Do you cut back on feeding during the hot summer months?

[LarryM]

Just curious how much and often to feed my koi when the water gets real warm. I've read conflicting information on the subject. Some say the fish are more active with warmer water and need more food. Others say to cut back because the food passes through the fish's digestive system faster and contributes to more nutrients in the water from the food not getting fully digested.
I have 14 koi about ten inches average length. Had a pair of goldfish that spawned so probably twenty or thirty of the little babies swimming around. They are in a 15,000 gal converted swimming pool. I have a 200 watt UV clarifier but having some problems with it and two of the five bulbs are not working. I have been feeding twice a day but have cut back to just one light feeding in the morning because my water is turning green. My water temp yesterday was 89 degrees. I'm working on getting the UV unit back to full strength and that should clear my water. But in the meantime I'm wondering if cutting back on feeding is a good thing to do when it gets hot. It's only June and summer is just starting

 

[Lisak1]

We feed our fish the most during the summer - but we are in a climate where they don't get fed at all from October until April or May, so your situation may be somewhat different. I've never heard that the food passes faster because it's hot though - that's a new one.

 

[mrsclem]

I always feed heavy with higher temps. When water temps get close to 90 I do cut back and boost aeration.

 

[LarryM]

I've always fed more often with smaller portions in the summer as well. I just bought a bag of Microbe-lift summer staple food and the label says to cut back when temps are over 85 and stop feeding completely when temps are over 90. That's why I was just wondering what everyone here does.

 

[Panzer13]

Kio and Goldfish are both cold blooded. The higher the water temp the grater their metabolism and thus greater demand for food. The advise on the food may be addressing the fact that the more you feed the greater the waste. If you good filtration and the proper number of fish in the pond this should not be an issue.

 

[Gemma]

What @Lisak1 and @Panzer13 said

 

[sissy]

mine are lucky theyget fed 3 times a week no matter what time it is spring summer or fall

 

[texmaster]

I'm in Texas so they get fed year round because its never cold

 

[Mmathis]

I don’t change me feeding routine for summer. There is plenty of algae for the goldfish to eat, so they’re not going to go hungry.

 

[carolinaguy]

if you talk to a championship koi keeper, he will tell you to stop feeding above a certain temperature, like 85 degrees or so. i'm not sure why. we never stop above 55 degrees. i don't see the point and our koi eat just fine. if there is an issue about feeding, koi will back off on their own and reduce intake. at 55 degrees and going colder, our koi seem to naturally reduce their intake and are not interested in the food. of course we stop altogether at about 52 degrees, and at about 48 degrees, the bacteria in their gut that aids in digestion become dormant, so its actually a health risk then.