BAD experience with aquarium fish food UPDATE BAD TO WORSE

chicknmania

Free Ranging
18 Years
Jan 26, 2007
6,338
1,938
602
central Ohio
I bought some Wardley sinking shrimp pellets for our loach a week or so ago. They are very hard. Problem is, the food is for bottom feeders, but all the fish love them. I finally figured out that they are killling our goldfish. We had one die about ten days ago, and now the other one is sick. I saw her sink to the bottom, and seem to be regurgitating gas, after eating one. I researched them ol and discovered that others have had the same problem. Since it took me a few days to figure this out, I'm guessing we will probably lose at least one more fish. Makes me so blazing mad!
somad.gif
We have had our fish for several years, they are a nice size, and very attractive. Or they were, anyway. Why is it that they sell so much fish food that we later found out goldfish should not EAT? I found for example, that goldfish are not supposed to eat FLAKE food! REALLY???? Wow, that's funny, it SAYS its for Goldfish on the container!!!!!!!
Any suggestions on emergency treatment for the fish? I can't reach the manufacturer, tho I certainly will make a point of doing that tomorrow. The pet store is closed. I don't have any frozen peas and doubt she will eat anything else anyway. We just did Bioboost and aquarium salt and a water change, yesterday.
I also found out that WARDLEY is owned by Hartz Mountain, who seems to have had a lot of problems in the past few years with their products.
rant.gif
 
Salt is a natural laxative for fish as well; I think you're doing all you can. If the fish is still there tomorrow, get some frozen peas ASAP. They work wonders. Sorry this happened; hopefully she pulls through. I had the same problem- only mine was slightly different. A few days after changing foods, I notice tumors on my goldfish. One died a few days later, and I still have the other one. She's 8 years old now.
 
Thanks! yes, I will go get some peas. She is still with us, still lying on her side, but she can swim around.. I called Hartz Mountain this morning and complained; they offered reimbursement for the food. Thing is, they LOVE that stuff. It would probably be ok if it were crumbled, although I read that someone soaked theirs and it didn't make much difference. In any case, they're not getting any more for a while, even crumbled or soaked. What was the food that caused the tumours?
 
Eight years old for a goldfish wow! Pet store said the average life span is around four or five years. I don't know if that's true or not.
 
Goldfish can eat flakes but they need more plant matter than most tropical fish flakes offer. Is her abdomen bloated at all? The pet store is not even close. When Goldfish are well taken care of and not from poor quality strains they can easily live over 20 years. A relative of mine has a Goldfish that just turned 19 a few weeks ago.
 
Thanks! yes, I will go get some peas. She is still with us, still lying on her side, but she can swim around.. I called Hartz Mountain this morning and complained; they offered reimbursement for the food. Thing is, they LOVE that stuff. It would probably be ok if it were crumbled, although I read that someone soaked theirs and it didn't make much difference. In any case, they're not getting any more for a while, even crumbled or soaked. What was the food that caused the tumours?
Glad she's still with you. To make the peas easier to eat, you can crush them up in some of the tank water and take a turkey baster (don't use it for human food afterwards though... LOL) to squirt it in front of her. I don't remember the exact food (It was a few years ago. She still has tumors, one above her eye and one on her fin. We would remove it if it wasn't growing RIGHT above the eye.) but I think it was Omega One fish pellets. I remember it was Omega One though. Also, Flakes aren't bad for goldfish. My goldfish (Her name is Grace) gets a pinch of flakes and a pinch of pellets every morning and night. She's had that since Isaiah (Her old mate's replacement. the one that passed away due to tumors from the food) passed away (she ran him over; She is wayyy too big. She also killed a Cory catfish by running him over. LOL. But that was almost a year ago.) Okay. Enough of my Goldfish story. LOL. Hopefully your fish recovers. :)


ETA- Also, I give mine Aqueon Goldfish Flakes and Goldfish Pellets. My pond goldfish who is small cannot eat the pellets unless I soak them though. He's still quite small and he chokes on them. He's odd :p
 
Last edited:
Wow haha. No the aquarium store people told me they tend to swallow air with the flakes, is all..
and then that can lead to swim bladder and other problems. I bought premium sinking goldfish food
for them a couple of months ago, but they are getting tired of that, AND the flakes! SHRIMP, SHRIMP
hmm.png

is all they want, tho they just had a big meal of peas.
smile.png
 
She is doing ok, as long as she doesn't eat. When I come before feeding time, she's swimming around, a little too up and down lopsided, it seems, but otherwise, ok. And she's been eating the finely chopped peas. But a half hour or so after she eats, she's lying on the floor again. It's like she can't digest what she ate, so she has to stop for a while to get all her food to settle. I'm going to let them fast this evening.

Both her and the Koi now won't eat anything BUT peas. No flakes or freeze dried shrimp or sinking goldfish pellets! I think they're waiting for the shrimp pellets to return!
tongue.png


They DO like the algae chips I've been dropping in for the loach. I have to break those up too, and drop two or three in before he can get one!
 
Hmm... Did this goldfish come from petsmart? I had one that would do somersaults no matter what we did. I also saw one that was upsde down and every once in awhile they had to 'burp it'. Or so they said. I have no idea how they did it. LOL
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom