Question: Feeding tiger salamander goldfish?

[salamandergod]

I have 4 adult goldfish that spawn at least 2 times a year and I usually feed them to my predatory fish. Well, too many gold fish survived the pond and the fish managed to surpass my predators, so they are now too big for them to eat but are still small enough for my eastern tiger salamander. So my question is, is it fine to feed my salamander goldfish? I heard that for some species of snake it is not good to feed them fish. Is that the same for some amphibians?

 

[xxianxx]

Goldfish contain thiaminese, they are not a suitable diet for amphibians

 

[AfroNewtkeeper]

Like Nai Live said, goldfish aren't a good choice for tigers. (Or any amphibian, for that matter.) Stick to earthworms and you'll be fine.

 

[Jan]

Goldfish contain thiaminese, they are not a suitable diet for amphibians

Might you provide a citation for that statement?

I would agree they are not suitable as a staple diet, but as an occasional food item?

Many feeder fish, mollusks and crustaceans contain thiaminase an enzyme the breaks down thiamine. A diet composed mostly or exclusively of thiaminase-rich foods will most likely produce a thiamine deficiency leading to health problems. For large aquatic salamanders or frogs (bullfrogs) this should not be an issue if fed sparingly or rarely.

A prudent approach when selecting food items is to offer a diet that closely resembles what the species would eat in the wild, along with the greatest variety possible. For this reason, I would not advocate feeding goldfish to a terrestrial tiger salamander.

Goldfish offer very little from a nutrional standpoint to a tiger salamander, are fatty and an unnatural food item for terrestrial caudates. When purchased as a 'feeder fish' from pet shops, they are often maintained in deplorable conditions thus I would be concerned with pathogens as well.

Think of worms and other invertebrates as food sources for the tiger salamander.

 

[salamandergod]

Thank you all for your answers. I learned something new and I'm glad I went to the forum instead of just going for it. I know this spring the goldies will be going nuts and the process will start all over again. Better to be safe than sorry. :happy:

 

[Jan]

Good call - for me, better safe than sorry is always a guiding principle.

 

[xxianxx]

Might you provide a citation for that statement?

I would agree they are not suitable as a staple diet, but as an occasional food item?

Many feeder fish, mollusks and crustaceans contain thiaminase an enzyme the breaks down thiamine. A diet composed mostly or exclusively of thiaminase-rich foods will most likely produce a thiamine deficiency leading to health problems. For large aquatic salamanders or frogs (bullfrogs) this should not be an issue if fed sparingly or rarely.

A prudent approach when selecting food items is to offer a diet that closely resembles what the species would eat in the wild, along with the greatest variety possible. For this reason, I would not advocate feeding goldfish to a terrestrial tiger salamander.

Goldfish offer very little from a nutrional standpoint to a tiger salamander, are fatty and an unnatural food item for terrestrial caudates. When purchased as a 'feeder fish' from pet shops, they are often maintained in deplorable conditions thus I would be concerned with pathogens as well.

Think of worms and other invertebrates as food sources for the tiger salamander.

I haven't figured out how to put up links on my tablet but if you Google "goldfish thiamine" you will find all the info you need. You also agree that goldfish are not good as a "staple", if you think they are OK as an " occasional food item" we will have to agree to differ , you have actually stated my reasons for not using them in the latter part of your post, thanks lol

 

[Jan]

I haven't figured out how to put up links on my tablet but if you Google "goldfish thiamine" you will find all the info you need. You also agree that goldfish are not good as a "staple", if you think they are OK as an " occasional food item" we will have to agree to differ , you have actually stated my reasons for not using them in the latter part of your post, thanks lol

Nice dodge. So you can't support your broad statement that since goldfish contain thiaminase, they are not a suitable for amphibians? For the reasons I've stated I do not recommend nor advocate feeding goldfish...but to a big old aquatic bullfrog it might be a tasty and harmless snack.

 

[xxianxx]

Nice dodge. So you can't support your broad statement that since goldfish contain thiaminase, they are not a suitable for amphibians? For the reasons I've stated I do not recommend nor advocate feeding goldfish...but to a big old aquatic bullfrog it might be a tasty and harmless snack.

Sorry my initial statement wasn't clear, they contain thiamanese and are not a suitable diet in general for the reasons already mentioned. Your probably correct that the odd one wouldn't cause any problems but why use a food source which is by your own admission a poor choice ?

 

[Jan]

As indicated, I personally wouldn't use goldfish - even occasionally for the reasons I stated...which are not based on the fish being thiaminase-rich. My initial question was in regard to your broad statement; broad statements can lead to false information circulating on the internet. Thanks for your clarification.

 

[xxianxx]

As indicated, I personally wouldn't use goldfish - even occasionally for the reasons I stated...which are not based on the fish being thiaminase-rich. My initial question was in regard to your broad statement; broad statements can lead to false information circulating on the internet. Thanks for your clarification.

Thanks for asking for clarification xxx