feeding in winter

[pete1047]

i am so tempted to feed them, i live in tx so it is not nearly as cold as most states. at this time today 10:39 its 48F. i read if the the water is below 60 there is no need to feed them. how do i know what the water temp is without a thermometer. my fish are 10 goldfish, 2-3 shumbumkins, 1 moore, and possibly a koi. the reason i assume its a koi is bc its only blue and black. when the shumbumkins are red, blue, and black. what are the dangers of feeding them? how long does it take to rot in their stomachs for them to die?

they all seem good for now, i havent had to feed them for over 45 days. its starting to get warmer here. so i thought i might be time.

 

[koiguy1969]

the rule of thumb is 50* f ...thats the stop feed mark. 65* - 50* wheat germ food (spring / fall mix) is best. those temps are the water NOT the air.. once you stop..stop! ordinarily if hunger demands, they can feed off the pond alge plant matter etc..

 

[DrDave]

Pete
Thermometers are cheap, get one.

 

[DoDad]

I agree w/DrDave. I have two one is the type you get at WalMart that floats in swimming pools and the other is a digital that you can as get at WalMart in the kitchen gadget area.

 

[pete1047]

i dont have any plants for them to feed of as of now. and i cleaned it recently. so..can i give one pebble its Smartpond fish food. seems like the moore is hungry. when cleaned it they were inside and he ate and no other fish did. check it on my youtube
Container fish
[ame]

 

[koiguy1969]

look ...they may eat, get bound up, then the food putrifies and can cause internal infections and/or death. if the water is 50* or less ..NO FEEDING!

 

[pete1047]

So will he die now? The container was inside for severL
hours. I figure the temp was above 50

I guess what trying say is can I feed whenever it's above
50? Or no feeding or the rest of the winter?

 

[DrDave]

Pete, all this conversation is useless untill you get and use the thermometer.

 

[pete1047]

I got a thermometer.
It said 46F. It's not 50 is it still risky to feed them?
It's 65 outside. Reason why I ask all this is because
I'm going out of town soon. And I want my fish to be ok

 

[stroppy]

not sure if your doing your fish much good moving them from pond to containers ...also your water doesnt look to good ... and i think you should do as everyone is telling you and get a thermometer ... might be your water is not cold enough to stop feeding ...

 

[DrDave]

Pete
Either you have not learned a thing here or you are messing with us. Which is it?

 

[DoDad]

It may die from you feeding or your water quality.

 

[koikeepr]

and black moors are not pond fish....they need warmer waters. That particular fish should not be outside...it won't survive.

oi vey!

 

[pete1047]

I'm not messing with y'all . Just curious about temps.
I have had my pond for 3 months and the only fish that
that have died were goldfish and that was only
in the first month. The moore seems to be doing fine.
He is in the goldfish community. My questions were answered
I'll keep you updated on the Moore life and if he dies..lesson
learned. I don't have don't have the expences to buy an
aquarium though I would love to have one.

 

[koikeepr]

yes, black moors are a goldfish variety--but there are some goldfish that are pond varieties and can tolerate cold and those that are strictly for aquariums and come from tropical climates and waters. Moors are of the latter type.

You should NOT willingly practice a LESSON on this fish...it's not right to just shrug your shoulders over a fish possibly living or not because you are not giving it the proper housing.

I don't want to be updated if the Moor dies. That's not something our user community wants to hear. This is a site about creating the best environment for our fish to thrive and live healthy lives. If you don't have the experience or can't afford or provide a proper home, than you should not buy an animal--even a defensless fish that is only a few dollars.