Goldfish are ravenous eaters and will eat every time you provide them food, irrespective of whether they are hungry or not. Such goldfish behavior may confuse you to decide whether your goldfish is hungry or not.
So, how to know if my goldfish is hungry? How often should goldfish be fed? Let us find out.
Here are the ways to know if your goldfish is hungry
- Goldfish at the top of the tank waiting for food indicates hunger in your fish.
- Goldfish dig the tank’s substrate in search of food shows hunger.
- Despite being peaceful, goldfish showing aggressive behavior means hunger.
- Goldfish turning inactive is a sign of hunger.
- Your goldfish becoming weak indicates that they are not getting enough food.
The article below will discuss whether you have overfed or underfed your goldfish. In addition, we will also learn about how often you should provide food to your goldfish.
Contents
Are there any signs to know if my goldfish is hungry?
Here are the signs that show that your goldfish is hungry
- Your goldfish will wait at the top of the tank’s water surface.
- Your goldfish is digging the substrate in search of food.
- Your goldfish showing aggression is a sign that your fish is hungry.
- Your goldfish turning lethargic is a sign that your fish is hungry.
Goldfish will stay at the top of the tank.
Your goldfish staying at the top of the tank is also a sign that your goldfish is hungry.
Your goldfish swimming at the top also indicates oxygen deficiency in the tank.
If your tank is well oxygenated and there are no other tank issues, your goldfish is hungry.
Goldfish in captivity know that they will get food from the top by their owner, so they stay at the top of the tank’s water surface for you to provide them food.
Also read: Can Goldfish Live Without Oxygen?
Goldfish digging the substrate
If you see your goldfish digging the tank’s substrate, it indicates that your fish is hungry.
If your goldfish is not satisfied with the quantity you have provided them, they will dig the tank’s substrate in search of the food.
Your goldfish can also nip the aquatic plants if they are feeling hungry.
Aggression
Goldfish are peaceful species that do not prefer aggression in their tank. However, your goldfish turning aggressive indicates that your fish is hungry.
However, there can be many other reasons, like an overcrowded tank and stress behind your goldfish turning aggressive.
Also read: Are Goldfish Aggressive?
Lethargic behavior
Your goldfish turning inactive also indicates that your fish is hungry.
Due to hunger, your goldfish can also become sluggish as food provides them the energy to remain active and swim comfortably.
Also read: Why Is My Goldfish Lethargic?
How do I Know if my goldfish is being underfed?
All the above signs of your goldfish hungry indicate that your fish is underfed.
Your goldfish do not get access to food every day in their natural habitat as they only get to eat the food when they catch it by themselves.
But in the case of captivity, you provide food to your goldfish every day, so they develop the habit of getting the food in that manner.
Your goldfish become hungry when you miss your fish’s regular food supply schedule, making them stay at the top of the tank.
How do I know If my goldfish is being overfed?
Here are the signs that indicate you are overfeeding your goldfish
- Leftovers in the tank.
- Ammonia spikes in the tank
- Your goldfish turning obese
- Your goldfish suffering from constipation
Overfeeding your goldfish can lead to life-threatening conditions for your goldfish.
Overfeeding can lead to leftovers in the tank, making your tank water contaminated.
Contaminated water can further drop the tank’s oxygen level, making your goldfish gasp for air at the top of the tank’s water surface.
Leftovers in the tank can also lead to ammonia spikes affecting the gills of your goldfish, making them suffer from diseases like swimbladder disorder.
Your goldfish turning obese is also a sign that you are overfeeding your goldfish.
Your goldfish suffering from constipation also indicates that you have overfed goldfish.
Your constipated goldfish will stop eating and develop a large abdomen.
Your goldfish can also suffer from swim bladder disorder due to constipation.
It will be advisable to feed your goldfish in a quantity they can consume in under 2 minutes.
If your goldfish take more than that time to finish their meal, you are overfeeding them.
If you are goldfish finishes its meal within seconds indicates that you are underfeeding your fish.
Underfeeding your fish can lead to malnutrition in your fish.
Also read: Ammonia Poisoning In Goldfish
How often should I feed my goldfish?
Goldfish are ravenous eaters and will eat anything you provide them. However, overfeeding can lead to significant health issues like constipation in your goldfish.
To avoid overfeeding, you should always provide the quantity your goldfish can consume in under 2 minutes.
It would be best if you neither overfed nor underfed your goldfish for their proper growth and development.
It would be best to feed your goldfish 2-3 times a day in moderate quantities.
You can also fix a feeding schedule for goldfish as it helps your fish develop a regular eating pattern and help to aid their digestive cycle.
Also read: How Often Should You Feed Goldfish
Conclusion:
- Your goldfish waiting at the top of the tank, digging the substrate, showing aggression, or turning lethargic indicates that your fish is hungry.
- If your goldfish finish their food within seconds, they are being underfed.
- Leftovers, ammonia spikes, bloated belly, and constipation indicates that you have overfed your goldfish.
- You should always provide the amount your fish can consume in under 2 minutes to avoid overfeeding.
- It would be best to neither overfed nor underfeed your goldfish for their proper growth and development.
Reference: ResearchGate