Keep your goldfish healthy - cook him a meal!

Cook him some gel food
Gel food is easy to make, and because it can be stored in the freezer, you don't have to cook it every day.

You just need a packet of unflavoured gelatin, a 2.5 oz jar of baby food - strained pea, carrot, green bean or spinach varieties are good - and a cup of water. You also need an empty ice cube tray.

Here's how to make it:

1. Pour 1/4 cup of water into a small saucepan.
2. Add the gelatin and stir over a low heat until the gelatin has completely dissolved.
3. Add the baby food and 3/4 cup of water, and continue to stir until it is thoroughly mixed.
4. When it has a smooth consistency, pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and leave it to cool.
5. Refrigerate the mixture. It will solidify in a few hours.

Goldfish feeding tips

1. Goldfish are greedy feeders. They will eat everything you give them and still manage to look hungry. The golden rule is: only give them small amounts of food once or twice a day. Goldfish are far more likely to become ill from overfeeding than from underfeeding.
2. Uneaten food left at the bottom of the tank will cause water problems for your goldfish. It effectively poisons the water they live in. Remove any food that is uneaten or decaying, and if food continues to be left uneaten, reduce the amount you give your fish.
3. Dried fish flakes have a tendency to swell up inside your goldfish's stomach and can lead to digestion and swim-bladder problems. One way to avoid this is to soak the fish flakes before adding them to your fish tank.

You should introduce new foodstuffs into your goldfish's diet gradually. Replacing one or two meals of fish flakes with live food, vegetables, or gel food each week will help keep your goldfish in top condition for years to come.

Elaine Rushmore is the author of The Goldfish Doctor - a step-by-step guide to the diagnosis, treatment and cure of sick goldfish. www.goldfishdoctor.com