February 2010 - Goldfish Care Information Diseases & Treatments

Don’t Eat Goldfish – It Can Cause Cancer And Make You Sick

Can I eat goldfish? The answer is no! Eating goldfish can cause cancer and make you sick. I’ve seen so many young teenagers, men, and some women eating or swallowing goldfish at parties for a joke or a dare through YouTube videos and it makes me sick just thinking of it. Well for one eating a goldfish or swallowing one is gross but it’s what they don’t know that may make them think twice next time. Eating goldfish may indeed cause someone to get cancer and I’ll explain why.

For years I’ve been treating goldfish and using certain fish medications including Melachite Green to treat against different diseases and parasites. What some people don’t know is that Melachite Green is a carcinogen, meaning it has the ability to cause cancer. Now think about it now! These young kids, teenagers and even adults thinking they’re having a good old laugh about it could be in fact writing their own death sentence. This fish medication that goldfish and koi breeders use at fish farms intended just to be used as ornamental fish for aquariums or ponds can have serious effects against us. No fish should be consumed if this type of fish medication is used. Melachite green can cause cancer and should be used properly, with protective equipment and with caution. So no, no one should eat or swallow live goldfish as it’s not safe.!

A few years ago now I remember in Japan they had I think it was salmon that the Food Inspection Agency came into a local market and removed all the fish as it was contaminated. No fish intended for human consumption is allowed to be treated with Melachite Green. The fish in the market they found was immediately removed and destroyed.

So next time you, or people you may know decide they want to eat a goldfish or swallow one, remember this post. Goldfish treated with melachite green has the ability to cause cancer and should not be for human consumption. Now if this doesn’t stop you from picking up a live goldfish and eating it maybe all the wonderful little parasites that they carry might stop you. I could go on and on about how eating goldfish can make you sick. Some goldfish parasites reproduce at an amazing rate like ich at 500 parasites per cyst. I could say more but I think I made my point about how eating goldfish can cause cancer, make you sick and is plain gross. So next time your hungry instead of eating a live goldfish, go grab something out of the refrigerator.

Would you eat a live goldfish for money, a dare of just a plain joke? Love to hear your thoughts on this!

How To Feed Your Goldfish While Gone On Vacation?

It’s vacation time and your wondering on how to feed your goldfish while your gone away, what do you do. Well you have several options that you can do to ensure your goldfish are properly cared for and they are fed while gone away on your vacation trip. You will also need to make sure water quality and equipment is within its proper range and they are working effectively. Feeding goldfish while gone away on vacation is the least of your worries and I’m going to tell you why.

How To Feed Your Goldfish While on Vacation:

1. Have a family member or friend feed your goldfish while you are gone away.

Family Vacation - Don't Forget To Feed Your Goldfish At Home!

Goldfish Tip #1 – Make sure you show them how much to feed them and how often. Also explain to them do not clean the tank. I’ve heard horror stories where people come back from vacation to find all their goldfish or tropical fish dead in the aquarium because they cleaned the entire tank with dish detergent or bleach and placed fish back in. Remember educate your goldfish care givers…..

Boy Feeding Goldfish In Pond

2. Buy a slow release vacation fish food block at your local pet store. A good one to buy is Top Fin Slow Release Vacation Feeding Blocks.

This is one of the easiest ways for people to feed their goldfish while gone away on that family vacation of yours. Buy one of these slow release fish food tablets and voila!

3. Buy an automatic fish feeder for your goldfish.

This way works good too. Automatic fish feeders will pour out a small amount of fish food which is programmed for every so many hours. Here’s another option for you.

Remember these tips and how to feed your goldfish while gone on vacation works for both aquariums and goldfish ponds. If you have someone you can trust get them to come over to your home and feed your goldfish for you. If your only gone for a day or two, don’t worry about your goldfish, they’ll be just fine. Pet stores only feed their goldfish every second day to help reduce maintenance and they are just fine there. If you happen to be going away longer then a day or two then seek someone that can feed your goldfish for you or buy goldfish vacation food blocks while your away on your trip. This will slowly release fish food to your goldfish every day for up to 10 days. Goldfish vacation food is the perfect solution for while your away on vacation.