Koi have been thought to bring good luck in Asia for thousands of years. But more than luck is required when feeding koi fish in the fall and winter. Knowledge, understanding and a thermometer take the guesswork out of feeding outdoor koi.
When and what to feed outdoor koi is determined by water temperature. Koi grow and build up reserves for winter during warm temperatures. During the summer months, koi need more protein because the bulk of their growth takes place at this time. They eat voraciously and can be a lot of fun to feed by hand since they are especially social creatures.
Seasonal adaptations to their feeding schedules need to be made to account for varying feeding habits. In spring and fall, when temperatures begin to drop, their food needs change, as their growth patterns decrease. It is time to add wheat germ to their normal summer food.
Continue to monitor water temperature throughout the fall, and when the water temperature drops to 60 degrees, use the wheat germ based food only. Koi fish metabolism slows when the water temperature reaches 55 degrees and their feeding needs significantly drop. At 50 degrees and below, stop feeding your koi until spring. Sounds complicated? Keep the 70-60-50 rule in mind. At 70 degrees: low protein and wheat germ, 60 degrees: wheat germ only, 50 degrees: no food needed.
It is important to keep close watch on temperatures during weather changes. If the temperature will be dropping in the days immediately following a feed, stop feeding them earlier. Koi metabolism slows as the temperatures drop to the point that they are unable to digest food at all. Any leftover food will decay and cause illness in your koi. Adding a mild antibiotic to the last few feedings of the year will help keep illness at bay.
Automatic koi feeders will do the work for you if your schedule is too hectic to maintain daily feedings. Automatic koi feeders dispense the nutrients you load into them at various times and intervals. Research shows that feeding koi small meals several times a day is healthier than giving koi one large feeding. Too much food allows the koi to overeat and the pond skimmer can filter the food away before the koi have an opportunity to eat it.
You can buy an automatic koi feeder for more than 200 dollars or as little as 50 dollars. Some are a rather ugly and take away from the beauty of a tranquil koi pond while others are lovely Japanese style pagodas that enhance the Asian feel of a well landscaped koi pond. A vacation is much more pleasurable knowing your koi will be healthy when you arrive home.
When spring arrives and the temperatures begin to rise, you need to reverse the feeding process. As temperatures rise, increase the feeding. First, add back the wheat germ, then go to the wheat germ and low protein feed, and finally, go to the full summer feeding as the temperatures get above 70 degrees. Follow a reverse rule, the 50-60-70 rule. Careful attendance to koi feeding will keep you fish healthy and happy. They will then give you many hours of enjoyment. - 15266
When and what to feed outdoor koi is determined by water temperature. Koi grow and build up reserves for winter during warm temperatures. During the summer months, koi need more protein because the bulk of their growth takes place at this time. They eat voraciously and can be a lot of fun to feed by hand since they are especially social creatures.
Seasonal adaptations to their feeding schedules need to be made to account for varying feeding habits. In spring and fall, when temperatures begin to drop, their food needs change, as their growth patterns decrease. It is time to add wheat germ to their normal summer food.
Continue to monitor water temperature throughout the fall, and when the water temperature drops to 60 degrees, use the wheat germ based food only. Koi fish metabolism slows when the water temperature reaches 55 degrees and their feeding needs significantly drop. At 50 degrees and below, stop feeding your koi until spring. Sounds complicated? Keep the 70-60-50 rule in mind. At 70 degrees: low protein and wheat germ, 60 degrees: wheat germ only, 50 degrees: no food needed.
It is important to keep close watch on temperatures during weather changes. If the temperature will be dropping in the days immediately following a feed, stop feeding them earlier. Koi metabolism slows as the temperatures drop to the point that they are unable to digest food at all. Any leftover food will decay and cause illness in your koi. Adding a mild antibiotic to the last few feedings of the year will help keep illness at bay.
Automatic koi feeders will do the work for you if your schedule is too hectic to maintain daily feedings. Automatic koi feeders dispense the nutrients you load into them at various times and intervals. Research shows that feeding koi small meals several times a day is healthier than giving koi one large feeding. Too much food allows the koi to overeat and the pond skimmer can filter the food away before the koi have an opportunity to eat it.
You can buy an automatic koi feeder for more than 200 dollars or as little as 50 dollars. Some are a rather ugly and take away from the beauty of a tranquil koi pond while others are lovely Japanese style pagodas that enhance the Asian feel of a well landscaped koi pond. A vacation is much more pleasurable knowing your koi will be healthy when you arrive home.
When spring arrives and the temperatures begin to rise, you need to reverse the feeding process. As temperatures rise, increase the feeding. First, add back the wheat germ, then go to the wheat germ and low protein feed, and finally, go to the full summer feeding as the temperatures get above 70 degrees. Follow a reverse rule, the 50-60-70 rule. Careful attendance to koi feeding will keep you fish healthy and happy. They will then give you many hours of enjoyment. - 15266
About the Author:
Pamella Neely writes about how to build a garden pond and how to feed koi properly.
