Feeding

[Lilguy]

At what point do you stop feeding the fish? up until the water starts to ice up?

 

[sissy]

I use pond temps and when water gets below 50 I feed wheat germ once a week .I don't want them to eat everything in the pond before winters over and below 40 I feed nothing but it never gets that cold here so water really never gets real cold .When water gets above 65 in the spring I start up with wheat germ mixed with organic garlic to help them feed better and help them stay healthy .Not sure what the rule of thumb is for feeding .I have been using the top water temp which I know is usually colder .Someone else may know better .

 

[Dave 54]

You should stop feeding your fish at 10c and should not be tempted to feed again until we enter spring this is even if the temperature goes above 10c.
So feeds state that it is safe to feed their product way down to 5c which in reality is totally wrong and misleading as 5c if only 3c shy of were fish go torpid and are in reality more dead than alive at this point.
You must not be tempted to feed your fish if the temperature goes a little above 10c as temperatures will soon plummet again to that of bellow 10c.
The spring is when you should next be feeding your fish and thats only after the temperature goes above that of 10c and is stable for a couple of weeks.
To help combat against parasites in the spring try adding finely chopped garlic to your wheatgerm or buy NTLabs Wheatgerm and garlic mixed koi food

rgrds

Dave

 

[dieselplower]

Water temp 55 degrees is when I basically stop. I may throw in a couple pieces until it gets down to 50 to see if they will eat it. They usually don't.

 

[Sunshine]

I feed til the water temp gets to 60* than switch to a wheat based Fall/Spring food til the water temp gets to 50*. Below 50*, I don't feed. Like Dieselplower, mine will quit on their own. Funny how they know when it's time to go nighty-night.

 

[GreatDanesDad]

Here in Phx, it is unlikely that the water will ever get below 10 C. Is there any reason to stop feeding if the fish are eating and the water never goes anywhere near freezing?

What is the reason for not feeding if the temp raises over 10 C?

 

[sissy]

health problems for the fish .

 

[JohnHuff]

I feed down to 55F outside temperature.

 

[Lilguy]

I live in Chicago and it can get below zero here. My pond is a livestock trough
Buried in the ground. 110 gals about 28 inches deep with straight walls. Have
not decided if I will chance a hard winter with such a small setup.

 

[dieselplower]

I feed down to 55F outside temperature.

Can you expand on this? Lately it has been in the 40's at night but 70's during the day. So 55 when? My water temp is near 70 and it has been in the 30's a couple times at night.

 

[koiguy1969]

Some POND FISH FOOD companies say it's o.k to feed down to 39*f . feeding wheatgerm based foods under 50*. these foods are known as spring / fall diet foods. I don't follow this. i stop feeding at 50*. feeding temps are water temps, not air temps. and temps should be consistant, not fluccuating around the cut off temp. come spring when you start feeding the temp should be steadily above 50*. i would wait til it steadily over 55*. under 50* the fish can feed on the pond; algeas etc...
for example, this is a feeding guide on a bag of TetraPond food.


I'm not saying it cant be done, i just wouldnt do it myself....

 

[JohnHuff]

55F when I feed them, during the day. I am assuming you are not going to feed them during the night.

In your case, if you feed them in the day when the temp is 70F, they will have no problem digesting them. By night time when your temp is 30F, the food should be digested already.

Right now, my fish are circling the feeding area and the look hungry. But the outside temp is 53F, so all I can do is watch them swim around hungrily. As Marie Antoinette once said, "Let them eat algae!"

Can you expand on this? Lately it has been in the 40's at night but 70's during the day. So 55 when? My water temp is near 70 and it has been in the 30's a couple times at night.

 

[JohnHuff]

I would not chance it. Low temps, low volume, shallow, thin walls.

I live in Chicago and it can get below zero here. My pond is a livestock trough
Buried in the ground. 110 gals about 28 inches deep with straight walls. Have
not decided if I will chance a hard winter with such a small setup.

 

[JohnHuff]

Fish are cold blooded. When the temperature goes down, their digestion stops or slows down. Food will be undigested and fester in their gut.

Here in Phx, it is unlikely that the water will ever get below 10 C. Is there any reason to stop feeding if the fish are eating and the water never goes anywhere near freezing?

 

[koiguy1969]

Here in Phx, it is unlikely that the water will ever get below 10 C. Is there any reason to stop feeding if the fish are eating and the water never goes anywhere near freezing?

What is the reason for not feeding if the temp raises over 10 C?

when the temps raise over 10c is when you do feed!
10*c is equal to 50*f...if your water never goes below 50*.there is no need to stop feeding..