Tips for Feeding Koi
Author: PamellaNeely Total views: 11 Word Count: 537
Sitting by a peaceful koi pond is a lovely stress reliever in the spring and summer; until it is time to feed and care for koi in the fall and winter. With a little bit of knowledge, understanding and a thermometer the stress of feeding outdoor koi is minimal.
Water temperature determines when and what to feed outdoor koi. During warm temperatures koi grow and build up reserves for winter. Koi need more protein during the summer months because so much of their growth takes place during the warm season. They devour their food voraciously and can be amusing to feed by hand since they are particularly social creatures. A seasonal feeding schedule needs to be followed in spring and fall which includes wheat germ and a lower protein diet.
In spring and fall, a seasonal feeding schedule needs to be followed, which includes a lower protein diet and wheat germ. When the cooler weather arrives and the water temperature drops to 70 degrees, it is time to start altering the routine. At that point, a wheat germ based food needs to mixed in with your summer koi food.
Monitor water temperatures closely during the fall. When the temperature drops to 70 degrees, feed a combination of low protein food and wheat germ. At 60 degrees, feed your koi only wheat germ. When temperatures drop still lower to 50 and below, discontinue feeding altogether.
Monitoring the weather as cold fronts and other weather systems come through is useful to determining when to end feeding. If the weather will be changing in the days after the feeding, stop feeding them just before the temperature change. Koi can not process food at colder temperatures and unprocessed food will begin to decay causing potential infection and disease. A mild antibiotic added to the last feedings of winter will help keep the fish healthy during the wintry months when the bacteria are low and the pond water's balance is not in harmony.
If this all sounds a bit high maintenance, automatic koi feeders will do the work for you. While they won't load themselves with the seasonal food needed, they will dispense the food you load into them at specific times and intervals. Research shows that it is better to feed koi small meals several times a day rather than distributing one large feeding. An automatic koi feeder also insures that the food is not wasted and the fish are not overeating.
You can buy an automatic koi feeder for more than 200 dollars or as little as 50 dollars. Some are a rather ugly and take away from the beauty of a tranquil koi pond while others are lovely Japanese style pagodas that enhance the Asian feel of a well landscaped koi pond. A vacation is much more pleasurable knowing your koi will be healthy when you arrive home.
Once spring arrives, reverse the process and begin including wheat germ. As temperatures rise even more, add low protein foods to the wheat germ until the temperatures rise above 70, when you need to resume summer feeding. Your koi will become energetic and ready to entertain and calm you for another season.
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About the Author
Pamella Neely writes about how to build a garden pond and koi feeding.
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