Hi there!

[Richard83]

Hi everyone, Just saying hello. Here to tap into the experts minds as regards pond maintenance.

 

[sissy]

welcome and ask for what you need to know .We like helping others get more addicted to ponding

 

[Richard83]

hi there I have a question regarding feeding ratio per fish. Put it a simpler way I have a garden pond with shubunkin and gold fish of varying size and age totaling in seven and was wondering what is the correct feeding schedule.

 

[sissy]

Wrong person to ask since I only feed my fish 3 or 4 times a week so they clean there own house .How many gallons is your pond and what type of filter and do you test water .Feeding to much will cause water problems real fast .There is plenty to eat in the pond as the liner gets covered in muck that they love and algae is another food source .My pond is 5000+ gallons and 12 fish .2 are koi over 2 feet long so guessing they are not starving

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome @Richard83 !

Like @sissy I'm going to give you a very vague answer - "less than you think and less often than you think". There are people with goldfish ponds who never feed their fish at all. Ever. Many people feed their fish like sissy - when they think about it, or when they feel like it, or whenever... Like sissy mentioned overfeeding causes way more problems than underfeeding ever will. Fish feed on so many things in the water that we don't even know are there. The food you toss in is really just supplemental.

Now if you came here and said you had a pond full of prize koi that cost you thousands of dollars a piece, you'd get a whole different set of answers... and none of them would come from me! But I can guarantee you, those answers would still run the gamut.

 

[Richard83]

That's what I thought. but I have come across forums stating to feed them several times a day even ! . i introduced five new fish yesterday but we have a shubunkin that is Maybe 5 to 6 inches which is older and is bulling the others and is eating alot of the food and even chasing other fish away from it ( it has been in the pond longer). From the info you have given I may cut back on feeding as we also have an algae problem. As regards the size of the pond I would have to do the maths, as its a long story about me looking after it.

 

[Lisak1]

Yup - if you have algae, you either have too many fish, are overfeeding, or both. More plants will help, but that takes time. Much easier to cut back on the food.

And yes, like I said - there's a wide range of opinions on when and how and what to feed pond fish. I say pay attention to your fish and if they are thriving, you're doing fine. Stop feeding them and see what happens. Let them clean up their own space!

 

[sissy]

People who say that makes me wonder if they want you to fail and your fish die .Fish survive in the wild with out some one feeding them .A healthy diet never hurts any one .

That's what I thought. but I have come across forums stating to feed them several times a day even ! . i introduced five new fish yesterday but we have a shubunkin that is Maybe 5 to 6 inches which is older and is bulling the others and is eating alot of the food and even chasing other fish away from it ( it has been in the pond longer). From the info you have given I may cut back on feeding as we also have an algae problem. As regards the size of the pond I would have to do the maths, as its a long story about me looking after it.

 

[MitchM]

Welcome!

 

[MoonShadows]

 

[j.w]

@Richard83
I didn't feed my goldfish for years and then I decided to give them food now and then, now I feed them Spring, Summer and Fall most days but just once per day. I use wheat germ formula in the cooler weather in Spring/Fall as it digests easier for them in cooler water and then switch to Summer warm water food. They would do fine w/o feeding but I just chose to do so and I love the way they come running to me w/their little fish mouths gaping

 

[Richard83]

Thanks everyone for all the information.

 

[Feddy]

I like to give my small group a fish a very small feeding in the morning and the evening. Just a pinch of the small granules, nothing more. This is totally selfish on my part, as I love the social interaction of them coming to the top as they see me coming. They don't need that food to survive, as there's plenty in the pond for them to nibble on.

 

[tbendl]

Feddy, I do the same thing although restrict it to just in the morning. I love to see all those butt wigglers while drinking my coffee.