fish activity

[Oldhead]

when i feed my fish they devour the pellets then race around poking at each others belly's. does anyone elses fish do this? I try to feed them 3 times a day cause a 1/2 hr after they get fed they act like they are hungry again. As i walk around the pond taking care of things they follow me like puppies waiting for a treat. they also nose around the rocks at the edge, and the lillies are always getting bumped around.

 

[DrCase]

They will eat all day if some one is there to feed them...mine want but they dont get...if they beg a lot they get more...:icon_mrgreen:

 

[DrDave]

Have you ever had a friend with a fat pet? It is the most disgusting thing you can do to an animal. A koi can get too fat as well.

My 8 breeder koi which are all about 18-20" get pellets once a day during the week and that amount is 50 grams (a little over 3 ozs). I do occasionally give them steamed rice, fruits and vegetables but the seldom eat any of it except the rice.

On weekends or when I'm home all day, I give them up to 2 ozs in the morning. They eat stuff that grows in my pond and are very healthy, look great and are very active. You should have seen the orgy 4 weeks ago.

 

[Julius Leonid Maestral]

That "poking at the belly" usually happens to my pond when there is a NEW arrival. How I envy the way your fish behaves as they follow you around. My fishes get spooked anytime someone or somebody's shadow hovers over them... :goldfish:

 

[Oldhead]

That "poking at the belly" usually happens to my pond when there is a NEW arrival. How I envy the way your fish behaves as they follow you around. My fishes get spooked anytime someone or somebody's shadow hovers over them... :goldfish:

well it took a couple of weeks after i bought them. at first all they did was hide in the caves i put in the pond for them. Now they nibble on my fingers if i stick my hand in the water.

 

[Julius Leonid Maestral]

How many times a day do you feed them? A couple of members here have the same problem as mine = "spooked fish". I think they are at the thread entitled "koi acting strange" by BlakeA. :icon_smile:

 

[Oldhead]

I feed them 2 times a day only what they can eat in a few minutes. I think most people here only feed 1 time a day.

 

[Julius Leonid Maestral]

For now, I cannot apply the "feeding measured by time" method often advocated by most koi enthusiasts as well as most of the members here, because of my spooked fish. Everytime I try to feed them they either swim away or just ignore the feed. I think its time for the old "deprivation" technique. What do you think? :goldfish:

 

[oldmarine]

This time of the year I feed my Shubunkins twice a day. They seem to be hungry all of the time, but I would rather have them a little hungry than fowl the water. I have also noticed that they graise (sp) on the algee most of the time.

 

[Oldhead]

For now, I cannot apply the "feeding measured by time" method often advocated by most koi enthusiasts as well as most of the members here, because of my spooked fish. Everytime I try to feed them they either swim away or just ignore the feed. I think its time for the old "deprivation" technique. What do you think? :goldfish:

I had the same problem when i first got my fish. theywould wait till i was out of sight then come up and eat. I would just toss in some food and sit still for 20 min. it took about a week or 2 before they warmed up to me.

 

[Julius Leonid Maestral]

I raised this problem quite too often in this forum. Right now I'm feeding them both floating and sinking feeds. before, I only used to feed them the sinking ones. When I got to know more of the fish I then fed them with the floating ones. Hopefully they'll be a lot more responsive eventually.

 

[Julius Leonid Maestral]

I had the same problem when i first got my fish. theywould wait till i was out of sight then come up and eat. I would just toss in some food and sit still for 20 min. it took about a week or 2 before they warmed up to me.

For now, my situation has improved slightly. I now feed them once a day. They no longer hide when I try to feed them but some of the fish still ignore the pellets. I always notice that they graze at the algae especially during the morning. I wonder if this grazing has anything to do with their lowly appetites. Even the ones that do feed just take a nibble and ignore the rest. :banghead3: