You might be planning to go on a business trip or a holiday vacation and wondering how long can a Goldfish live without food. We obviously do not want you to starve your Goldfish, but just sometimes, you cannot be at home to feed them.
Goldfish can easily live up to 14 days without food. But you should never leave your goldfish unfed for this long as it might affect the health of fish and leave her extremely hungry. Here in this article, we will try to explain the feeding habits of your goldfish to give you a better idea.
How Long Can Goldfish Live Without Food
Many fish owners ask the same question. How long can goldfish live without food? The answer is not as quite simple as it looks. It all depends on how long you will be away. As we mentioned earlier, goldfish could survive for two weeks without food; this does not come without any side effects. Your goldfish will take a toll on her health, immune system, and color at this time.
In general, four days is a limit where your goldfish will remain healthy without any food. Your fish health, size, and age come into the factor of how long it can go without eating.
How Can You Feed Your Goldfish While You Are Away
Most people are worried about the same thing about how they can feed their fish when they are not at home. There are some ways in which you can feed your fish without being worried at all. Let’s explore all the available options.
Maybe you have a trustworthy neighbor or friend. You can ask them to check and feed your goldfish while you are away. It does not get better than this as a person can feed and also check that air filter is working and everything else is in order.
It is very easy to overfeed your goldfish, so it is better if you explain the fish-sitter right amount of food to be given to your fish. One more option is that you can measure the portions beforehand, so the fish-sitter do not have to worry about it.
It might be possible that you do not have any trusted person who can look after your fish. In this situation, there is one more reliable option available, and that is an automatic fish feeder. You need to fill the food in it, program it, and it will feed your goldfish the measured amount of food for the next two weeks. It is an affordable option and doesn’t cost much.
It might be better to check the automatic feeder before you are going. Set it up and check it by yourself that the right amount of food is being dispensed at the right time.
How Do You Know Your Goldfish is Hungry
So now you know how long can goldfish live without food. But how to know when goldfish is hungry? Not to worry, as we have this covered in our article. In general, it is easier to tell when a fish is full, but it is hard to notice when she is hungry. Here are some key points for you that indicate a hungry goldfish.
- When your goldfish start to visit the areas where she doesn’t usually go, then it is a clear indication that she is hungry. She might come towards the surface often to find floating food or start digging.
- If your goldfish is being sluggish or slow, then it might be an indication that she is feeding well.
- Goldfish might attack or harass other fishes in extreme hunger, but this is not a primary indicator.
- If your goldfish is exceptionally aggressive when feeding and attacking the food then it is a good indication that she was hungry for a long time.
Ensure that you feed your fish at the right time with the right amount of food to avoid any signs mentioned here. Proper feeding is highly critical for your fish health.
How Often Should You Feed your Goldfish
Goldfish are fond of eating, and they wouldn’t think about not eating at all. If they are given a chance to eat, they will eat no matter what. So it is vital that you provide them with meals in segments and not all food as one meal.
In an ideal situation, a goldfish should be given three to four small meals a day. However, not everybody is at home all day because of work commitments, so feeding twice a day, in the morning and at night should be enough as well.
Follow a simple rule to avoid overfeeding. Give your goldfish food, which they can consume within two minutes. Anything more than that will count as overfeeding.
What Causes a Goldfish Not to Eat
There could be a number of reasons why your goldfish is not eating. Goldfish have their unique requirements when it comes to food. Let’s look in detail what could be the reasons.
Poor Water Quality. One of the biggest reasons is poor water quality for goldfish to refuse to eat. They require a water temperature above 23-degree Celcius to survive. Goldfish tend to excrete more than other fishes out there. This can lead to an increase in nitrate levels in the water, which is harmful and could be a reason for them not to eat.
Offer Variety. This is another common reason for a goldfish not to eat. They can be quickly bored with eating the same food for a long time. They need variety and should be offered live or dried meaty food such as blood worms or brine shrimps. You can give them some lettuce and spinach to increase foliage in the fish.
Constipation. Constipation can make your goldfish to stay at the bottom, and even if you offer food, she might not come to the surface. A cooked pea can help your goldfish in this situation. If it doesn’t help, then leave it for 48 hours. After that, things will come back to normal.
Sickness. Goldfish refuse to eat when she is suffering from swim bladder disease. The symptoms include swimming sideways, upside down, or keep rolling onto one side. To fix this condition, do not feed your fish for 48 hours, then give her fibre rich pea that will help goldfish to get better.
Final Words
Keeping goldfish is quite easy, and it is easier to underfeed or overfeed them. To avoid both situations, feed them a proper amount of food at specific intervals. If you are thinking of being away for a while, then consider the options of fish-sitter and automatic feeder to be on the safe side.
The question is, how long can goldfish live without food. The answer is up to weeks, but it doesn’t mean you should test the theory and not feed them for that long. It is a piece of interesting information to hold, but you should always make sure that your goldfish are provided with an adequate amount of food all the time. After all, it is a basic need of all living creatures, and nobody should be deprived of it.