Goldfish are very fond of eating food. Therefore, it isn’t peculiar for them not to eat their meal. However, there might be some issues with your goldfish if they are not eating. So why is your pregnant goldfish not eating? Let us discuss this below:
In general, your pregnant goldfish is not eating due to loss of appetite or is about to release its eggs. However, there can also be many other reasons like overfeeding or bad water quality. Consider providing adequate water conditions so your pregnant goldfish do not lose appetite and stay healthy.
Let us dive into the article to know all the possible reasons behind your pregnant goldfish not eating their food. In addition to this, we will also discuss various ways to make your pregnant goldfish eat.
Contents
What do goldfish typically eat?
| Goldfish Diet | Serving Quantity | No. of times |
|---|---|---|
| Leafy Greens( Kale, Spinach, lettuce) | A small piece of leaf | 3-4 times a week |
| Boiled Carrots | 1 small slice | 3-4 times a week |
| Zucchini ( Blanched) | 1 small slice | 3-4 times a week |
| Bananas ( Chopped) | 1 small slice | 2 times a week |
| Mosquito Larvae | 12-15 | 2-3 times a week |
| Pellets | A pinch | 2 times a day |
Also read: What Do Goldfish Eat?
What are the reasons behind your goldfish not eating their food?
Here are the reasons behind your goldfish not eating their food:
Stress
It plays a major role in your pregnant goldfish not eating. Stress can also cause harm to your goldfish.
If you discover your goldfish gasping their mouth at the surface of the tank, that indicates stress. Many factors can lead to stress in your goldfish. Some of them are as follows:
Also read: Are My Goldfish Stressed?
Poor Water Conditions:
Poor Water conditions can lead to significant stress in your pregnant goldfish. It would be advisable to maintain good quality water in your goldfish tank.
Contaminated water can also lead to a drop in oxygen levels that can cause serious harm to your pregnant goldfish.
Also read: Can Goldfish Survive In Dirty Water?
Unwell
If your pregnant goldfish is ill, it will prefer not to eat. It would be advisable to consult a marine vet in such a situation.
Overfeeding
Overfeeding can also play a significant role in your pregnant goldfish not eating their food. It would be best if you fed in the right portion to your pregnant goldfish.
Overfeeding can lead to significant health issues for your pregnant goldfish. We would want you to know that the leftover food in the tank leads to the release of toxic ammonia that can harm your pregnant goldfish.
Also read: What Happens When You Overfeed Goldfish?
Pregnant goldfish is about to release its eggs
Your pregnant goldfish might avoid eating if it is about to release eggs. We would like you to know that such behavior of your pregnant goldfish is normal, and you don’t have to worry about your pregnant goldfish not eating.
Also read: Can Goldfish Get Pregnant?
Frightened
If your pregnant goldfish is frightened by the aggressive fishes present in the tank, they might not eat. Therefore, we would want you to know that goldfish are peaceful fish and are not aggressive.
Consequently, it would be advisable not to pair them with aggressive tankmates. As the aggressive fish in the tank can also cause harm to your pregnant goldfish.
These were some possible reasons for your pregnant goldfish not eating their food. Your goldfish requires a good diet to stay healthy during pregnancy. Let us discuss how to make your pregnant goldfish eat below:
How to make your pregnant goldfish eat?
You can make your pregnant goldfish eat by following the suggestion below:
The pH level of water
We would like you to know that the pH level of water in your goldfish tank should range between 6.8 to 7.5.
There must be a relation between the water hardness and the pH level of the water that means if the water is hard, the pH level should be high.
Also read: Best PH Level For Goldfish?
Good Quality Water
You must ensure that the water quality in your pregnant goldfish tank is good. Contaminated water can lead to a drop in oxygen level that can cause harm to your pregnant goldfish.
Water Temperature
You must ensure to provide the water temperature according to their natural habitat. The water temperature of your pregnant goldfish tank should be around 68 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
Goldfish are freshwater fish primarily found in rivers, ponds, and lakes. When you put them in a tank, you must provide them with their natural habitat to stay healthy and happy.
We want you to know that it becomes difficult for your pregnant goldfish to survive in contaminated water.
Also read: What Is The Ideal Water Temperature For Goldfish?
Provide your pregnant goldfish small meals
We want you to know that pregnant goldfish cannot eat large meals because of eggs inside them. Therefore, it would be advisable to provide them with small meals.
You can give small meals 3-5 times a day rather than 1-2 big meals. You must feed your pregnant goldfish with all the nutritious food to stay healthy.
You can provide a variety of nutritious food to your pregnant goldfish, like mosquito larvae, frozen bloodworms, and spirulina flakes.
If any of the above is not the reason behind your goldfish not eating their food, then in such a case, we would advise you to consult a marine vet.
Your goldfish might have some issues that need to be taken care of as soon as possible. Pregnant goldfish usually do not consume much because of the eggs inside them.
It would be advisable not to keep your pregnant goldfish in the breeder box for more than two days. As keeping them longer in the breeder box can lead to stress in your goldfish.
Conclusions:
- There are several reasons behind your pregnant goldfish not eating their food. Some common causes are stress, lousy quality water, and overfeeding.
- It is advisable not to overfeed your pregnant goldfish as overfeeding can cause harm to your goldfish.
- You must provide good water quality in your pregnant goldfish tank as contaminated water can cause harm to your goldfish.
- You can serve a variety of nutritious food to your pregnant goldfish, like mosquito larvae, frozen bloodworms, and spirulina flakes.
- You must ensure not to keep your pregnant goldfish in the breeder box for more than two days, as it can lead to stress in your goldfish.
- Lastly, it would help if you do not pair your pregnant goldfish with any other aggressive fish in the tank as it can cause harm to your goldfish.
Reference: NCBI, ResearchGate