Feeder Fish

You know those small, cute, orange, red, grey, and black goldfish you see at the petstore? The little ones with that boomerang 'fishtail' shaped tail, and bitty lil' fins, and the torpedo shaped bodies? The ones usually crowded into huge schools in their small tanks? The cheapest things at the store? Well, surprise surprise if you didn't know but those fish's jobs aren't just keeping people happily content, being a pet.

Feeder Fish
Those little sweet guys are known as feeder fish. Some pet stores refer to them as Japanese Goldfish, or Pygmy Goldfish, sometimes even Goldies or Breeding Fish. But, beneath their plastic nametags, these fish are known by many as Feeders or Feeder Fish. They are bred purely for being small, wimpy and uncared for and their only 'job' is to get eaten by bigger fish. People with fish such as Oscars or cichlids will buy a dozen of these little guys and then get joy from watching their little tiger-fish gobble up the 'useless' fishies. These fish were really originally made in Japan and China where they were cherished as the 'colorful carp' and were kept as loved pets. These fishies soon spread throughout the world, soon hitting America. But, these fish were thought to be funner to feed to their 'big mean' fish then keep as pets. The fishes high thought of reputation was soon crushed and the pet in these fish died out and became scaredy little snacks for big fish, soon spreading all over the world. The idea to feed these fish to bigger ones was thought to be a healthier diet for the big fish, and it was to keep their natural predatory instincts 'sharp' and to give joy and exercise to the fatties. They also thought it was a fun pastime to watch these fish get munched up and little comps arose, where men would bring in their big fish and see how many feeders one could gobble up at one sitting. The one that ate the most being the winner.

These Poor Fishes
Although this can be a much better diet, being healthy and somewhat natural to the predatory fish, there are always cons in a situation, and through scientific study and lots of thought and realization, this situation has a lot of cons. First of all, poor fish! Many people are purely against the idea of feeding life fish to bigger ones and refuse to do it as well as stop it. This page is not for stopping it. It is for simply allowing you to know what this is all about and help out in the cause. If you used feeders for, well feeding, then that's ok. I personally do not support it although I am not entirely against it, and just want you to know that. I have done feeding fish in the past and do not enjoy it. It is simple. But, anyway. These fish do need some help though, not just saving it from getting fed, but restoring this fishes high thought of rep and high pride. Adopt these sweet things and keep them as pets. If you have reasonably small fish, buy some Feeders to keep them company as pets. Be nice to your feeders and treat them as equals among the other fish if there are any. Know that you are saving these gems from getting eaten and that should be reward enough although these fish are silly little things that I really like! You can watch them altogether in a tank and see how they individually make relationships, friends, and enemies among their other Feeders. Help change the name completely from feeder to Goldie or Japanese Goldfish. Tell friends and family about these awesome fish, and all the good things about them. For a birthday, wedding, or other celebration give the person being celebrated a 'Goldie'. They are cheap and easy to care for, needing only a couple of gallons to thrive and don't really need any toys or specialized living conditions. They are super hearty and are quite smart little things. For a club/ family/ group / class pet, get one of these fishies. They love to be mushed over and can be seen doing backflips and jumping out of the water when in the presence of watching spectators. Silly little things are great pets!!