Lionhead Sinking Mini Pellets, 3.5 ounces

WOW WOW WOW! What a difference a good food can make. I've had my aquarium set up for a couple of years now, I have tried a lot of different brands and types of goldfish Food, and some were better than others, but nothing was really noticeably different, the goldfish will devour anything you give them, and they all claimed to be the best and healthiest option. But then I noticed this brand (Hikary) in my local fish/aquarium store, but at first I didn't give it a second look, cause the store is owned and ran by Asians, so I thought it's just another brand, maybe that the Asian clientele recognizes. And also the store owner really recommended I buy the Cobalt brand, cause he said that is the only brands that has Probiotics in the food, which is good for digestion. So I've been using that brand for a long time. But then I noticed the Hikary brand here on Amazon, so I started reading reviews, and figured I have to at least try it, given the rave reviews it got from almost everyone. So I bought a small bag (3.5 oz.) to try, and WOW, what a difference! My fish look better, nicer colors, and most surprising of all is, that my little panda goldfish that I've had for over a year, and didn't really grow at all this whole time. Started growing with this food, but a lot, he is noticeably bigger after just a month on this food. I thought that maybe his type doesn't get bigger since he didn't grow at all for more than a year. But I guess he just wasn't getting the necessary nutrients to grow properly. So after seeing this, I'm sold. I've already ordered from Amazon a big bag (12.3 oz) and I'm staying with this food only (and of course twice a week green peas) So if your thinking of trying this, or if your a beginner and your not sure what brand of food to get. Do yourself a favor and buy this brand

Update: Saying my fish were half grown was a bit of an understatement. They were tiny little babies compared to what they are now. I've also added a few more. Considering these things, I can no longer get a year out of one of these bags. But at least three months for about 5 or 6 LARGE fancy goldfish, more in the fall and winter when the house is cold (my tank is unheated). Also, despite the fact that my tank is a bit overstocked, I rarely have problems keeping the water both clear and within healthy parameters. Part of that is filtration but I'm sure this great food helps too. Many of my fish are over six years old and they've been eating this food since I bought them. They are healthy and have good colors. Highly recommended food for fancy goldfish. Oh, I should also mention that my goldfish are not of the lionhead variety and this food serves them well. A couple of my new ones are oranda types but I'm not sure this has done much to promote head growth, though they were just cheap pet store hybrids so maybe they didn't have much to work with genetically in the first place. But anyway, good food for all fancy types and even feeding a young koi I'm babysitting (though he is quickly out growing the aquarium on this food since he's much faster than the fancy goldfish) Original: I've fed my goldfish this food since I got them. They're all healthy and vibrant. I've read this is just about the best food you can buy for them with out going and making/mixing it yourself. One bag has also lasted a very, very long time. I have 4 half-grown fancy goldfish and I can probably get nearly a year out of this bag.

This food is far superior than traditional flake food for medium to large fish, but small fish under 1.5 inches may struggle with the pellet size in an amusing way. (think of a kid getting caught red handed with cheeks puffed full of cookies). With a glass bottom aquarium, sinking pellets result in zero waste when feeding the fish as apposed to floating pellets that will eventually sink wherever or get caught up in plants. My fish usually catch them before they hit the bottom. Ever since I started using this food, my fish have been ravenously begging me for more every time I'm near the tank, however chewing more than a mouthfull keeps them occupied for some time after feeding, which works out well (and is again amusing to watch). I'm starting to wonder is there is some sort of addictive substance in the formula. I'm feeding it to all my fancys and they are all doing very well and are always happy to see me during feeding time, but they are also always very hungry no matter how much they get, but I think that's just how goldfish are. My fish have had zero swim bladder problems since using this food as well. Though my Orandas are growing fast and healthy, this food doesn't seem to be working any magic for their wen. I think it's purely genetics at play there.

Really good food. My fish love it. It really makes the Lionhead fish head grow bigger and faster.

This is high quality goldfish food, that does not cloud the water and has produced good health, color, spawning, and longevity in my fancy fish. I have used these products for at least 20 years for fancy goldfish. The size of the mini pellets is large enough to not fall between standard sized gravel. These, in combination with the floating variety, provide some browsing interest for the fish after the initial feed frenzy. While sinking, some of the pellets - which are ball shaped - sink slowly enough to be drawn into a lower intake of your filter, so you should be careful in placement. For fat-bodied fancy goldfish with possible swim bladder or digestion issues, I do not use these dry but, instead, soak the floating variety, which will then sink, while maintaining their integrity, without dissolving, to be picked up by the fish. I have not tried soaking the sinking pellets. To induce spawning, I usually add a light second feeding in the afternoon, of either a sprinkle of these or frozen bloodworms, which usually will do the trick. All Hikari goldfish foods have a strong fresh fishy smell, particularly when soaked, but that's because they are made of real ingredients. There is no chaff , so the fish pick up all the food and the smell goes away quickly after feeding.

My goldfish and my bristlenose pleco go CRAZY for this food. They will eat, but are noticably dissapointed when I give flakes or frozen peas. My albino bristlenose actually gets a bit aggressive over this food... I have been using for years and no problems. If your tank is smelling or getting cloudy, you may be overfeeding or need to clean the tank more often. In order to decrease the mess, i use a feeding bowl for my fish. Put pellets in a cup. Use a clean baster to add some tank water to cup. Use baster to suck up food, and you can basically place the pellets right into the bowl. This way, the food gets moist which lowers chance of swim bladder desiese. It also eliminates waste in two ways: 1) the food does not get lost in your substrate 2) by using a baster, you are only adding the food to your tank. The water in your food cup will become cloudy before feeding, and by using the baster, all those unwanted food particles clouding the water will never end up in your tank. Simply dump the water out of the food cup down the sink after feeding. I know this was a long review, but this is the best food I have come upon, and thought I should share my tips on how to use properly

My goldfish absolutely love this food. Their wens are getting huge, and they are healthy and active. Amazon has a good price on this food, but it is definately more costly than other food like flakes. But I've had these Orandas and Lionheads for 5 years now so I don't mind spending more for food with high quality ingredients. The pellets are mini sized but do expand some in the water. At first I didn't know if the size would be too small because I have some big guys (my calico Oranda weighed 9 oz last weigh in) and these pellets are more of a guppy sized food. However the good side is that they have to search longer to find their food and don't eat too quickly. So these small pellets make them work harder to find food. One of my round-bodied Oranda is prone to swim bladder and floating food caused her to suck in air when she ate. So I now feed them only sinking food. (They also get veggies like cooked peas and squash along with spiralena to boost their immune systems.) I just ran out of this food and got them some API sinking pellets at the pet store. My Oranda now has swim bladder problems again and the water is cloudy. So I am ordering more of this Hikari food to keep on hand.

I've been keeping Fancy Goldfish for almost 40 years - and using Hikari for almost as long. I'm glad to see they have removed MSG from their Goldie formulas and reduced the amount of fillers. When Hikari went back to their original formulas and developed newer and healthier alternatives I began to incorporate their foods once again. The Lion Head formula is rich in Fish Meal, Krill and Spirulina - considerd the most 'perfect' food on earth. In fact, I would encourage all Gold Fish lovers to add Zoomed's pure Spirulina flakes to your fishes diet - they'll flourish incredibly. As for the Lion Head formula my fish go crazy for it. The pellets sink nice and slowly reducing any top gobbling. The intake of air from floating foods is one the main causes of buoyancy issues and air bladder disease. Smaller pellets also provide your fish with activity as they indulge in their natural inclination to graze. As for Wen growth and color enhancement I haven't seen any results I would consider significant but I have seen an increase in activity and many of my 'bottom dwellers" which is always concern now spend much of their time mid tank. All in All the Hikari Lion Head formula is a superb food that packs plenty of significant proteins and fatty acids. 5 Fins Up!