How to Prepare Fruits and Vegetables for Goldfish to Eat

Co-authored by Doug Ludemann and Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: November 29, 2024 Approved

It's easy to think that goldfish get all of their nutrition from pellets or flakes, but they need fiber that comes from fresh produce. Select a variety of ripe fruits and vegetables and clean them well. Then peel the produce. If they're soft, you can finely dice them and serve them to the goldfish. If the fruits and vegetables are firm, you'll need to heat them until they're soft enough to finely chop.

Feeding Goldfish Fruits and Vegetables

Select ripe fruits like apples, bananas, and mangos and fiber-rich vegetables like spinach, sweet potatoes, and carrots. If the fruits and veggies are soft, simply clean and dice them into 1-2 mm-sized pieces. If the fruits and veggies are hard, peel the skin and steam them for 3-5 minutes so they’re soft.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Selecting and Washing the Produce

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1
Choose high-quality fruits. Look for fruits that are ripe and don't have blemishes or bruises. Since goldfish enjoy variety, pick out several kinds and see what they like to eat. For example, buy:^{[1]
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- Apples
- Bananas and plantains
- Raspberries and strawberries
- Oranges
- Pears
- Grapes
- Mangoes
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Buy vegetables that are high in fiber. Fiber will improve your goldfish's digestion and prevent constipation. Look for vegetables that are firm and heavy without blemishes or wilted spots. You can feed your goldfish:^{[2]
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- Lettuce and spinach
- Sweet potatoes and potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Lima beans and peas
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If the produce has a large surface area or is leafy, put it into a bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Leave the produce for 1 to 2 minutes and then swish it around to loosen any dirt or debris. Then drain the produce and rinse it under cold running water.^{[3]
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Did You Know? Submerging and rinsing works well for lettuce, spinach, beet greens, broccoli, and cauliflower.
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Rinse the produce to remove dirt and pesticides. Wash your hands before you begin. If you're cleaning produce that has a rough surface, such as potatoes, carrots, or apples, scrub them gently under cold running water to remove any dirt. If you're rinsing small produce, such as strawberries, raspberries, or grapes, put them in a colander and rinse them under cold running water.^{[4]
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- To help scrub the produce, you can use your fingers or purchase a vegetable scrubbing brush.
5
Dry the produce completely. Prevent chlorine from the tap water that you used to rinse the produce from getting into the goldfish tank. To do this, use a paper towel to dry the cleaned produce. Then discard the paper towel and prepare the produce.^{[5]
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- If you're still concerned about transferring chlorine to the tank, use distilled water instead of tap water to clean the produce.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Heating and Chopping the Produce

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1
Peel the clean fruits and vegetables. The goldfish will need very soft food, so you'll have to remove the peel from most vegetables. You can chop and use soft food immediately or peel and heat harder produce. If you can't use a vegetable peel, take a paring knife and peel away the outer layer from:
- Apples
- Pears
- Grapes
- Mangoes
- Sweet potatoes and potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
Tip: You can simply pull off the peel from bananas, plantains, and oranges.
2
Steam the produce on the stovetop for 3 to 5 minutes. Heat about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water in a pot until it comes to a boil. Then place a steamer basket into the pot and roughly chop the produce. Add it to the steamer basket. Then cover and steam the vegetables and fruit until they're tender when you poke them with a fork.^{[6]
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- If you'd rather blanch the produce, add the fruits and vegetables directly to the boiling water in the pot. Boil the produce for 1 minute and then transfer it to a bowl of ice water to stop it from cooking.
- Ensure that the steamer basket doesn't touch the water in the pot.
3
Use the microwave if you don't want to steam on the stovetop. If you'd rather use the microwave, cut your choice of fruits and vegetables into chunks that are less than 2 inches (5.1 cm) in size. Put them into a microwave-safe container and pour in enough water to come ¹⁄₈ inch (0.32 cm) up the sides. Cover the container and microwave the produce until it's tender when you poke it with a fork.^{[7]
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- If the produce isn't as soft as you'd like, cover and microwave it in 30-second increments.
Did You Know? The amount of time it takes to heat the produce will depend on the type of fruit or vegetable you're preparing. Soft produce, such as cucumbers or pears, will take less time than firmer produce, such as carrots or broccoli.
4
Chop the produce into tiny pieces. Since fish have very small mouths and no stomach, you'll need to make the produce as small as possible. Set the already soft or cooked produce on a clean cutting board and use a knife to chop the fruit or vegetables into pieces that are 1 mm (0.10 cm) to 2 mm (0.20 cm) in size.^{[8]
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- To save time, put the food into a food processor and pulse it until it's finely chopped.
5
Feed the goldfish the finely chopped produce. Scatter some of the prepared fruits or vegetables into the tank with your goldfish. If you're only feeding 1 or 2 fish, just add a few tiny pieces. For a tank full of goldfish, add a few spoonfuls. The fish will immediately begin to nibble at the food.
- Although goldfish can eat fruit, you should limit their fruit intake to 2 times a week and feed the vegetables once every day or two. The goldfish may not eat as many pellets or flakes, so consider cutting back on the dried food a little.
- If you'd like to store the prepared fruits and vegetables, put them into an airtight storage container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that some produce will become brown or soften over time.

Expert Q&A

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Do goldfish eat fruit?

Doug Ludemann
Professional Aquarist
Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

Doug Ludemann

Professional Aquarist

Expert Answer

They can, but don't feed too many fruits and vegetables to your fish. It's easy to cause buoyancy, indigestion, and bloat issues. In general, a quality flake or pellet diet explicitly designed for goldfish can suffice. Goldfish need plant matter, but they also need protein and vitamins. They can get all of these from quality goldfish foods.

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What do I do if my goldfish keeps hitting its head against the wall?

Community Answer

Consider that your goldfish might have parasites. Its behavior might be defined as flashing.

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Can I save the rest of the peas or lettuce in the fridge?

Community Answer

Do NOT save food after it has been in tank water. It will start to ferment or grow bacteria - I got my whole tank sick once by using "saved peas." It is not worth the risk for a couple spoonfuls of food. Better to boil and shell peas, then freeze them in ice cube trays and thaw as needed. Make sure you thaw them, though. Don't drop ice cubes into your tank.

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Tips

If your fish hasn't eaten all of the fruit or vegetables, scoop out the produce after 24 hours and discard it. Leaving the food in the tank for more than 1 day will make the water cloudy.

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If you're preparing peas in a pod, remove the pod and discard it. Then peel the peas so they're tender.

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Remember to scoop out and discard the seeds from the centers of cucumbers.

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