Overfeeding is a common issue every fish keeper faces at the beginning of their fish keeping journey. So, what happens when you overfeed your goldfish? How does overfeeding affect your goldfish? Let us discuss this below:
In general overfeeding can lead to severe health issues in goldfish. Belly enlargement, loss of appetite, and swimming upside down indicate overfeeding in goldfish. Experts suggest providing the amount your fish can consume in under two minutes to avoid overfeeding.
Let us dive into the article to learn more about the disadvantage of overfeeding your goldfish.
Contents
Overfeeding your goldfish
Overfeeding is one of the most common issues you will experience in your fishkeeping journey.
Overfeeding can lead to severe health issues like digestive issues in your goldfish.
Therefore you should always provide food in a moderate quantity to avoid overfeeding in your goldfish.
In the article below, we will learn how to spot overfeeding and the problem your goldfish faces if overfed.
How to spot overfeeding?
Leftovers in the tank indicate overfeeding in your goldfish. You should always feed the quantity your goldfish can consume in under two minutes.
Excessive food will accumulate in the substrate will break down into a blackish or brownish-gray substance known as mulm.
Therefore overfeeding can lead to significant health issues in your goldfish, like losing appetite.
In addition to this, many signs indicate overfeeding. Some of them are as follows:
- Swimming upside down
- Obese
- Food lying in the bottom of the tank
- Dirty Gravel
- Low ph level
- A spike in the ammonia level
Swimming upside down
Your goldfish swimming upside down indicates overfeeding.
Excessive eating can enlarge internal organs, leading to swimming bladder disorder in your goldfish, making your fish swim upside down in the tank.
Overfeeding can lead to constipation in fish that further stops the pneumocystis duct from inflating and deflating adequately, making your fish flip over or sink to the bottom of the tank.
However, it will be advisable to provide cooked peas to your goldfish as it is a rich fiber source that can help treat constipation in your fish.
In addition to this, you can also stop feeding your fish for a few days as it helps to treat constipation in your goldfish.
Constipation can also cause bloating, eventually leading to digestive issues in your goldfish.
Also read: Why Can’t My Goldfish Swim?
Obese
Your goldfish turning fat also indicates overfeeding in goldfish. Excess fat in your fish can lead to significant health issues in your goldfish.
To avoid your fish getting fat, you should provide healthy food in a moderate quantity to your goldfish.
In addition to this, overfeeding can also lead to constipation in your goldfish.
Serving cooked peas to your goldfish can help treat constipation in your goldfish.
However, there can be many other reasons behind your fish getting fat. Some of them are as follows:
- Dropsy: Dropsy can also make your fish larger than usual. Some common symptoms of dropsy are swelling near the anus, swelling of the abdomen, and loss of appetite. In addition to this, dropsy is a contagious disease, so placing the affected fish in a separate tank will be advisable.
- Tumor: Tumor can also be a reason behind your goldfish getting fat. It will be advisable to consult your marine vet in such a case.
- Laying Eggs: Your goldfish will appear slightly bigger if it carries eggs.
Food lying in the bottom of the tank
If you discover the food lying in the bottom of the tank, it indicates overfeeding.
If the flakes served to your fish are not consumed in under two minutes, there are chances that it will get decayed in the tank’s bottom.
The leftovers in the tank will further pollute the tank’s water, eventually leading to the spike of the ammonia level in the tank.
A spike in the ammonia level can lead to severe health issues in your goldfish, like burning the gills of your fish.
Leftovers can also lead to the growth of mold and fungus in your goldfish tank that can cause damage to your fish.
Dirty Gravel
Dirt gravel in your goldfish tank indicates overfeeding.
Leftovers and fish waste can lead to the build-up of toxic waste that can cause severe damage to your goldfish.
As goldfish are messy fish, they will turn into poop machines producing a lot of waste in the tank if you overfeed them.
Such waste gets settled in the bottom, making your tank’s gravel dirty.
We want you to know that the beneficial bacteria that thrive on the gravel surface get past the aggressive bacteria that prefer sludgy conditions.
Such toxic build-up of waste in the tank further pollutes the tank’s water, causing severe damage to your goldfish.
Low Ph level
A low ph level in the tank also indicates overfeeding issues.
The decomposition of the leftovers produces acid in the tank that further neutralizes the ph stabilizing carbonates in the water.
A drop in the ph level can make the water highly acidic, leading to severe health issues like burning the gills of your fish.
It will be advisable to the KH levels in the water if you face the issue of a low ph.
Therefore, the ph level at which your fish performs best is 7.5.
You should always maintain the ph level of your goldfish tank as it is required for the proper growth and development of your fish.
A spike in the ammonia level
A spike in the ammonia level in the tank indicates overfeeding.
Goldfish are messy fish that produces a lot of waste in the tank.
If they are overfed, they turn into poop machines making the tank’s water extremely dirty.
A contaminated tank can further lead to a spike in the ammonia levels, eventually leading to significant health issues in your goldfish.
A spike in the ammonia level can lead to stress and damage your goldfish’s gills and internal organs.
With the help of a test kit, you can measure the ammonia levels in the tank.
Can You Overfeed Pond Goldfish?
Overfeeding pond goldfish can lead to severe health issues in your fish, eventually leading to the passing away of your fish.
Overfeeding can lead to the enlargement of your fish belly that can damage the liver and the other internal organs of your fish, leading to the passing away of your fish.
Overfeeding your pond goldfish can also pollute the pond’s water quality, further resulting in a drop in oxygen level, making your fish suffocate and gasp for air at the water surface.
However, you can avoid overfeeding your pond goldfish by taking the following measures:
- Always feed the quantity your fish can consume in under two minutes.Â
- You should feed two times a day to your pond goldfish in a moderate amount to avoid overfeeding.
- You should remove the uneaten food with the help of a siphon net or fine from the pond to prevent overeating.Â
How often should you feed your goldfish?
It would be best to feed your goldfish 2-3 times a day in a moderate quantity.
Goldfish are omnivore species that require meat and veggies for proper growth and development.
It would be advisable to provide the quantity your goldfish can consume in under two minutes.
Excessive feeding can lead to severe health issues like losing appetite in your goldfish.
How does overfeeding affect your goldfish?
Overfeeding can lead to severe health issues in your goldfish, like enlargement of the belly and fatty liver impacting your goldfish’s liver and internal organs.
Overfeeding goldfish can also develop a lot of waste in the tank, further leading to a drop in the oxygen level, causing severe damage to your goldfish.
Leftovers in the tank can also result in a spike in ammonia levels, which can damage the gills of your goldfish.
Therefore it will be advisable to provide the correct quantity to your goldfish so that your fish can live happily.
Conclusion:
- Overfeeding your fish is the most common issue faced in a fishkeeping journey.
- Overfeeding can lead to serious health issues in your goldfish.
- Low ph level, a spike in ammonia level, and your goldfish swimming upside down indicate overfeeding.
- Overfeeding your pond goldfish can pollute the pond’s water, eventually leading to a drop in the pond’s oxygen level.
- You should feed your goldfish 2-3 times a day in a moderate quantity for proper growth and development.
Reference: NCBI