I know that it is important to give goldfish a variety of foods so I have GF Flakes, Spirolina flakes, frozen peas, homemade gel food, and Brine Shrimp as my main food items (occasionally giving things like oranges and strawberries since they seem to like those). Right now, I switch off every day (I only feed once a day, a small pinch bc I have had SBD problems in the past). So a typical week might look like this:

Sunday- fast
Monday- GF flakes
Tuesday-peas
Wednesday-brine
Thursday-Spirolina
Friday-flakes
Saturday-peas

Is this ok? Or should they get flakes daily and then get the other stuff in addition to the flakes?

That looks pretty good to me fishyfan7.....
In fact your goldies can go a few days without a feeding...I do that on the weekends sometimes when we are gone, I feed them on Friday before we leave and they are just fine.
Looks like your on the right track to me....you have a good variety for them.....

actually I think you're overdoing things with the fiber, a developing goldfish needs protein and you're kinda pushing the things being digested with the fiber, I suggest you feed the fiber filled food "vegetables/spirulina/fruits" after the day of the fast then feed flakes, pellets on all the other days

I'd say you should give them the flakes/pellets in the morning, and then give them the peas, spirulina etc as a treat in the afternoon ever other day or so. But it's important that they get pellets and flakes every day. Especially if they are young, they do need a lot more protein when they're younger.

I sure you guys don't want to hear me lecture, so here's an article about do's and don't's when regulating a GF diet

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...=0&#entry342479

Basicly fiber should not be given too often and are NOT to be used as treats

I wish we could change the title of that REALLY!

Thanks, maniacholic...so really, they are getting the peas/spirolina too often? The reason I increased that is bc they seem to get issues digesting their flakes (even when they are soaked) and often get bound up even though I feed very sparingly (only a couple of tiny crushed pieces per fish)...they finish their food in about 10 seconds! From the link you provded, it may be that the GF flakes are too high in ash? I'll have to take a look at the ingredients when I get home...the food is just the GF food from Walmart in big red can (I thought Wardley).

What about the brine? How often should they get that since it is all protein?

Does this look like a better schedule?

Sa/Su=fast
Monday=peas
Tuesday= spirolina (or should this be on Monday's alternating with the peas)
Wed-Friday (alternate brine and flakes)...add in gel food when I have it on hand

(the gel food is homemade and is a combo of tuna and veggies...how often is good to give this since it mixes the fiber and protein)?

try to fit all fiber foods to one day and make a schedule like this
day 1-5 protein
day 6 fast
day 7 fiber in the morning and afternoon then change the water at night

i feed a small amount of fibre every day. and they have a huge amount of protein every day. Peas are a daily part of my goldfishes diet, and since i started feeding every day they have been happier and healthier.

Maniacholic.....

Is there any way you would share with us they typed of food you use (brands even) for the schedual you gave?:

try to fit all fiber foods to one day and make a schedule like this
day 1-5 protein
day 6 fast
day 7 fiber in the morning and afternoon then change the water at night

I guess what I'm trying to say is, what food do you use on each one of these days. I want to really up my fish's diets and quickly.

WoW, ya'll are VERY scientific!! Whew! I feel like a dummy!

I fed mine morning & afternoon! A little pinch of each: flakes, crumbles, floating pellets & sinking pellets & 2 shrimp pellets. I kind of "hide" the sinking stuff for them to search for later. I never skip a day unless I am not home, which isn't much. My guys are doing fine.

Also I keep my tank clean with weekly cleaning so "stuff" doesn't gather in the gravel.

IMO it doesn't really matter what you feed the goldfish, what really matters is the water condition and the enviroment for a stress free goldfish

I read in a book today that a natural carp's diet or whatnot is 90% algae and plants, and 10% insects and things. But isn't algae fiber? So technically, goldfish (if they lived in the wild) would get more algae than they would protein. Is this true at all?

Fancy goldfishes are anything BUT natural these traits are of human intervention, in any case, a carp in green water will keep consuming the protein from green water which is composed of unicellular algae and in comparison to shrimp, green water has almost 60% more protein but from the polls most of these users aren't willing to take that extra step so instead a high protein source for our goldies has to be be from the usual comercial food or good`ol gel food.

also when have you ever seen a large wen on a while carp

No, but should I really need to feed that much protein to my comets? I mean, I don't WANT them to have a large wen! XD

Or is it good for their growth?

I just postedf this in another topic, and felt it appropriate to paste it here too :

Yes, essential vitamins and all the good stuff goldies need are in the flakes/pellets. I feed my goldies, two pellets each every day and a couple of flakes if I feel sorry for them .
Then once a week I feed them exclusively peas, as a treat, and too help their digestive track. Then as an extra treat, I tend to experiment with food one day, and give them banana, or lettuce, or salmon, or spinach, and see what they like. That way they are getting a varied diet. I should really feed them live food once in a while, but I cannot bring myself to get it for them eww...
Hope this helped! Basically to sum up they need :
1) a varied diet
2) a good supply of essential food from either pellets or flakes