, they’re ideal for goldfish. If you use frozen peas, run warm water over them while you hold them to make them soft. Use your fingernail to pierce the skin and pop out the core. Goldfish can consume them easier without the tough skin.