Why is My Goldfish Always Hungry?

Have you noticed that your goldfish is ALWAYS hungry? They approach you in their little fish tank, wagging their tails like asking for food, and you, as a noble fish owner, give them all the food you can.

But why is my goldfish always hungry? Am I overfeeding it, or does it really need a lot of food? If you are a first-time goldfish owner, then this behavior might surprise you, but let us tell you that it is actually pretty common.

So, Your Pet, Your Love, will tell you if you are feeding your goldfish right or if you are actually giving him more food than he needs to eat.

Why Are Goldfish Always Hungry?

Your goldfish is always hungry because they actually don’t have a stomach – they have long intestinal systems where food passes through relatively quickly. 

This means that all the food that they eat passes through their bodies fairly quickly while absorbing the required nutrients, but when it comes to real “hunger,” then let us tell you that they are really not that hungry.

It is important to provide your goldfish with a balanced diet and good amounts of food. Of course, this applies to all types of fish out there! So, if you wonder Why is My Betta Fish Not Eating? Then perhaps there is something wrong with their diets as well. 

How Often Should You Feed a Goldfish?

In general, you should give your goldfish an average of four small foods per day. It depends on the size of their water tank, because the more they swim, the hungrier they will get.

Some goldfish owners only feed goldfish three times a day. It is important to note that they are tiny creatures, so giving them large amounts of food can be indeed counterproductive.

Either way, the magic number of times you should fish a goldfish during the day is between three and four times.

How Do I Know When My Goldfish is Hungry?

Fish are creatures that are fairly hard to understand. They do not express their feelings like dogs and cats do. So, how do you know when your goldfish is hungry? There are three big signs that can tell you this:

1. Your goldfish is oddly aggressive. If you notice aggressive behaviors towards your other fish in the tank, then perhaps your goldfish needs to eat as soon as possible.
2. They are waiting at the top of the tank. They know that food comes from the top of the aquarium, so if they are wandering around the top waiting for food, you might as well feed them.
3. Goldfish is looking for food all over the tank. Is your goldfish swimming up and down nonstop? Maybe they are looking for food! Give them a little food and check if this stops this behavior.

Is Overfeeding My Goldfish Dangerous?

Yes, overfeeding your goldfish is not advisable at all. If a goldfish gets too fat, it can die due to health-related problems. 

If you don’t want to trigger this problem, then you should indeed get worried about their diet. First of all, giving them good food is imperative – you don’t want them to eat low-quality food!

In the same order of ideas, it is your duty to prevent your fish from getting too fat, because when they reach that point, it is extremely hard to go back.

How to Know if You Are Overfeeding Your Goldfish

If you don’t want your goldfish to get sick, the best path to follow is to carefully control the number of times they eat throughout the day.

This will help you prevent overfeeding your little water buddy while ensuring a great lifespan for them. So, how do you know if your goldfish is being overfed either way?

1. There Are Food Leftovers in the Tank

Overfed goldfish will ignore those little pieces of food that can appear in their tanks. If you notice that there are small pieces floating around the tank, then it’s definitely time to finally start feeding your goldfish in the right way.

2. Swimming Problems On Your Goldfish 

Overfed goldfish can’t swim properly due to obvious reasons – they get too fat, which makes swimming around really difficult for them. This is one of the worst signs that your goldfish might face big problems in the near future, so we hope you don’t get to this point.

3. Cloudy and Dirty Tank

If the tank is getting dirty faster than before, then maybe your goldfish has had too much food lately. The goldfish will naturally get the tank cloudy if they have excess food constantly.

Pet Recap: Why Does My Goldfish Always Act Hungry?

Your goldfish will act hungry if you don’t give them the right amount of food every day, or if you fail to give them food that complies with what their bodies need.

But, at the same time, health issues might be caused due to overfeeding, so finding the right balance is imperative here. Our recommendation would be that you consult your vet, so you have a better understanding of your goldfish feeding process.

Other fish also need great care, such as Koi Fish (How Much Are Koi Fish?), so this is not something exclusive to goldfish whatsoever.

FAQ

How Long Can Goldfish Go Without Food?

A goldfish can go without food for between 10 and 14 days. So, even if you don’t feed your fish for a couple of days, they will hardly die out of inanition. Still, this doesn’t mean that you can just stop feeding them – watch out!