should I pick out food not eaten straight away?

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Hello again all,
we waited a week after filling pond with tap water and bought a pump and filter and then bought 3 goldfish and 3 shibumpkins(in a rush and not got time to check the spelling of that!) We have had then a week now and they are surviving and look well. They were fed on flakes at the aquatic centre but the staff said they were ready to move on. We didnt get the mix of the flakes and pellets as we were told they are fussy and will eat only one or the other.
We bought pink coloured pellets and have put some in daily in the same place in the pond.
At first they didnt touch them at all and after a few hours I picked them out so they didnt rot in the pond.
They seem to eat a few now but not much. There are lots of larvae and bugs in the water so could it be they are just eating those?
Will they starve themselves if they dont like the pink pellets and will they recognise the pellets as food if they are used to flakes?

If they dont eat the food straight away should we fish it out or leave it?

As usual, as a newby im grateful for all advice.
 
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I'd give them about 10 minutes to eat it then remove it.
lily said:
Hello again all,
we waited a week after filling pond with tap water and bought a pump and filter and then bought 3 goldfish and 3 shibumpkins(in a rush and not got time to check the spelling of that!) We have had then a week now and they are surviving and look well. They were fed on flakes at the aquatic centre but the staff said they were ready to move on. We didnt get the mix of the flakes and pellets as we were told they are fussy and will eat only one or the other.
We bought pink coloured pellets and have put some in daily in the same place in the pond.
At first they didnt touch them at all and after a few hours I picked them out so they didnt rot in the pond.
They seem to eat a few now but not much. There are lots of larvae and bugs in the water so could it be they are just eating those?
Will they starve themselves if they dont like the pink pellets and will they recognise the pellets as food if they are used to flakes?

If they dont eat the food straight away should we fish it out or leave it?

As usual, as a newby im grateful for all advice.
 
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Er, when dry about the size of a whole black peppercorn.....

Can I say the make ? Im guessing not but the label says it is 'gold' and ends in Koi if that helps?
 
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The fish are now eating, we changed the location where we feed them to a deeper area with no plants as opposed to a shallow area with plants about. We wondered if the fish actually realised that food was there in the shallow areas.
We love to watch them. It seems as if one or two realise food is there and then they take off to the others as if 'telling them'. (I know Im probably being daft but thats how it looks)
They then circle together weaving in and out of each other and then take it turn to dart to the surface and eat, even with us standing still by the side of the pond.
Its lovely to watch.
 

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