|
P E T S.info
> Articles About Pets > Other
Pets > Keep Your Goldfish Healthy
KEEP YOUR GOLDFISH HEALTHY -
COOK THEM A MEAL!
If your goldfish could speak, what type of food do you think they would
ask for as you sprinkle yet another helping of fish flakes into the tank?
The request would be, "Please give me some variety!"
Goldfish are omnivores which means they are designed to eat a wide variety
of foods, both animal and vegetable. So just like us, they thrive on a
healthy, well-balanced range of foods - which fish flakes alone cannot
provide.
The next time you visit your local aquarist, buy some live food such
as brine shrimp or daphnia. Brine shrimps are a great source of protein;
daphnia are ideal for helping your goldfish avoid constipation, which
is more of a problem for goldfish than you might think.
Replacing one or two meals of fish flakes with live food each week,
will improve your fish's digestion, and make feeding times more interesting
for your fish - and for you. Before adding live food, switch off the tank
filter to prevent the food being filtered before your fish can eat it.
Remember to switch the filter on again once your fish have finished feeding.
Goldfish love salad
The scope for adding variety doesn't end there. Did you know that goldfish
enjoy nibbling fresh spinach and lettuce leaves? Any type of lettuce will
do, although the Romaine variety is a favorite.
Rinse a leaf in clean water, then cut off small pieces and feed them
to your goldfish. Alternatively, you can buy a lettuce leaf holder from
your aquarist; it will hold a whole lettuce leaf, and allow your fish
to pull pieces off to eat.
The leaves provide your goldfish with important vitamins and minerals
they need. They also contain carotenoids - red and yellow plant pigments
- which means you could even see improvements in the coloring of your
goldfish!
Give them the "squashed pea" treatment
The next time peas are on the menu for your family, save a few cooked
peas for your goldfish. All you need to do is squash each pea slightly
and remove the outer skin - the skin is too hard for your fish to digest
- and then add one or two peas to your fish tank.
Scientists aren't sure exactly why, but a squashed cooked pea can often
help a goldfish that is suffering with swim-bladder disease. The swim-bladder
helps a goldfish maintain balance and lets it rise and sink. Swim-bladder
disease is often caused by the fish's stomach - which lies next to the
swim-bladder - becoming distended and pressing against the swim-bladder.
The squashed pea remedy appears to help by moving food and trapped air
out of the fish's stomach, which releases pressure on the swim-bladder.
Cook them some Fish's Delight!
So, now your goldfish has fish flakes, live food, spinach, lettuce, and
peas on the menu, what's next? Well, if you really want to spoil the smallest
member of your family, why don't you cook a meal of Fish's Delight?
Fish's Delight is easy to make, and because it can be stored in the freezer,
you don't have to cook it every day. You just need a packet of unflavored
gelatin, a 2.5 oz jar of baby food - strained pea, carrot, green bean
or spinach varieties are good - and a cup of water. You also need an empty
ice cube tray.
Here's how to make it:
- Pour 1/4 cup of water into a small sauce-pan.
- Add the gelatin and stir over a low heat until the gelatin has completely
dissolved.
- Add the baby food and 3/4 cup of water, and continue to stir until
it is thoroughly mixed.
- When it has a smooth, even consistency, pour the mixture into an ice
cube tray and leave it to cool.
- Refrigerate the mixture. It will solidify in a few hours.
When you're ready to feed your goldfish, take out a cube, cut it into
small strips and add small amounts of them to your fish tank. Put the
rest back into the freezer.
Goldfish feeding tips
Here are some goldfish tips that are worth remembering:
- Goldfish are greedy feeders. They will eat everything you give them
and still manage to look hungry. The golden rule is: only give them
small amounts of food once or twice a day. Goldfish are far more likely
to become ill from overfeeding than from underfeeding.
- Uneaten food left at the bottom of the tank will cause water problems
for your goldfish. It effectively poisons the water they live in. Remove
any food that is uneaten or decaying, and if food continues to be left
uneaten, reduce the amount you give your fish.
- Dried fish flakes have a tendency to swell up inside your goldfish's
stomach and can lead to digestion and swim-bladder problems. One way
to avoid this is to soak the fish flakes before adding them to your
fish tank.
Variety is the spice of Goldie's life, but you should introduce new foodstuffs
into your goldfish's diet gradually. Replacing one or two meals of fish
flakes with live food, vegetables, or Fish's Delight each week will help
keep your goldfish in top condition for years to come.
“The Goldfish Doctor”
has recently been published by Elaine Rushmore. This new book is a "must
read" for anyone wanting to diagnose, treat or prevent disease in their
goldfish. Click here to find
out more.
| 
