Why do they sell so many flake foods for goldifsh?

Question

If people read goldifish shouldn't even eat flakes because the float and goldfish have curved spines which cram their insides together which makes for bad digestion and when a goldfish goes to the surface to eat they gulp air and then they can get swimbladder really easily. I was at petsmart and they had like 10 kinds of goldfish flakes and only 1 tub of sinking pellets.....why?

Answer 1

I've worked as a veterinary assistant as well as at a pet store.  There's really nothing wrong with feeding a goldfish floating flakes.  It's really not going to harm the fish.  I think the reason there are so many more flakes than pellets for goldfish is the fact that they're generally cheaper and more popular.  Stores aren't going to stock a large amount of products that don't sell.  

Answer 2

Because. They intend on making money, which they find people don't usually read the containers, and it's cheaper to make the ones that float, because it uses less of the food, but they can price it and sell it just as high as they ones that sink. The sinking foods usually sell a bit higher. I suppose. ( That's my guess. But I hope I helped. )

Answer 3

Hi Orandalover, the same reason there's loads of junk food outlets for us-money money money.

  I would correct you on the gulping air-this is a myth. All fish, wild & captive gulp air as a natural action & blow it out their gills-that is what fish do. What causes swim bladder & other equilibrium problems is overfeeding fancy, fat bodied Goldfish because their intestines are full of hairpin bends & too much food gets stuck & impacted causing blockages, infection & tearing of the gut wall. Good foods are pre-soaked sinking pellets such as Pro Gold & Hikari, also cooked veggies like shelled peas, cauliflower & spinach.

Answer 4

There are so many so companies can make money that is it.

Also, flake food is better food than pellets for tanked fish.  Goldfish don't get swimbladder from gulping air, they get bloat, which is totally different.

Petsmart doesn't like to carry pellets for goldfish only pond fish.  Ours here won't sell floating pellets for goldies.

Flake food is fine, what is more important is the contents of the food.  High proteins, low fats and fillers.  Supplementing your fish's food with greens is a must for healthy goldies.  Lettuce, peas, beans, spinach, duckweed, brine shrimp, red/green peppers cukes watermellons oranges are all great supplements for your fish.

Also, swimbladder is cause by an equilibrium problem within the fish.  Usually when they are kept in less than normal water.  Or water that contains salts.  Goldfish have no stomachs therefore the water they absorb needs to process foods and internal organs.  When this intestine swells it pushes against the swimbladder not allowing it to fully inflate or deflate or either normally.  Green veggies and fruits contain higher amounts of water and allows the fish to process them quickly.  keeping the intestines clean.

Answer 5

Feeding flakes is not harmful to your fish.  Overfeeding your fish and keeping it in a small space is harmful.  If you are worried about feeding flakes it is easy enough to soak them for a few minutes before feeding.  Feeding unsoaked pellets is worse than feeding flakes.  Soak a pellet and see how much larger it becomes.  Your goldfish can gobble up quite a few of those in a short period of time and then they swell in the stomach causing bloating.  

Goldfish don't "get swimbladder".  Swimbladder disease is an actual disease of the swim bladder.  What most fancy goldfish get is bloating that causes pressure on the swim bladder and is totally curable.

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