Goldfish Pond

by Deb
(Roches Point Ontario Canada)

I have had my goldfish last year that I kept in an outside pond. When fall hit I moved them inside in a tank.

I put them back out at the end of May and all went well. This last week it has been a bit cold and my fish do not want to eat!!!

Is this normal? They will not even come out from under the rocks that I have put in for shade and to protect them from prey.

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Grant's Reply


Hi Deb

Goldfish are seasonal creatures, feeding at different rates depending on the season.

Spring and autumn are the seasons Goldfish eat the most because they are either preparing for spawning, or preparing for winter when they cease eating under 10 degrees C (50 degrees Fahrenheit).

As you have sensibly wintered your fish inside, they will have been at much higher temperatures than would be normal for that time of year.

Check the water temperature in the pond. If it is at 10 degrees C or below, Your Goldfish won't show much interest in food until it starts to rise again. If it is particularly cold, say around 5 degrees C, which I suspect, they will have become semi-dormant, thinking winter isn't yet over.

Feeding should be governed by temperature.

Feed sparingly, if at all, until the water temperature gets back into the mid teens, (15-16 degrees C) as at very low temperatures the digestive system of Goldfish stop processing food.