# Is It The Goldfish, Or The Cost?



## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Just figured I'd throw this out there as we seem to have lots of topics regarding feeder fish, that always ends up being about feeder "goldfish". I was at Petsmart on Friday picking up some live fish to feed my Manny... They had an amazing sale where they were charging $1 for black skirt tetras, lamp eye tetras, and buenos aires tetras...

I spent $20 on a mixed bag of them all, because I thought that was a great deal. I don't feed live often, but I do feed live when I get a new fish as it helps them adjust easier (until they eat non-live). I threw in about 10 in one tank, and 10 in the other... and I expect it to last about a week.

Anyways, feeder goldfish costs about $0.13 cents a piece... so for only $2.60, I would have an equal amount of feeder goldfish than what I paid $20 for.

So let me ask you... if feeder goldfish cost around $2 a piece... would you all still decide to feed goldfish, or would you choose other types of live fish that are cheaper? Or would you just choose other live fish, independent of cost?

I bring this up because I see alot of folks defending the "feeding of goldfish" when it comes up on threads that talk about feeding "live" fish in general... so I was just wondering... if goldfish was more expensive, if it would still be considered the same way by most.

To me, I think it's the cost that makes them appealing... how about you, is it the cost? IF not cost, what are the factors that make them appealing vs. other live fish such as tetras etc.

Notice - I didn't say anything here against live feedings, nor did I say anything against feeding goldfish, nor did I say it's better to feed live... so really, it's just a discussion about cost vs selection


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## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Cost. I don't feed live really as gold fish are often sick due to their tank conditions and I don't want to spend 1$ plus for more or less a piranha snack that would be gone in a bite. If I was using feeders that cost more then goldfish I want them to be able to breed so the p doesn't eat the entire 5$ in tetras in 5 minutes.


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## kanito107 (Feb 1, 2011)

next time i feed them live ill definately look into which would be healthiest for the piranhas. knowing that goldfish are the worst to feed i i woulndt care if they were 1 cent each i woulndt get them
but if a healthy feeder costs me 2 dollars i woulndt think twice about getting them.

the thing is i dont feed live so i dont know what live fish are good.

you mentioned tetras is there other fish that are good?


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## kove32 (Oct 26, 2004)

It is most certainly the cost. That is what makes gold fish/ rosy reds so appealing. I often use earth worms or meal worms to feed my fish. If the cost on those were more, then I doubt I would feed them at all.


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Thanks for the input guys. I just happened to grab some tetras in that one reference which was most recently (because of the sale - they are usually $3+)... Sometimes I get zebras and platys... I haven't done any deep research on tetras, but I didn't recall there being any issues with them. I don't do this often as I don't feed live often, but back in the day when I used to feed live often, I used to grab bags of the feeder goldfish from a local wholesale breeder (who had quite nice ones) - as they were the cheapest decent sized live fish available. I've always fed my fish a mixed diet, of both raw meat, and live fish.


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## shaneb (May 4, 2010)

I buy mine from my buddy who breeds them (he own the LFS). I can get as many as i want for 2 bucks.. Thats tough to beat. I also feed guppies , Ghost shrimp , Danios, Them little silver catfish. I have fed a variety of diff live fish to them trying to figure out if they would tolerate anything in with them. I used to breed and feed convicts but that was more work then what it was worth..lol


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## r1dermon (Mar 9, 2005)

when i had my oscars and piranhas, i would often buy the largest tinfoil barb that the LFS had...i mainly fed hikari pellets and frozen shrimp, but about once a month i'd grab a big tinfoil barb.

reason is, the tinfoil barbs are so much faster than the oscars, that they really had to work themselves out to get it. and the piranhas were the same. if i dropped goldfish in, they'd be tagged in an instant...no chase, no chance, no nothing...many people underestimate how fast piranhas are as well...they're quick creatures...


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

I like the idea of testing their tolerance level of other fishes as well. So far my newest Manny hasn't eaten a single black skirt tetra I've had in there with him, and it's been about 4 weeks. I agree that most goldfish are an easy target, but every now and then you get an outgoing one.


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## RiptideRush (Jan 22, 2011)

I agree with live food. Sometimes a piranha needs to act like a piranha. With live food, its cost and selection. As long as the live food looks and acts healthy and has good tank conditions then to me its ok. I usually do convicts as my local fish store always had 5 baby convicts for $1, or .25 a pc. I don't really like giving my fish goldfish but the guys at my local fish store do the best they can are really good at changing the water and removing any dead fish from the feederfish tanks, so from time to time I grab 1 or 2 as treats.


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## Da' Manster! (Sep 1, 2009)

I think it's more convenience than it is cost...although cost most certainly plays a role because you can normally get goldfish at 10 - 13 cent a piece...but it's just as cheap to buy a bag of frozen smelt which can last for a month or so...just like other experienced piranha keepers, I've always used goldfish without any problems for 25 + years and have *NEVER* had a problem....I think the disease and parasite thing gets blown way out of proportion...As I've said, go take a look in the "disease and parasite" section of this website and you will see that the vast majority of those piranhas are fed non-live and/or frozen....coincedence?!.....well, I've always done variety also it's really not necessary...1/3 smelt, 1/3 feeder goldfish, 1/3 bloodworms....Guaranteed to = healthy, aggressive, piranha!...


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Thanks for the input guys, nice to get the views of other keepers. Do you all think it would still be convenient as opposed to other types of fish (such as platys etc.) if the cost was around $2 per goldfish? When I picked up the tetras last week I thought it was pretty convenient, or even more convenient as I didn't have to worry about inspecting the tanks as much (they were clearly healthy).


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## Piranha_man (Jan 29, 2005)

I wouldn't put a goldfish into any of my tanks even if they gave them away for free.

I have no problem treating my serras to an occasional giant danio, convict or whatevever.


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## Bacon Of Time (Feb 1, 2011)

ive read that gold fish and carps carry an emzym that isnt good for growing fish.
I wouldent feed goldfish regardless, ive never seen a pet store with a nice clean not full of carcases gold fish tank.


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## e46markus (Dec 9, 2010)

It's the type of fish not the price with me. It's difficult with live fish, think about it...even if you breed your own, do you really know if they have any sort of parasite? They could've contracted something even the day before you drop them in your piranha tank; even if your water conditions are pristine. It doesn't deter me from feeding live, I'd more so try to keep it as minimal as possible while still avoiding goldfish and rosy reds.


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## warpet (May 21, 2004)

I remember when Jans used to sell 50 goldfish for a dollar. I think it's 30 now, but that's still a good deal. Anways my current red bellies are still babies, I throw a dozen guppies in the tank to keep them from biting eachother. After 2 weeks they've only killed 5. They prefer dried Bloodworms and flake food .


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## warpet (May 21, 2004)

delete


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## I Can Mate (Apr 8, 2010)

i dont feed live often because my tank is densely planted that i dont get to see much happening and my rhom wont find the goldfish.


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## Ibanez247 (Nov 9, 2006)

Piranha_man said:


> I wouldn't put a goldfish into any of my tanks even if they gave them away for free.
> 
> I have no problem treating my serras to an occasional giant danio, convict or whatevever.


Same here. I buy tetras or danios every once in a while for my pygo tank. Ive had a single danio in my manny tank for two months now. Started with 5 so they are getting picked off but this one is a survivor. I just bought 5 red minor serpae tetras and put tyhem i nthe pygo tank but 2 were gone the first night. The remaining three seem to be doing ok. Even these dithers I will not buy if there is a dead fish in the tank or if something seems off. If a tank next to them has a dead or sick fish as most pet stores have the tanks set up to share a filtration system I wont buy any. I mainly feed my manny frozen silver sides and the pygos hakari pellets.


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## warpet (May 21, 2004)

I've been feeding my fish Goldfish for 35 years and I never had a problem, I think you guys are overreacting. in the wild fish go for the sick and weak first because they're the easiest prey and pose little threat of injury.


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

Great input. The other day I was thinking to raise my own platys, and feed them anti-parasitic food, as well as color enhancing foods. Then in turn, occasionally feeding to my P's as a snack... I was thinking that not only would it medicate the platy's to ensure they're parasite free, but it might also medicate the P making it parasite free too... but it was just a thought.. don't think I might ever really get around to it...


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## shoal king (Oct 27, 2006)

i have heard goldfish are also a species of carp. so there not to good for piranhas.


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