Feeding Fancy Goldfish

Given the amount of different sorts of food for fish available both online and in pet shops you should be able to find the best for your fish...wrong!
Most, if not all commercial food will cause some fancy goldfish to have some sort of gastrointestinal problems. As for feeding it to Pearlscale varieties, commercial food will make them bloat with constipation very quickly.

Many shop owners will use feed very sparingly to reduce this problem, but this is not ideal & will lead to immune problems & greater chance of stress. No matter what you read, a fish should never be starved, especially when they are sick, it will finish them off.
Most fancy goldfish are raised in Malaysia or Parts of Asia. They are raised in large ponds or lakes & fed mostly natural food. What is natural food - well for carp species it is vegetal matter, coarse root stock & the occasional bugs, mosquito larva, small insects that live in rivers or lakes. But, goldfish have a largely vegetarian diet. That is not to say they dont need protein, they do, just not a lot of it & it must be the right kind.

Most commercial food is made to have protein as the main ingredient. This is fine if you have a fish that is a carnivore or a tropical fish. Definitely  NOT for goldfish. Some food manufacturers have cottoned on & will put out a variety that is 'for goldfish', but it still does not work - why?
Because they are full of cereals & soybean meal! Goldfish dont have a stomach & cannot digest the phytin in cereals. They have trouble with pure starch & are intolerant to soybeans. What this means is that inappropriate food causes indigestion, which causes gas, intestinal blockage, bloating & eventually a bacteria buildup. Several types diseases arise, along with reduced immune system.
Other problems with commercial feed are the types of vitamins used are synthetic and that all the ingredients are likely to be of the lowest quality - usually the grains are leftovers from a brewing manufacturer. None of this is good for your fish.

Ethical considerations for owning a Goldfish

When I look at my fish, I see beautiful living beings, swirling like jewels through the water, flashing their tails & engaging me with their eyes.
The secret to communicating with a fish-is to begin to engage them with your eyes while speaking as if you are talking to a dog or a cat. Once they know you are aware of them - they will begin to be more aware of you.
After awhile, when you have gained their trust, they will respond and show you that each one has a very individual temperament !

I would like to start  with a few thoughts on the ethical treatment of goldfish.
This means having an awareness,  that when we buy a fish, we have a responsibility to look after another being - to the best of our ability.
Fish deserve our loyalty & love, just as much as a dog or cat!

Yet so many people treat fish as if they are the 'second class citizens' of the pet world or say they are stupid. Nothing could be further from the truth.
 I hope that in my posts you will be able to see them for what they are- special, fragile beings that have feelings, individuality & social structure including awareness of each other.

To treat these wonderful creatures like they are just a throwaway commodity is horrible & shows bias, as well as stupidity.