Feeding Goldfish Fry (Best Food Options)

Written by John Sawyer in Fish Species,Goldfish

Goldfish fry is omnivore species that require a diet mix of essential nutrients in an adequate quantity for their proper growth and development.

So, what should be the best food options for your fry? How often should you feed your goldfish fry? Let us find out.

Goldfish fry requires a 40% protein diet to boost their growth. Mosquito wriggles, daphnia, egg yolks, and blood worms are ideal food options for your fry due to their rich protein content and other nutrients. Provide the amount your fry can consume in under two minutes to avoid overfeeding.

In the below article, we will learn about some best food options for your goldfish. In addition, we will also learn about the cons of overfeeding your goldfish fry.

Feeding my goldfish fry

Goldfish fry needs a proper diet for their healthy growth and development.

You should provide a high protein diet to your baby goldfish for their good development.

Goldfish do not have a stomach to digest their food, and they extract the nutrients from the food through their intestines.

So, avoid overfeeding your fry as it can lead to severe health issues like stress, eventually leading to the passing away of your fish.

An improper feeding schedule can affect the growth of your goldfish fry, making them prone to several diseases.

Should I start feeding my goldfish fry just after they hatch?

It would be best not to feed your baby goldfish for 2-3 days after they hatch, as they carry food in their sacks that can easily last up to 3 days. At this stage, they are called goldfish larvae.

You should start feeding your goldfish once you discover them swimming freely in the tank.

Once your goldfish larvae start swimming freely in the tank and can feed themselves, they are called goldfish fry.

Your goldfish fry requires a 40% protein diet for healthy growth and development.

However, as goldfish do not have a stomach, you should avoid overfeeding your fry as it can make your fry constipated and prone to several diseases.

Also read: Goldfish Growth Stages

How often should I feed my goldfish fry?

You should feed your goldfish fry 2-3 times a day in a moderate quantity for the healthy growth of your fry.

As goldfish are omnivores species, their diet must contain a mix of all the essential nutrients required for their healthy growth and development.

It would be best to feed the quantity your goldfish can consume in under two minutes to avoid overfeeding and underfeeding your goldfish.

Also read: How Often Should You Feed Goldfish?

What happens if you overfeed your goldfish fry?

Overfeeding can lead to numerous health issues like constipation in your goldfish fry.

As goldfish are messy, overfeeding can lead to a lot of waste in the tank, eventually leading to a spike in the ammonia level.

A tank’s ammonia level spike can lead to ammonia poisoning in your goldfish, making them sick and prone to several diseases and parasites.

Overfeeding can also lead to leftovers, making the tank’s water contaminated.

Contaminated water can further lead to a drop in the tank’s oxygen level, making your fish gasp for air at the top of the tank’s water surface.

Contaminated water can also lead to a drop in the pH level, making the tank’s water highly acidic, eventually burning the gills of your goldfish.

So, it will be advisable to provide food in a moderate quantity as moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

Also read: Can Goldfish Die From Overfeeding?

Best food options for your goldfish fry

You should not feed your goldfish fry for 2-3 days after they hatch as they carry their food that can last up to 3 days. 

When you discover your goldfish swimming freely in the tank and are able to feed themselves, you can start feeding your fry.

The best live food options for your goldfish fry are

  1. Mosquito Wriggles
  2. Daphnia
  3. Brine Shrimp 
  4. Egg Yolks

Stage -1

We advise you to start by providing egg yolks to your goldfish fry (0.2-0.4 inches) as your fry requires a 40% protein diet for their proper growth and development.

Place a pinch of egg yolk in a container of tank water and mix it up properly until it gets entirely dissolved in the water.

After the egg yolks get adequately dissolved, you can feed them to your goldfish fry. 

We advise you to provide egg yolks 2-3 times a day for three days to your goldfish fry for their healthy growth.

After feeding egg yolks for three days to your fry, you can then provide mosquito wriggles, daphnia, and brine shrimp to your goldfish as it is an excellent source of protein that contributes to the growth of your fish.

Also read: Can Goldfish Eat Mosquito Larvae?

Stage-2

Once your goldfish fry turns a month old(0.9-1 inches), you can provide them with the food of your adult goldfish. 

Their diet should hold a mix of meat and green veggies like a pea for their healthy growth.

Other veggies you can provide to your juvenile goldfish are

  1. Leafy Greens
  2. Blanched Cucumber
  3. Blanched Zucchini 
  4. Boiled carrots

Also read: Can Goldfish Eat Lettuce?

Stage-3

Once your goldfish fry turns two months old (2-3 inches), they are now adults who require a healthy diet to grow and develop properly. 

Goldfish DietServing Quantity No. of timesAdvisable for proper growth and development of your fish
BloodwormsOne small pinch 1-2 times a weekHIKARI FREEZE DRIED BLOODWORMS
Brine Shrimp One small pinch 1-2 times a week HIKARI BRINE SHRIMP CUBES
Veggie Pellets One small pinch 2 times a day HIKARI SINKING FISH FOOD
Tubifex WormsOne small pinch 1 times a weekHIKARI FREEZE DRIED TUBIFEX WORMS
Boiled PeasHalf a pea3-4 times a weekFeed fresh
Mosquito Larvae12-152-3 times a weekFeed Live
Blanched Zucchini One small slice 3-4 times a weekFeed Fresh
Leafy GreensA piece of leaf 3-4 times a weekProvide Leaf Lettuce
The above table shows the ideal dietary requirements of goldfish.

Also read: What Do Goldfish Eat?

Conclusion:

  1. You should provide a high protein diet to your goldfish fry for healthy growth and development.
  2. Goldfish fry requires a 40% protein diet to develop properly.
  3. You should avoid overfeeding your goldfish fry as it can lead to severe health issues like constipation, making your fish sick and prone to several diseases.
  4. Overfeeding your goldfish fry can also contaminate the tank’s water leading to a drop in the tank’s oxygen level, eventually making your goldfish gasp for air at the top of the tank’s water surface.
  5. Goldfish are omnivore species that require a diet mix of essential nutrients for their proper growth and development.
  6. Egg yolks, mosquito wriggles, daphnia, blood worms, and brine shrimp are some best food options for your goldfish fry. Therefore, you should always provide the quantity your goldfish can consume in under two minutes to avoid overfeeding.

Reference: ResearchGate ResearchGate

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