Fish can be divided into 4 kinds according to where they eat in a tank, which are top feeders, mid-level feeders, bottom feeders and all-level feeders. And goldfish, one of the most popular aquarium fish in the world, are bottom feeders.
In this article, you’ll learn more about bottom feeder fish, food for your goldfish, how to feed your goldfish and other common bottom feeders except for goldfish.
What are bottom feeders?
Bottom feeders are fish that feed on the bottom of a fish tank. Unlike other fish that swim around searching for food, these fish spend most of their time digging into the substrate (if you have it) to get food.
What can bottom feeders do?
Feeding some bottom feeders is beneficial to your tank maintenance. When they dig into the substrate in your fish tank, they will bring out the waste accumulated under the substrate, which is difficult to clean and will contaminate the water quality as time passes by.
In addition, the decay plants, uneaten food and particle waste will sink into the bottom of your fish tank, bottom feeders will help clean them while eating.
What do goldfish eat?
Now, we have known that goldfish are one of the bottom feeders, so what should we feed them? What should we notice when feeding them? Keep reading and you’ll find the answers.
Goldfish are omnivores, so you can feed them with both plants and meat.
In the wild, they are fed on crustaceans, plants, algae, worms, shrimps, snails and so on. So in your fish tank, you can also add them to the meals for your goldfish. But if you are keeping shrimps and snails as pets, keep them away from your goldfish, or you will lose them.
They are willing to accept most fish food in the shops, such as live food, frozen food, freeze-dried food, dry food, fish flakes and pellets. So you have many choices when it comes to feeding a goldfish.
But one thing you should keep in mind is that you should stop feeding after 2-3 minutes since goldfish will keep eating as long as there is food in the water, which will easily cause overfeeding.
Things you should remember when feeding goldfish.
1. Stop feeding when they have been eating for 2 minutes.
2. Soak the frozen, dry and freeze-dried food before you offer them to your goldfish.
3. Add some vegetables to your goldfish’s diet.
4. Remove the uneaten food after feeding.
5. Do not try to feed them with bread.
6. Feed adult goldfish once or twice a day. If they are juvenile goldfish, add one more meal.
Other types of bottom feeders
Goldfish are not the only bottom feeders in the aquarium hobby, there are many other types. I have listed some of them for you to choose from.- Plecos
- Catfish
- Loaches
- Snails
- Shrimps
Conclusion
After reading this article, do you have a better understanding of bottom feeders and goldfish? If you want to know more about these two topics, you can read other blogs on our website or leave a comment, we will be here to answer all of your questions!