ive been feeding my goldfish flake food since i got them about 6 months ago, but decided to try pellet food to reduce waste in the tank. i soaked the pellets and put them in and the fish gobbled them up but then they kept popping out of their mouths! they chased after them and tried to eat them but they kept popping out after a short time. i also tried cutting up some peas into little pieces and feeding them that, but they also popped right out of their mouths. my fish are quite small, about 3-5 cms; both the pellets and the pea pieces were about 4mm by 4mm big, are my fish too small to eat them?
thanks for your help!!

Goldfish will eat anything that will fit into the mouth, so if the pieces went in they are not too big to be eaten. They will chew up food items but spit out things like rocks. I hope someone comes along with more help, and I hope your goldies start eating again soon. Are they still eating the flakes? Maybe they are just testing the taste of the pellets. You might have yourself some picky goldies.

Never heard of a goldie not eating a pea, tho...

but they chase after the food like they really want it!

also, is it bad if the pellets float even after being soaked? will they gulp up air?

argh, feeding fish is harder than i thought

Hm, could be that the little guys are just not used to the new food's consistancy. Flakes turn soft rather fast in the water, and are easier to "chew" than soaked pellets. I would try to let the pellets soak a little longer, until they are almost "mashed potato" consistancy, and see how that goes. Peas and pellets just take a little time getting used to....

maybe they dnt like them

they just might be picky eaters. I had some that only would eat certain food. Have your tried giving them frozen brine shrimp ? I have never seen a goldie turn that down. If you do decide to feed the frozen food make sure to put a little bit of tank water in a small container and totally melt your frozen food before adding it to the tank. I be they will go nuts for frozen shrimp.Are you microwaving or boiling the peas before you feed them. When I fist started feeding frozen peas , I would just let them thaw and then squeeze the shell off and plop it in the tank. Mine would not touch it that way. But if I nuked them in the microwave for say 30-40 seconds and let them cook a little and then squeezed the shell off and mashed it very well between my fingers before putting it in the tank , they would and do go nuts for it. They must be like us humans, maybe the peas taste better cooked than raw and must send off a good smelling sent when they hit the water. What kind of flakes are you feeding them? Maybe they don't like the taste . one of the members a while back suggested Omega One goldfish flakes because of their high quality ingredients. I went out and got some and my fish loved them. They have salmon as the main ingredient and sea food , where as most other brands have filler of fish meal, grain etc. The Omega One also comes in pellets. The only place I have been able to find them here in St. Louis is Petsmart. Might give them a try. You are doing the right thing by soaking them before feeding the pellets

Just a quick thought . . . did you boil the pea's before you fed them to your fish?

i recommend soaking the food for a longer period of time. i had the same problem as you did then i tried soaking it longer and it made the goldfish eat it.


Omega One rocks!!!!!!

The pellets and peas may be harder to chew then they're use to because ive never seen a goldfish turn doun peas

Jessmonster, are you still out there? Hmm. It has been a month and a half since your post. How are your fish doing?

sorry i didnt come back here to thank you all, my fish are eating fine now i just had to soak the pellets for quite a long time they also now eat peas happily..very happily!

thanks again for your help everyone!