Full Version: Pellets Or Flakes?
So, do you guys feed your fish pellets or flakes?
I've been feeding my fish exclusively pellets (either Hikari Lionhead or ProGold). Today, I opened up a two-year-old can of OSI Goldfish Flakes and sprinkled some on the water. The fish seemed to get to the flakes faster than the pellets! Oh, it's definitely more interesting watching the fish chasing flakes all over the tank than watching them eating pellets on the bottom of the tank.
Well, I'm not about to switch over to flakes, except for a quick entertainment for myself. Also, I don't think the flakes can provide enough food for the bigger fish. The pellets are five or six times denser than flakes, so I'd probably need to put a quarter can of flakes just to get the eqivalent of 20 ProGold pellets!
QUOTE
Oh, it's definitely more interesting watching the fish chasing flakes all over the tank
Hi,
I agree, I used to like watching them suck the flakes in and how rapidly they disappeared. I have switched to floating pellets though and found this easier to monitor the overeating, over pooing and water quality. I'm def going to stick with the pellets now.
I still use soaked flakes but they are only once or twice a week 
the rest of the time he has gel food and veggies and such to keep him happy.
the rest of the time he has gel food and veggies and such to keep him happy.
I use a mixture of flakes and pellets. For a while I would feed flakes in the morning a pellets at night or vise versa but now I have a can of flakes and pellets mixed together, the fish love it, they can chase the pellets to the bottom and then come up to the top for the flakes. I did this partially because one of my goldies likes flakes bettter and the other like pellets, now they are both happy at every meal.
I to have wondered how filling the flakes are, it would seem like they wouldn't be as filling, especially for larger fish.
I to have wondered how filling the flakes are, it would seem like they wouldn't be as filling, especially for larger fish.
I always give my fish pellets since i started keeping them. I'm under the impression that flakes are "cheapo" food (sorry 
), messy and poor in ingredients. I much prefer pellets/natural foods than flakes
), messy and poor in ingredients. I much prefer pellets/natural foods than flakes
There are certainly high quality flaked foods available. I am particularly fond of the seafood flakes from Goldfish Connection. But they (seafood flakes) are not a complete diet.
I like to use the flakes as a type of distraction, too. I can drop them in and let the fish "hunt" them down in a swimming frenzy. I can mix the flakes into a gel food. The main processed diet remains the sinking pellets - ProGold, Shrimp Pellets, Hikari, etc.
When I am going to feed a particularly messy food - melon or flakes or such - I try to do it in the morning that a water change is scheduled for later that day. That way I can make sure that none of the "mess" is left in the tank.
I like to use the flakes as a type of distraction, too. I can drop them in and let the fish "hunt" them down in a swimming frenzy. I can mix the flakes into a gel food. The main processed diet remains the sinking pellets - ProGold, Shrimp Pellets, Hikari, etc.
When I am going to feed a particularly messy food - melon or flakes or such - I try to do it in the morning that a water change is scheduled for later that day. That way I can make sure that none of the "mess" is left in the tank.
I do live brine shimp and flakes maybe once a week. Veggies the rest of the time.
I do that too daryl save the messy foods for the days I am going to change the water!
save the messy foods for the days I am going to change the water!
I started out giving my fish flakes, then I noticed they were ingesting too much air. So of course, the answer is to soak them. But I never did! I switched to soaking the omega one pellets, and adding gel food as well as brine shrimp and blood worms. I still have some flakes sitting up there...maybe I'll give them some tonight!
QUOTE(gchen @ Oct 3 2005, 08:35 AM)
So, do you guys feed your fish pellets or flakes?
I've been feeding my fish exclusively pellets (either Hikari Lionhead or ProGold). Today, I opened up a two-year-old can of OSI Goldfish Flakes and sprinkled some on the water. The fish seemed to get to the flakes faster than the pellets! Oh, it's definitely more interesting watching the fish chasing flakes all over the tank than watching them eating pellets on the bottom of the tank.
Well, I'm not about to switch over to flakes, except for a quick entertainment for myself. Also, I don't think the flakes can provide enough food for the bigger fish. The pellets are five or six times denser than flakes, so I'd probably need to put a quarter can of flakes just to get the eqivalent of 20 ProGold pellets!
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I've been feeding my fish exclusively pellets (either Hikari Lionhead or ProGold). Today, I opened up a two-year-old can of OSI Goldfish Flakes and sprinkled some on the water. The fish seemed to get to the flakes faster than the pellets! Oh, it's definitely more interesting watching the fish chasing flakes all over the tank than watching them eating pellets on the bottom of the tank.
Well, I'm not about to switch over to flakes, except for a quick entertainment for myself. Also, I don't think the flakes can provide enough food for the bigger fish. The pellets are five or six times denser than flakes, so I'd probably need to put a quarter can of flakes just to get the eqivalent of 20 ProGold pellets!
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I feed my fish Hikari Lionhead as well. As they are mini sinking pellet, one goldie can put 3 or more pellets in its mouth at a time and then chew them in 10 seconds. I soak them before I feed, but they dont get much bigger. So they can eat a lot each time. How many pellets do you feed them each time?
It depends a lot on the size of the fish. What they can eat in a few minutes is basically the rule of thumb. Some of my bigger guys can inhale a 1/4 tsp of pellets each in about 1 minute flat. I put in 1 1/2 tsp ProGold in the one tank for my 3 biggest fellas. The little guys get far less at a time.....
I also use my nitrate readings as a kind of gauge - if the nitrates are too high, if I get too much gunk in the filter or on the tank floor between changes, then I am feeding too heavily.
I also use my nitrate readings as a kind of gauge - if the nitrates are too high, if I get too much gunk in the filter or on the tank floor between changes, then I am feeding too heavily.
I see some of you said that you feed blood worms to your goldies. How often is this acceptable?
I feed bloodworms to my betta once a week.They should be fed to goldies once or twice a week too.
QUOTE(Gold Ryu @ Oct 13 2005, 10:41 AM)
I feed bloodworms to my betta once a week.They should be fed to goldies once or twice a week too.
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Yup, unless u wanna fatten them up before spawning
then u give them bloodworm almost everyday
Ok, good to know. My betta looks to be dying 
I think I will have a lot of bloodworms left for the goldies.
I think I will have a lot of bloodworms left for the goldies.
I feed a huge variety of foods, flakes are included. I have normal flakes and spirulina flakes. However I always soak them first in some tank water first, my fish love them!! and yes its fun to wath them chase the flakes as the curent of the water makes the flakes go everywhere.
As for bloodworms, I feed them 3 times a week, again I soak them first but they still float after soaking so I have to turn of the filter while they eat them otherwise my fish cant swim fast enough to catch them as they bounce along the surface of the water.
As for bloodworms, I feed them 3 times a week, again I soak them first but they still float after soaking so I have to turn of the filter while they eat them otherwise my fish cant swim fast enough to catch them as they bounce along the surface of the water.
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