Hi Everyone,

I'm brand new here, and this is my first post.

I have had a hard time getting my new goldfish tank set up. I had goldfish in the past and never had a problem, but for some reason I have had no luck this time. They keep getting ich. Anyway......my question is:

How much, how often, and what brand of food should I be feeding my goldfish?

The fish store (about 50 minutes from me) that I've decided to make my new and ONLY fish source (They only specialize in fish, always has the biggest goldfish of anywhere near me, hand selects the fish they sell, etc) says differently. has told me that my fish can and probably are getting ich from overfeeding. They have suggested that I ONLY feed my goldfish 3 times a week. They said that the goldfish won't starve and will eat the algae the collects in the tank anyway.
However, all the posts and websites I've read have stated feeding twice daily. I'm confused. Part of their reasoning for the feeding schedule is to stop the ich from over feeding, reduce the amount/frequency of water changes that would need to be done, reduce the waste, and because the goldfish will eat the algae anyway, etc. However, I want my fish to grow strong and healthy. I just want to make sure I feed them as they should be.
Once again, my question is what and how often should I feed my fish to encourage big fish with bright deep color and long tails and fins.
Thanks in advance for all the input and advice.

Firstly, welcome to Koko's. My goldfish get fed on a saturday and sunday then tuesday and thursday. they get gel food (loads of simple to make recipes on Koko's) hikari pellets which have been soaked in tank water and fresh fruit and veg (especially de shelled peas). everyone will have their own opinion about this and you should take some time and read the posts in the goldfish food forum. overfeeding is not good for your fish and can mess with your water params. as long as you give them a varied diet, feeding every other day should be fine.
what kind of goldfish do you have ?

Hi Mr GQ, and a big welcome to koko's!

May I start by commenting on this sentence:


What a load of rubbish!

Fish get ich by overfeeding?? That's the first time I've heard it

Ok my first advice for you:
Do not, ever, EVER, listen to the pet store guys over there, ever again. Get your fish & equipment there, but don't ever take their advice.

Next things I'd like to know and I'd like you to answer:
- How big is the tank?
- What kind of filter have you got (brand and model) and how much per hour is the water turnover?
- Do you use any water conditioners or water additives?
- How long have you got it set up and how do you set it up?
- How many fish are there and how big are they?
- What kind of goldfish are they?

Now, about the feeding.
It is true that goldfish can live with very little food, and 3 times a week is certainly enough. But the safe normal feeding regime that ensure good growth rate is twice a day, as much as they can eat in 5 minutes. More serious hobbyists go even more and feed 5 times a day, which I think is a better regime.

It's up to you how you feed your fish, but the more pressing matter is now the ich problem and I don't think the cause is overfeeding. If you can answer the above questions then we'll be able to help you identify the problem

Look forward to hearing from you!

I think if you opt for more than 2 times a day, you may want to limit to the amount of food they eat at each serving. Goldfish/carp in the wild would normally be foraging for food and eating a lot of plant matter. So giving small feedings throughout the day is much closer to their natural eating habits than if you had only done one large meal.

Yes, I think I was feeding too much. I'm such a sucker. I have an easier time refusing my dogs more to eat. I was feeding my goldfish (usually) once in the am and once (sometimes twice) in the pm. I knew that was too much but just couldn't resist. I switched between floating pellets and flakes. I also fed about 4 pellets per fish unless they still seemed hungry.
To answser d_golems' questions: I had a 25 gallon tank with a 50 gallon/200 gph Penguin biowheel filter. I also had an O2 rod. I had one black moore, one pearl scale, one ryukin, and one panda. (I know that's more than recommended but of all my years growing up doing that I never had a problem with ich or anything else-EVER.) Oops and 2 plecos.
The pearl and 2 plecos dies. The pearl was almost clear of ich when he died.
Anyway...it wasn't until I brought home a small .75" max calico fantail from nooppee that the ich broke out-the VERY next day. I know I shouldn't have bought him but couldn't resist. My fish had been in the tank for a week or so and doing very well until then.
From this outbreak my panda has healed and my moore is almost healed (he mainly had velvety white stuff on his skin). My ryukin NEVER EVER gets anything. He's been with me thru all 3 outbreaks and is always resiliant. i think I could leave him out of water all day and he'd still survive. He's a fighter.
BTW, my fish ranged in size from about 1/2" to 2.5" max.
My panda's tail is a little jagged from being sick-the calico kept nipping at him. Will his tail mend?
I've just recently (almost 2 months) gotten in to fish again. That was my 3rd ich outbreak. It's always the day after I bring a new fish home that the outbreak occurs-ALWASY.
I had started out with a 20 gallon hex and then traded it in for a 25 gallon rectangle. Since this last outbreak I've gone ahead and bought an additional 55 gallon half octagon. It's 48' long, 15" deep, and about 18" tall.
My new tank has a 70gl/300 gph aquaclear filter, a 60gl/300 gph whisper, a 10gl/50 gph sting ray, 1 bubble stone, and one 18" bubble rod.
Anyway, d_golems I hope this answers all your questions. I'm sorry for the lengthy response and typos as it's late and I'm tired.
Once more thing, if there a recommended food for fin growth?
Also, where would I check on here for food recipes?
Thanks again for all the helpful advice in advance.

4 pellets per fish? Umm that's a bit too little in my opinion, mate, even for 2-inch long fish. Give em at least 10 pellets.


So your set-up now is a 55 gal tank with with about 50 gph filtration, am I rite? That sounds great!

Anyway, what did you do to cure the ich? Salt? Or commercial ich cure?

The damaged fins will grow back given you keep the water pristine.

Btw, how often do you change your water and how much?

Yes, the new 55 has 650 gph of filtration and to o2 devices.

I used Qucik Cure and Coppersafe. I think the Coppersafe worked best.

I just need to find a really good food. I did try spinach last night. It wasn't a big hit.

Thanks for the help.

"4 pellets per fish? Umm that's a bit too little in my opinion, mate, even for 2-inch long fish. Give em at least 10 pellets."

It depends on the size of the pellets. I feed medium pellets (round). They are about the size of my fishies eyes. I agree that only four small pellets is probably not enough.

Bro are you kidding me 3 times a week

U have to find that guy who said that grab and kill him right away

I feed my goldies 3 times for daily!!!

golden rule is: its not important how many times you are feeding them important thing is amount of it!!

secondly goldfishs never catch up ich according to feeding regime and

I am writting this source for just information goldies could live with out feeding untill one week

if you give them 3 times a week you are try those fish patience

Ich is an opportunisitic parasite - and will "appear" when fish are stressed or injured. Cold water, new water (from store to home), other illnesses/parasites, breeding stress, etc. can all cause an ich breakout - IF the organisms are in your tank.

Ich can encapsulate and sink to the bottom of the tank, to sit, dormant, and wait until the next time a stress occurs - opening fish up for an attack. Ich does not have to be seen in white bumps - actually the fish's skin stretched over the internal ich organism before it bursts, releasing 1000s more microscopic ich organisms. The parasite can actually have such a large popultation that it can kill the fish even before you see the tell-tale white spots!

If you like to feed various fresh foods - as many of us do - you may find that you have greater success in getting them to accept them if you put them into a gel food. I use spinach, broccoli, peas, beans, parsley, lettuces, etc. in my "green" gel foods. Other foods can carry the "floating" foods that have been soaked so they sink. Gel food is a good medium for feeding those freeze dried krill and shrimp - soak them and encase them in gel and the fish love them.....

I just go by What i says on my Goldfish food witch is feed them 2-3 times a day.

I feed them 3 times a day when i get up,Dinner time and when i go to sleep

Today i first feed them at 11am there 2nd at 6pm and 3rd at 1am when i come up to go to sleep think i will only give them a little bit of food but

First, listen to daryl if she can't help you then no one can. Goldfish naturally eat...everything. If it fits in their mouth they'll eat it. I feed my fish a grocery list of things including(but not limited to) several kinds of shrimp, blood worms(in moderation), a large assortment of veggies, and high quality pellet foods like hikari and sho gold. If you put good stuff in you'll get good stuff out.

Secondly, NEVER listen to sales associates in your LFS they will lie to you and/or they just don't know ANYTHING about fish. All they want is for you to spend your money and then go away even my favorite LFS is like that and I consider them to be a really great place to buy fish and fishy needs.

And 3rdly WELCOME TO KOKO'S!!!