Hepper is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more.

How to Feed Goldfish Peas: Methods & Benefits

Lindsey Stanton Profile Picture

By Lindsey Stanton

pea-pixabay

Green peas are an exceptionally healthy and beneficial vegetable to feed your goldfish. They can help with digestion, constipation, and sometimes mild digestive swim bladder-related issues. This makes them a very well-known and sought-after snack for goldfish among goldfish keepers.

They offer good nutritional value to your goldfish’s diet. Although they are such a good source of fiber, and most people will try to feed their goldfish peas as often as possible, it’s best not to overdo it. They should be treated as a snack and fed occasionally.

Peas can be fed alongside the main diet every now and then for added fiber to the diet. They can also be fed during medical fasting (for example, swim bladder issues brought on by digestion or constipation problems).

aquarium plant divider

Preparation

Before feeding your goldfish this delightful snack, you want to make sure you follow the correct steps to prepare the green peas appropriately for your goldfish. You should buy plain green garden peas without additives except for water. You can safely feed the premade tin garden peas or the bagged version of uncooked hard peas, which you will then have to boil.

fish-eating-pixabay
Credit: imsogabriel, Pixabay

Benefits

Peas seem to have a lot of healthy and valuable benefits for goldfish due to the amount of fiber they contain.

Here are some examples:
  • Eases constipation
  • Promote proper and easier digestion
  • Makes a healthy addition to your goldfish’s diet
  • May help with digestion-related swim bladder problems
  • Easily and widely available at your local food markets or shops
  • Easy to prepare
  • Sinks in the aquarium by itself
  • It does not foul the water up as quickly as other types of vegetables

You will find plain green peas in your local supermarket, mainly in the form of precooked peas in a tin, uncooked peas, or frozen peas. It is vital to ensure that they’re garden peas. For all the methods below, you will have to deshell the peas by removing the dark green outer part to expose the light green ball inside.

aquarium plant divider

How To Prepare Uncooked Garden Peas

vegetable-pixabay
Image Credit: balouriarajesh, Pixabay
  1. Place the peas in a pot of water, just enough to cover the top of the peas.
  2. Boil the uncooked peas for 5 to 8 minutes, then let them simmer with the lid and heat off for about 2 minutes.
  3. Do not add any spices or sauces.
  4. Cook until soft.
  5. Drain the water.
  6. Wait for the peas to cool down before proceeding.
  7. Choose one pea for adult goldfish, unless they are smaller than 2 inches, then ideally cut the pea in half or quarters.
  8. Deshell the peas. Gently squeeze the peas till the inside comes out, but do not feed the outer shell.
  9. Gently squish the peas between your fingers and drop them into your goldfish’s aquarium; they should instantly sink.

aquarium plant divider

How To Prepare Precooked Peas

pea-pixabay
Image Credit: wantul, Pixabay
  1. Make sure the peas have no additives like spices or sauces.
  2. Rinse the peas under cool water.
  3. Drain the water into a sieve.
  4. Deshell the peas by squeezing the insides out of the dark green shell.
  5. Squish the inside of the pea and drop them into the aquarium.

Many fish die as a result of improper food and/or portion sizes, which can be easily prevented by proper education.

The Truth About Goldfish New Edition

That's why our best-selling book, The Truth About Goldfish, covers exactly what you can and can’t give your goldies when it comes to mealtime. It’s even got a section dedicated to keeping your pet fish alive and well-fed when you go on vacation!

aquarium plant divider

How To Prepare Frozen Peas

  1. Take the frozen bag or container out of the freezer the night before you plan to feed it to your goldfish.
  2. Once it is completely defrosted, microwave it for 30 seconds
  3. Run the peas under cold water and wait for them to cool down.
  4. Deshell the peas.
  5. Proceed to squish the peas inside between your fingers.
  6. Drop the peas into the aquarium for your goldfish to consume.

Always wash your hands before handling your goldfish’s food, avoid serving frozen or hot peas to your goldfish, wait until the peas are at room temperature, and try to avoid over-feeding peas to your goldfish. If your goldfish gets messy, you may want to consider only feeding the peas before a water change and substrate cleaning by means of a gravel vacuum (siphon).

aquarium plant divider

Tips for Feeding Peas to Goldfish with Swim Bladder Issues

It is important to ensure the condition you’re treating has to do with digestion or constipation. It is best to fast the fish appropriately and feed a whole deshelled pea to an adult goldfish twice a day, or a goldfish under 2 inches with half or a quarter of the pea twice a day, ideally in the morning and evening.

Do not fast the fish for longer than 3 days. It is best to seek medical help from your trusted aquatic vet or a knowledgeable goldfish keeper when you notice any sign of a swim bladder issue. Peas are not a go-to cure for swim bladder problems and should not be handed out as such.

Your goldfish will greatly appreciate the benefits peas have to offer, but you should serve them only as a snack to supplement a balanced diet.


Conclusion

Although peas are a great source of fiber, it’s best not to overdo it. They should be treated as a snack and fed only occasionally. Follow our steps above to make sure you feed peas to your goldfish safely!


Featured Image Credit: Devanath, Pixabay

Related Articles

Further Reading

Vet Articles

Latest Vet Answers

The latest veterinarians' answers to questions from our database