Guppies can eat goldfish food occasionally without any problems. So, if you only have Goldfish food, don’t worry about giving it to your guppies. However, note that goldfish food doesn’t have enough nutrients to be considered a guppy’s permanent food.
You wake up one day to your fish tanks that are filled with guppies and goldfish and notice that you’re out of guppy food. You’re late for work and you ask yourself, “can guppies eat goldfish food?”
The answer is yes, they can. But the question remains on whether or not they can survive only on goldfish food forever. Stick around to find out.
Can Guppies Eat Goldfish Food?
Eating a certain food is something, but surviving solely on said food is a different story. We’ve already established that guppies can eat goldfish food, but can they survive on it for long?
Guppies can eat goldfish food for some time, but the more they eat it without anything else, the worse their health is going to get.
That’s not because they would have harmful side effects from goldfish food. It’s because they won’t get enough nutrients from it.
We can confidently say that guppies can and will eat goldfish food if you introduce it to them. However, guppies will have severe health problems if they rely on goldfish food for long.
Guppies require various nutrients in their meals, mainly protein. That’s not only to survive but to also mature and have their iconic bright colors.
That’s right! Guppies get their bright colors from their food. The lower the quality of their food, the duller their colors will be.
Dull colors of guppies are usually a sign that something is wrong. If you notice that, then you’re not feeding them the way you should be.
To get a better understanding of why guppies can’t survive on goldfish food, we should know more about goldfish food.
What Does a Goldfish Eat?
In their natural habitat, goldfish eat more plants than anything else. They mainly prefer plants and algae that don’t have much protein content.
Artificial fish food is usually put together to replicate the natural diet of the species it’s made for. That’s why goldfish food contains mostly plant matter.
Their bodies don’t require protein to grow up and mature. That’s why a plant-based diet is more than enough for goldfish to survive on.
So, guppies could eat this food, but not survive on it for extended periods of time. We should know the good diet for guppies to figure out why.
What Does a Guppy Eat?
Guppies are an omnivore fish species and they will basically eat anything that can fit inside their mouths. Being omnivores, they need to eat both plants and meat in their diet.
In the wild, they eat algae, mineral particles, diatoms, and aquatic insect larvae. These various sources provide them with the proteins and minerals they need for healthy growth.
Again, artificial food for guppies usually provides them with the required balance between proteins and minerals, but guppies could actually eat many things.
Food Options for Guppies
- Tropical fish flakes are ideal for guppies. Guppies could survive on these flakes for the rest of their lives without problems.
- You could also feed them other foods that serve as extra supplements. These foods include but aren’t limited to blood worms, brine shrimp, and vinegar eels.
- They could eat some fruits and vegetables like peas, spinach, zucchini, bananas, and grapes, though such foods must be provided strategically and in conjunction with other foods.
- Beef is also a good source of protein for your guppies as long as you manage to make it small enough.
Keep in mind that all home foods and other substitutes should be cut down into small particles to make it easier for the guppies to eat.
If you don’t know how small you should cut their portions, check the size of their tropical flakes as they come with the ideal size for guppies.
How to Feed Goldfish Food to Your Guppies
Guppies have smaller body and mouth sizes than goldfish. You could simply take the goldfish’s flakes or pellets and put them on the water, but this isn’t recommended because they may have difficulty swallowing the larger pellets.
It’s best to grind or crush the pellets until they’re small enough for the guppies to eat without any hassle.
Since guppies could eat anything, they will rush towards the goldfish’s pellets as soon as you put them in the tank. You shouldn’t worry about them refusing the food.
How Long Can Guppies Survive Without Food?
If the situation goes dire, you shouldn’t worry about not feeding your guppies. Adult guppies could stay without for an average of seven days. Sometimes even up to two weeks.
However, babies can only survive for up to two days. You should never leave them without food for more than two days.
Final Thoughts
Guppies can eat goldfish food a few times on occasion, but that doesn’t mean they should. You should only feed them goldfish food if you have no other option. And don’t mistake the absence of side effects as a sign that Guppies are okay with it.
Goldfish food simply doesn’t have enough nutrients for guppies. If it’s the only food they eat, their health will severely deteriorate and they may pass away eventually.
Nevertheless, if you feed your guppies their favorite flakes and still like to supplement them with extra foods, then some goldfish pellets won’t hurt.