Can Goldfish Eat Bread? Is it Dangerous for Them?

Most Goldfish keepers believe that feeding bread to their Goldfish is a good option. Out of the many available options of food for your Goldfish, bread is the least good for them.

Yes, Goldfish can eat bread. Although it is not good to give bread to Goldfish because it is very difficult for Goldfish to digest bread. Bread swells in the stomach and the belly of fish also swells. Bread also gives digestive problems to Goldfish.

In this article, I will explain how you are not doing right by your Goldfish by feeding them bread. I will also highlight the much healthier alternatives for bread, for your Goldfish to enjoy and get nutrition from.

Table of Contents

Why is Bread not Good for your Goldfish?

The contents of bread are what make bread harmful to your Goldfish. it will cause your Goldfish several problems very shortly after having consumed bread. What makes bread so harmful for your Goldfish? here is what:

Yeast: In the bread-making process, yeast is a very important element to add. It makes the bread rise and gives bread its distinctive texture. Yeast is known to expand over time, which is why even after humans eat bread, their stomachs bloat. The bloating of human stomachs is not very visible but think of yeast entering your Goldfish’s stomach. Your Goldfish’s tiny stomachs will bloat considerably, and you can clearly observe the bloating moments after your Goldfish have eaten bread.

Gluten: Another important component of bread is gluten. As much as it is harmful to humans, it is more harmful to your little Goldfish. Goldfish love eating food, but they have a very narrow tolerance to heavy foods such as gluten. Your Goldfish have stomachs that are not made to digest the gluten that bread contains, thus making bread harmful for your Goldfish.

How eating bread can affect the health of your Goldfish?

Yeast and gluten in the bread give rise to many problems with the health of your Goldfish. it is safe to say that eating bread can cause many diseases in your Goldfish, which may end up killing them. Let me show you how:

Constipation: The most common issue that eating bread raises among Goldfish is constipation. You can clearly tell if your Goldfish is suffering from constipation, by looking at the feces that it is producing. The belly of your Goldfish will also be bloated. Your Goldfish will have a hard time pooping and the poop will be long, thick, and white rather than a clear thin one. The gluten in the bread will have caused this. To cure this, you must give your Goldfish the fiber that it needs, by adding boiled peeled-off peas.

Indigestion: The stomach of your Goldfish does not process the gluten in the bread, and this will cause indigestion in your Goldfish. this will also cause your Goldfish’s stomach to bloat, and you can clearly observe the unsettledness in their behavior.

Swim Bladder Disorder: Goldfish, and other fish as well, have an internal organ named the swim bladder. As the name suggests, this bladder helps the Goldfish swim properly and stay afloat. If this bladder is not functioning properly, your Goldfish will have difficulty in swimming. More symptoms of the swim bladder disorder include tiredness and bloating. Eating bread will most certainly cause this disorder in your Goldfish due to the presence of gluten and yeast. If this disorder is not cured timely, it will most certainly kill off your Goldfish in no time. To treat this, it is ideal to add Epsom salt to your Goldfish tank. 2 to 3 tablespoons of Epsom salt in a 10-gallon tank will be sufficient for your Goldfish to survive through the Swim Bladder Disorder.

Other foods that might be harmful to your Goldfish

It is common for new Goldfish keepers to believe that if Goldfish can eat anything, it is alright to feed them anything as well. Feeding Goldfish certain foods can be extremely harmful to them and will also result in their premature death. Here are some other foods you must always avoid feeding your Goldfish:

Crackers: As much as we enjoy eating fish-shaped crackers, crackers are very harmful to any type of fish, and even more for Goldfish. they contain gluten, which is hard to digest for your Goldfish, and causes constipation and bloating in your Goldfish.

Animal Fat: Goldfish enjoy eating anything, even animals that are relatively smaller than them. Goldfish are, however, very bad at digesting animal fats, and feeding them animal fats will cause indigestion and more problems will follow.

Cereals: Thinking of dropping some of the cereal into your Goldfish tank, while you are having breakfast? A terribly wrong decision. Goldfish cannot digest grains and cereals very well and consuming such foods will upset their digestive system.

Uncooked Peas: Although it is considered best to add peas to your Goldfish’s regular diet, care must be taken that the peas you are adding to your Goldfish tank, are boiled. Raw peas are hard for your Goldfish to consume, and their digestive system may not be able to digest them properly. Uncooked peas may also get stuck in their digestive tract, causing constipation and bloating.

What must you Feed your Goldfish?

Since all of the above food items are out of the question, you may be wondering what is suitable for your Goldfish to safely consume and digest. The answer to this is very simple, and here is what you can feed your Goldfish:

Pellets and Flakes: You can easily rely on fish pellets that you buy from your local pet store to feed your Goldfish. they are nutrition-rich for your Goldfish and will give enough of everything that their body requires. They are also easy to add to your Goldfish tank, and they minimize the risk of feeding your Goldfish something that they should not be eating.

Live Food: Goldfish love eating live food, and it should be a good portion of their daily intake. As much as store-bought pellets are good for your Goldfish, feeding them live food will help meet their dietary needs more effectively. They are also rich in protein and are very good for Goldfish that are in their growing stages. Live foods can include bloodworms and brine shrimp. Although these two are dead when you add them to the Goldfish tank, they provide enough nutrition to your Goldfish for proper growth. It is also fun to watch your Goldfish chase the live food around their tank, giving them a more natural environment.

Frozen Food: Many of the live foods for your Goldfish come in frozen forms, like bloodworms. This is ideal if you want to also give your Goldfish live food, and not be worried about having to deal with that food yourself. You simply just thaw the frozen foods that you can easily buy off the shelf from the local pet store and add it to your Goldfish tank.

What Human Foods Can Goldfish Easily Digest?

If you are thinking of adding some human feed to your Goldfish tank, you must research well as to what is good for them and what may be harmful. Let me help you through this:

Vegetables: An ideal human meal for your Goldfish is mostly comprised of vegetables. Not all vegetables may be good for your Goldfish, but a few are actually very nutritious for them. Carrots, peas (make sure they are boiled first), beans, lettuce, most greens, and zucchini are very good food options for your Goldfish. they provide your Goldfish with fiber and the proper nutrients required for the growth and development of your Goldfish.

Fruits: You can also add certain fruits to your Goldfish tank for a change in taste. Grapes, apples (with the skin removed), watermelons, and citrus fruits are healthy options for your Goldfish to eat and enjoy. They provide your Goldfish with the essential mineral for their growth and for keeping them healthy.

The Bottom Line on Can Goldfish Eat Bread?

Feeding bread to your Goldfish may seem like a normal thing to do, and many people do follow this practice, as they are not well aware of the harm a simple piece of bread can cause to your Goldfish. I hope I was able to make you aware of this regard. Bread can never be good for your Goldfish, even if your Goldfish is happily nibbling on it. So, if you are thinking of adding bread to your Goldfish tank when you are short on their regular feed, it is better to keep them hungry for a while and go buy them their own food, than feed them bread.