Why are my comets (goldfish) eating my lily pads?

I have had a fish pond and waterfall in front of my house for almost 10 years. It is stocked with comets and fantail goldfish, as well as a variety of plants, including water lilies with lily pads. For the entire time the fish have thrived and so have all of the plants. This season, however, I noticed that the fish have literally eaten all of the lily pads that reach the surface of the water, and the lilies no longer reach the top. My wife and daughter feed them with fish food occasionally, but they have done so for years, with no ill effects to the plants. Does anyone know why they are doing this? Otherwise, the pond water is clear and seems to be in fine shape..

Why are my comets (goldfish) eating my lily pads?
Are you sure the fish are eating the plants %26amp; not some snails or other critters?


Many fish will eat a certain amount of plant material but if they haven't eaten the plants till now %26amp; they are the culprit, I would guess they are not getting enough food. BUT!!! I would check for snails first before giving extra food. As you know too much food can cloud up the water...
Reply:Feeding more frequently, a minimum once a week, should cut back on their grazing.





Fish manage pretty well on their own, but your plants will do better with fish food.
Reply:I agree with Ray M Be.... they need more food. I bet that you have acquired more fish over the years. I know that I have, my comets have had babies three times in two years. I have a total of 13 fish now and I feed mine two to three times a day in the warm weather. I give them what they will eat in 5 minutes and they are always very eager to see me come with the dinner tray. I say they are hungry....feed them. Mine don't eat my lilies. Remember in "Gone with the Wind" that Scarlet was out in the old garden trying to dig up any root to eat? Well, if the food source is scarce, then they are going to find anything they can to eat and unfortunately for you it is your lilies.
Reply:the fish are growing and need more food





seriously





feed more food
Reply:I don't know, but my moms comets do the samething. I don't hurt them so I guess its ok
Reply:Both goldfish and Koi are vegetarians...that is what they eat by nature. Give them some green stuff and they will go to town if they are hungry. The eat alga of the walls of ponds, they eat any submersed plant, and they will eat lily leaves...fortunately, the lily plants put out leaves so fast, the fish cannot keep up with them. The fish will also eat the blooms if they can. Good luck
Reply:you should be feeding your fish at least once a day and do it the same time of day each time, goldfish do like some greens so I raise duckweed for their salads, your fish are probably eating


the aphids on the waterlily pads and getting the leaves also, from what ive heard from other pond keepers this summer, the aphids seem to be worse with the extreme temps weve been having
Reply:Maybe they have turned into vegetarians.