Koi are intelligent creatures as shown by your koi developing a feeding pattern over time. The quality and quantity of food given to your koi affects their growth rate, body weight, and the colours they produce. When feeding koi it is important to feed them a balanced diet to give them the nutrients they need. So we can see that feeding koi fish good food is important to avoid Koi Diseases and Koi Problems .
Feeding koi fish - When to feed koi
A common question I get is when to feed koi. I shall go through what to consider when feeding koi.
There are many factors that affects your koi’s feeding habits these include water temperature, water quality, genetic background, and stock density. However experience has shown the most important single factor, with respect to when to feed koi, is the water temperature.
Water temperature helps you determine the quantity and quality of food to feed your koi. Your koi’s metabolism is faster in the spring and summer than in the autumn and winter. Hence you would be feeding koi more in the summer than in the winter.
In the winter where temperatures are low, generally speaking this is below 10 degrees Celsius, you koi cannot digest food quickly and it is recommended to feed them a low protein diet to avoid koi food staying in the gut too long and thereby reducing the risk of Koi Problems arising from undigested food.
In the summer, generally where temperatures are above 10 degrees Celsius, a high protein diet is recommended as your koi need this for growth, to repair any damaged tissue or injuries, and for reproduction. During this period you would be feeding koi more often.
Generally speaking you should feed your koi 2 to 3 times a day and what they can eat in 5-10 minutes. Uneaten food should be removed as it will pollute the water.
The other factors are also important and must be satisfactory for successful feeding. Poor water quality will make your koi lose appetite, whereas keeping a lot of koi requires a good filtration system. As you can see when to feed you koi depends on a lot of factors.
Feeding koi - What to feed koi
Koi pellets make good koi food as it provides them with the nutrition they need to be fit and health. It is usual for koi owners to change the type of pelleted food periodically to ensure their koi do not get use to one type. This helps avoid Koi Diseases and other Koi Problems.
Hand feeding koi
Another common question I get is how do I get my koi to eat out of hand? It is a case of building a relationship with your koi and a good way of doing this is to lower your hand in the pond feeding them a few pellets at a time. After a while your koi will know where the food is coming form and eventually they should eat out of your hand.
Feeding koi - Koi fish colour
Feeding koi fish certain additives will help to maintain and enhance your koi’s colour as shown in thse Koi Pictures .
Feeding Koi
