My first Spring ...

[Craig Brown]

This is the first Spring with my pond. The weather has been unseasonably cold and the pond had ice on it just a few weeks ago. Yesterday it was 80 and it looks like winter is finally over and the water is heating up quickly.

When is it OK to start feeding again? Regular food? Is there anything I can do to help the fish recover from their weakened state?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I would begin feeding your fish immediately with regular food.

 

[sissy]

I would only feed fall food for now and sparingly as your filters are not working yet with good bacteria .There is plenty to eat in the pond by now .You don't want to feed algae and you sure don't want an ammonia spike

 

[Lisak1]

Is there anything I can do to help the fish recover from their weakened state?

When I see my fish come out of winter I have to ask "WHAT weakened state?" Those critters are fat and happy!

 

[Faebinder]

It does take a while for the filters to catch up with the temperatures... so you could be feeding algae for a while. I started regular food and my bog is alive for sure.

 

[CometKeith]

Your fish can find plenty of food in the pond in the form of algae. Every pond is different but I find spring to be the most difficult time of the year to keep my fish healthy. Since beneficial bacteria dies below 50 degrees it will take some time until the water temps are high enough for the bb to start up again. For this reason I feed extremely sparingly in the spring and maybe only a little a few times a week until my pond has cycled and I know my pond can handle the extra fish waste and uneaten food that come from feedings that will foul the water. I have not fed my fish yet and am waiting until I see some of the string algae dissapear. This is a sign my pond has "cycled". Again your pond may be different and may need to be treated differently.

 

[teeemkay]

I don't start feeding the fish again until May. I am in the same boat.... the koi are sure acting hungry, coming up to the surface when I walk by the pond now like they do in the warmer months, but I know last year when they did the same thing this early, I put a little bit of food in the water and they showed absolutely no interest in it. They have been nibbling on algae like crazy, though, so I know it won't be long before they want their warm water food again.

 

[Lisak1]

@teeemkay - we started feeding our fish about ten days ago. They are HUUUUUUN-GRY!

 

[teeemkay]

@teeemkay - we started feeding our fish about ten days ago. They are HUUUUUUN-GRY!

My nephew wanted to feed the fish so badly on Easter. I'd been telling him all winter that we don't feed the fish until the weather gets warm, and even though he's 3, he sure remembered what I'd told him. I told him next time he's over he will be able to feed them.

I think we are also going to get the well back up and running by next weekend too. It seems like the risk of below-freezing weather at night is past us by now.

 

[EricV]

My goldfish have been nibbling for over a month now and eating pretty well for the last two weeks with this warm weather. The pond temperature was 62 this morning.

 

[sissy]

I think my filter is working now so I will start feeding them

 

[Lisak1]

It seems like the risk of below-freezing weather at night is past us by now.

Let's hope so!