How and what to feed your koi
Once you have built your pond and introduced the koi the most fulfilling part is yet to come.
Feeding your koi can become one of the most enjoyable aspects of the hobby and allows you to spend time with your fish at least once per day.
The amount of food you feed your koi and what you feed your koi will depend on the water temperature. An indoor or heated pond has the advantage of being maintained at a constant temperature all year round, which means you can feed your koi all year round.
When water temperature drops to below 6-8 degrees it is advisable to stop feeding your koi. Their metabolic rates will have slowed down ad they will not need to eat. When temperatures are between 8 and 14 degrees centigrade then feed your koi wheatgerm. They can digest this food with ease. Then for temperatures in excess of 14 degrees feed them standard food.
Some koi keepers like to add special colour and growth enhancing foods to get the most out of their koi.
Koi food will come in a variety of forms including pellets and sinking varieties.
It is important to not try and make your koi too fat or they will become unhealthy and prone to disease. To add variety to their food you can add lettuce which his high I vitamin C. You can also feed them oranges cut in half but remember to take any uneaten food out at the end of the day otherwise it will decompose.
It is a good idea to feed your koi small amounts several times per day rather that feeding them a lot in one sitting. Obviously take not of the water temperature as you would not want to feed your koi several times per day in temperatures below 8 degrees.
The amount of food you feed your koi and what you feed your koi will depend on the water temperature. An indoor or heated pond has the advantage of being maintained at a constant temperature all year round, which means you can feed your koi all year round.
When water temperature drops to below 6-8 degrees it is advisable to stop feeding your koi. Their metabolic rates will have slowed down ad they will not need to eat. When temperatures are between 8 and 14 degrees centigrade then feed your koi wheatgerm. They can digest this food with ease. Then for temperatures in excess of 14 degrees feed them standard food.
Some koi keepers like to add special colour and growth enhancing foods to get the most out of their koi.
Koi food will come in a variety of forms including pellets and sinking varieties.
It is important to not try and make your koi too fat or they will become unhealthy and prone to disease. To add variety to their food you can add lettuce which his high I vitamin C. You can also feed them oranges cut in half but remember to take any uneaten food out at the end of the day otherwise it will decompose.
It is a good idea to feed your koi small amounts several times per day rather that feeding them a lot in one sitting. Obviously take not of the water temperature as you would not want to feed your koi several times per day in temperatures below 8 degrees.
Floating koi sticks contain protein which encourages growth and reproduction in summer
Small pellet food is great for young koi because they can fit it in their mouths. There is a large range to choose from with different nutritional benefits.
Large pellet food is suitable for adult koi and allows them to swallow it easily.
Oranges can be fed to koi and provide beneficial vitamin C. The koi will eagerly eat them and eat everything other than the peel.
Lettuce is also a good source of vitamin C and once koi are used to lettuce leaves they will go onto chase a full lettuce around the pond.
Bread is a good source of wheatgerm and vitamins. It also contains a lot of carbohydrates which can make fish excessively fat if they are fed a lot of it.