12 Best Goldfish Food to Buy & How to Feed Them Right?

Optimal goldfish health begins with proper nutrition. 

If you want your fish to grow, you will want to provide them with the right goldfish food that can help them get a strong immune system, healthy bone structure, and vibrant color. There are plenty of brands on the market, but what is the best one for your pets?

We have compiled a list of the 12 best goldfish food products available on the market and bringing you a deep insight into goldfish feeding. 

Now let’s start!

What Do Goldfish Eat?

Goldfish are omnivores, so they will eat everything from algae to plant fragments, bacteria to worms. They can even consume fish eggs and tiny fry.

Goldfish kept in outdoor ponds will search for food on the bottom, ingesting worms and insect larvae. They tend to nibble on fuzzy algae on rocks and plants. When they swim through mud, they’ll eat bacteria, small crustaceans, and other microscopic life.

A lot of goldfish enthusiasts and professional fish keepers claim that the best coloration appears as goldfish are raised in green algae-filled ponds. And, of course, we never want a fish tank that looks like green pea soup.

Luckily, there are various commercially prepared foods designed for goldfish.

When buying fish food, the first thing you can see is the different shapes and sizes of food.

Pelleted foods are available in plenty of sizes, from very small for fry to big pellets for full-grown goldfish.

There are sinking pellets that enable fish to peck at the bottom of the aquarium. Floating pellets lead your goldfish to the surface. You also can find slow-sinking pellets that float for a minute and then begin sinking when they absorb water.

Flake foods will float on the water surface for a while, then sink after they get wet.

Granules are small pellets with a rough surface texture.

Goldfish sticks are thin, elongated pellets floating on the surface.

What Are Goldfish Food Ingredients?

Fish food companies create food products to offer enough fat, protein, essential vitamins, and minerals for the fish to grow and thrive.

There are specific nutritional regulations that must be obeyed for a food to be labeled as comprehensive and balanced nutrition. Each food ingredient must be approved for use in a fish feed. Manufacturers must employ ingredients from an official list of food ingredients.

Most foods consist of supplemental vitamins and minerals, bringing the recipe up to recognized levels.

The first new ingredient is often related to protein. A protein level of approximately 32% has been shown to be adequate for supporting growth and vitality.

In fact, goldfish farms do not use specialty goldfish food products. Instead, they use generic food pellets that contain simple ingredients and a proper combination of protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals.

Some food companies have entered a “protein war”, attempting to dominate the competition.

Fish meal is a high-quality source of protein as it includes the complete amino acid balance. Fish meal is formulated from marine fish like sardines, herrings, and tuna. The whole fish is well-cooked, dried, and ground into meal.

Whole fish is a term that sometimes appears on ingredient lists. There is no official definition of “fish meal” or “whole fish” by government feed officials.

No manufacturer broils fish fillets and makes them into pellets. The fillets must be grounded into a fine meal to work in the pelleting and flaking process.

Some also leverage plant-based protein ingredients to lower costs and reduce demand for wild-caught fish.

Cornmeal is a cost-effective protein substitute associated with low-quality fish food.

Soybean, wheat, and yeast-based meals can be digested by fish and are a source of nutrition.

You can also find algae, blackfly meal, and mussel meal on the ingredient list.

Fish oil (fat) is to provide important fatty acids. It is a great energy source for the fish, with typical levels of 7-15%.

Starch is used in making pellets, managing the density. More starch fills the pellets with air, so they float.

Moreover, the ingredient list will cover vitamins and minerals, which are vital for a balanced goldfish diet.

Goldfish food products get their color from the ingredients, natural colors such as annatto extract, or artificial dyes like Red 3.

Fiber brings no nutritional value, with typical levels of 4-6%.

Fresh and Frozen Food

Many food types that your goldfish will love do not come in flake or pellet form.

As you know, fresh vegetables are crammed with nutrition and phytonutrients. Goldfish will eat uncooked lettuce, kale, and spinach, which offer calcium, potassium, and iron. Leafy greens are also a huge source of vitamin C. Plus, you also can add smashed raw peas to the goldfish tank.

You can use citrus slices such as lemon, lime, and orange as a treat. The tangy flavor increases curiosity and the goldfish will absorb a little vitamin C too. Cooked or raw yellow squash is also a popular option for goldfish.

What’s more, bloodworms come in frozen cubes or freeze-dried chunks. There are also frozen brine shrimp and free-dried insects, which can be digested by goldfish.

Gel Food

Gelatin-based goldfish food can be made at home.

The idea is to generate food that includes no fillers, preservatives, or colors. The soft gel can be divided into different sizes.

The food kit provides gelatin mixed with a powder combination of ingredients that cover protein, fat, fiber sources, essential vitamins, minerals, and color enhancers. The powder will be dissolved in hot water and poured into a shallow pan or ice cube trays. The gelatin will gradually solidify at room temperature for several hours.

You must store gel food in the fridge to preserve its freshness.

Top 13 Best Goldfish Food To Buy

1. Southern Delight Fish Food

Southern Delight is a US-based manufacturer that produces a wide range of tropical and goldfish foods.

Fancy Goldfish is a 1.5 mm slow-sinking food. This is a mixture of three pellet formulations.

Color-Pellets include herring, salmon, and wheat meal with color boosting beta-carotene, shrimp meal and algae meal. Grow-Pellets (50% protein) consist of salmon and herring meal, menhaden, omega-3 fish oil, vitamins, and minerals. Lastly, Nutri-Pellets include important vitamins and minerals with alfalfa meal, vegetable meal, fish meal, and wheat flour.

The three-pellet combination aims to merge all three formulations into one goldfish feed. The pellets can be used for pond goldfish, but sinking pellets are preferred by aquarists raising goldfish in tanks. The small pellets are proper for any size goldfish.

2. Hikari Goldfish Gold 

Hikari is a groundbreaking Japanese fish food manufacturer. The company is renowned for creating specialty goldfish food for demanding goldfish and collectors breeders all over the world.

Goldfish Gold comes in 1.7 -2.0 mm pellets. The small size is ideal for all goldfish.

The floating pellets are suitable for both pond feeding and aquariums. The main ingredients include fish meal, rice bran, flaked corn, soybean meal, wheat flour, corn gluten meal, and shrimp meal. Besides, the pellets are filled with vitamins and minerals as well.

3. Cobalt Ultra Goldfish Pellets 

Cobalt Aquatics is a fish-concentrated company with life-long fish enthusiasts.

The goldfish pellets are 100% natural without any preservatives or artificial colors. The primary ingredients cover anchovies, prawns, sardines, algae, dried seaweed, and squid meal. Plus, vitamins and minerals are mixed in for a complete goldfish food.

These 3 mm pellets float on the water surface, suitable for tanks and ponds containing any size goldfish. Plus, this goldfish food includes strains of Bacillus bacteria. Probiotics are believed to enhance digestion in the goldfish gut and promote the absorption of nutrients.

4. Pisces Pros Goldfish Flake Frenzy 

Pisces Pros is a company of fish food for a number of aquarium fish. Goldfish Flake Frenzy is a low-fiber feed produced from fish meal, wheat germ, soy flour, and wheat starch. The flakes also consist of brine shrimp and squid.

You will find a range of vegetable powders, including carrot, spinach, red pepper, etc. The recipe also contains vitamins and minerals to round out the nutrition.

You can use this goldfish food for aquariums and ponds. Nevertheless, ponds with a waterfall or fountain may generate too much turbulence for flake foods. This might cause the flakes to get too wet and sink very fast to the bottom.

5. Repashy Super Gold

Repashy applies the gel food method for their goldfish Super Gold item. The feed comes in powder, so you boil water and mix it in the formula. The gel will become solidified in a few hours and can be cut into pieces.

This goldfish food includes no preservatives and must be kept in the fridge. The Repashy Super Gold is comprised of unit ingredients, including black soldier fly larva meal, spirulina algae, krill, squid, and mussel meal. Marigold petal meal provides color-improving carotenoids.

The feed is created with vital vitamins and trace elements. The soft high protein gel food can be consumed by small or large fish. You just need to cut the gel to size.

This sinking goldfish food is perfect for aquarium use, where you can see how much is eaten.

6. New Life Spectrum Small Goldfish Formula

New Life Spectrum has gained its reputation for manufacturing high-quality fish food for a great deal of aquarium fish.

The small goldfish recipe is fortified with krill, chlorella algae, scallops, whole fish meal seaweed, and a balanced vitamin and mineral combination. Plus, there is beta-carotene that will improve the color of your goldfish.

While pond keepers prefer a floating pellet, The New Life Spectrum Small Goldfish Formula product can be used in aquariums and ponds. The food has no preservatives and should be stored with a seal and dry to maintain its freshness.

7. Northfin Goldfish Formula 

Northfin is a fish food manufacturer from Canada. It was established in 2011 by a life-long aquarist who desired to produce premium fish food.

These slow-sinking pellets are available in 2 and 3 mm, great for both small and large goldfish.

The primary ingredients include krill, kelp, herring, sardine, and spirulina algae. Vitamins and minerals are also mixed in the recipe. These pellets do not have any synthetic preservatives.

Especially, Northfin utilizes rosemary oil as an antioxidant, which helps avoid the decay of fat and proteins. Overall, this goldfish food will improve good coloration and development.

8. Fluval Bug Bites Goldfish Formula

The Fluval Bug Bites Goldfish Formula product contains up to 40% of nutrient-rich Black Soldier Fly Larvae. It’s the number one component and is the thing goldfish would eat in the wild.

This goldfish food is sustainably processed in small batches to control their quality and freshness, without any artificial fillers, preservatives, or colors. It’s produced in Canada and filled with vital vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for a balanced daily diet.

The top ingredients include Dried Black Soldier Fly Larvae, Pea Protein Concentrate, Salmon, Wheat, and Calcium Carbonate.

9. TetraFin Balanced Diet Goldfish Flake Food

This goldfish food is in the form of flakes that are easier to consume and won’t leach colors into your tank water.

Products by TetraFin also contain ProCare which is a combination of immunostimulants, biotin, vitamins, and Omega-3 fatty acids to help enhance your goldfish’s resistance to stress and disease.

This scientifically-made recipe is to offer your goldfish all the nutrition they require in their diet. Besides, there are vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in a digestible recipe, strengthening your fish’s immune system.

10. API Fish Food Pellets 

API is considered one of the top manufacturers in the aquatic industry and has been producing marine products for more than 50 years. They created tiny goldfish food pellets that are easily digestible. This is perfect for fry goldfish.

These API sinking pellets are designed to stimulate your goldfish’s health while keeping the tank water clean. This goldfish food contains protein, vitamin C, vitamin E, yeast, garlic, and fiber, all improving your fish’s digestion.

The formula is carefully balanced for taste and nutrition. As the nutrients can be digested easily, so your goldfish will produce less waste and less ammonia (up to 30%). Besides, there are spirulina and carotenoids to enhance the color of your pets.

The feed comes in 2 mm pellets, sinking to the bottom of the aquarium. That means it is harder to retrieve if there is uneaten food.

11. Aqueon Goldfish Granules 

The Aqueon Goldfish Granules is a combination between goldfish flakes and goldfish pellets, which will be ideal for those who are picky eaters.

These granules are crammed with vitamins and nutrients, including Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, protein, colorings, and other natural ingredients. It also adds spirulina to improve the vibrant color of your goldfish.

This goldfish food is slow-sinking, suitable for fish that swim near the bottom of the tank during feeding time. Food floating too close to the water surface might cause your goldfish to absorb too much air, which can be bad for your pets.

12. Omega One Goldfish Pellets 

The Omega One Goldfish food is all-rounder pellets that are specially created for the sensitive digestive system of goldfish. Three of its main ingredients – whole shrimp, whole salmon, and whole herring – come from real and fresh seafood sources.

These pellets contain Omega 3 and 6 which are beneficial in enhancing your goldfish’s energy and immune system. Additionally, it consists of six highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs). These acids are long chains of energy with a mix of carbon and hydrogen, which will build fat.

What’s more, this goldfish food is packed with beta-carotene from salmon skin, which helps boost the color of your fish. There are no artificial colors from dyes. The manufacturer uses the natural vibrancy from the salmon skin as a colorant.

Our Suggested Picks for Best Goldfish Food

#	Product Name	Image	Price	Action
1	Southern Delight Fish Food		$$	Buy on Amazon!
2	Hikari Goldfish Gold		$	Buy on Amazon!
3	Cobalt Ultra Goldfish Pellets		$	Buy on Amazon!
4	Pisces Pros Goldfish Flake Frenzy		$	Buy on Amazon!
5	Repashy Super Gold		$$	Buy on Amazon!
6	New Life Spectrum Small Goldfish Formula		$$	Buy on Amazon!
7	Northfin Goldfish Formula		$$	Buy on Amazon!
8	Fluval Bug Bites Goldfish Formula		$	Buy on Amazon!
9	TetraFin Balanced Diet Goldfish Flake Food		$	Buy on Amazon!
10	API Fish Food Pellets		$	Buy on Amazon!
11	Aqueon Goldfish Granules		$	Buy on Amazon!
12	Omega One Goldfish Pellets		$	Buy on Amazon!

Smaller pellets are common with any size of goldfish and are a proper all-around staple diet. Fresh and frozen food bring diversity to the fish’s diet and are interesting to prepare and give to your swimming pets. 

The most crucial thing to suitable goldfish feeding is small portions a few times per day. Avoid over-feeding, and your fish will stay happy and healthy. 

How Often Should You Feed Your Goldfish?

The common rule to follow is to feed your goldfish 2 to 3 times a day. This is a simplified average that can work in most situations.

You had better keep the feeding times consistent every day as well. This helps your goldfish build a regular pattern and enhance their digestive cycle.

Feeding your pets at random times across the day will raise the chance of them getting sick or not absorbing a consistent amount of food.

However, it would help if you were not afraid to change your plan a bit when necessary.

For instance, you might notice that your goldfish don’t consume as much as they become older. Therefore, it’s great to try reducing the number of times you feed them per day, from three to two times.

How Much Do You Feed Your Goldfish?

Suppose that you’re providing your goldfish with a considerable amount of food each time. In this situation, feeding them two times per day might be fine, but three times a day could be excessive.

Hence, a better idea would be to divide the amount of food over two meals into three. That will help a lot in your fish’s digestion.

To determine the proper amount to feed them, follow the two-minute rule. This shows you should avoid feeding your fish more food than they can consume in two minutes.

This rule will work well for flake food as your goldfish can seek and eat it rapidly. Meanwhile, if you’re giving them pellets, you need to prolong the window of time a bit. It often takes goldfish longer to locate the pellets before they start eating, especially the ones that sink to the bottom.

Feeding Problems

Overfeeding

Overfeeding is a common mistake for every new goldfish keeper. Unlike other pets, it can be more difficult to track how much your goldfish ends up eating.

As you’re adding food to the water instead of placing it in a bowl, it’s not reasonable to expect them to consume every ounce you give them.

As you combine this with an improper food monitoring strategy (not sticking with the two-minute rule), two issues might arise.

Your goldfish’s direct health

As you feed too much food to your goldfish, they will get fat. That will inhibit their main body functions and negatively affect their overall health. It makes digestion much more difficult and raises the chance of them having a fatty liver. In addition, it can also make them more vulnerable to various illnesses, such as dropsy and fin rot. 

Your water quality

If there is too much food, your goldfish cannot eat all, resulting in uneaten food on the bottom of the fish tank. Then this food begins to break down, increasing the amount of ammonia, nitrates and nitrites in the aquarium. If these levels skyrocket and cannot be controlled, the water might be dangerous to your goldfish. 

A Lack of Appetite 

Learning how often to feed your fish typically includes you finding out the precise amount of food to give and assuming that your fish love to eat. 

But what if they don’t want to eat?

If your goldfish loses its appetite, it might be a signal of some disease or illness. 

Let’s start with a water test. That will emphasize any high-level problems with the water that need solving before you consider other possibilities. 

The fact that our goldfish don’t want to eat anymore might be because you’ve been overfeeding them. So remember the two-minute rule to ensure you’re not feeding them too much and too often. 

Food Dominance

The behavior of your goldfish can sabotage how often you’re giving food to your fish. While it would be great to maintain a community aquarium without worrying about food dominance, there might be something that can prevent your goldfish from catching the food they need. 

Food dominance occurs when larger, stronger, or faster fish hog all the food and stop other fish from eating. This can happen when you keep goldfish with a different species or in a goldfish-only tank. 

You will need to distribute the food through the tank or try various types to make sure that every fish is getting enough food.