Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Koi Food: Filter & Weather Influence on Feeding (Part 3)

Our next topic in this multi-blog series is how the filter and the weather can influence how you feed your fish. Let's start with your filtration system (if you don't have one in your pond, now is the time to invest in one). After that, we show you how to feed according to the current weather.
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All pond owners (with fish of course) know that the type of filter, and the number of fish in any pond, determines how much you should feed each day. The filter's performance and resulting water quality can show if you are feeding too much. Make sure to watch your water, because that indicates if you feed too much or if there is too much waste.

Some fish foods put a higher organic load on filtration systems (no matter how good or bad the filter is), which include extremely high protein foods. A safe protein amount to stick to in fish food is 36 percent, since it gives less load on the filter and a good amount of protein for fish. You can go higher, but fish can only digest protein up to a certain point.

Fish digest protein and release ammonia, which is eaten by pond bacteria and converted into nitrites. Filters will convert nitrites into nitrates (a less harmful form of nitrite). But, if too much ammonia is released, and the filtration system is overloaded with work, your koi or other pond fish will become ill.

What you can do is add a better filtration system or upgrade your current one (if possible), or adjust the food amount and type of food you give to your fish.
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Water temperature can provide a better feeding guide than the actual seasons for beginning pond owners. Some pond owners change the feeding procedures for every five degrees of temperature. It is also good not to feed koi fish when the water is constantly 50 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.

Here is a chart you can follow, as an example for feeding procedures. But, do some research and experiment to see what results work best for you.

50 degrees or below: Don't feed
50 to 55 degrees: Wheat Germ only, no Food Pellets
55 to 60 degrees: Wheat Germ and Food Pellets
60 to 70 degrees: feed three times a day
70 to 75 degrees: feed four times a day
Over 75 degrees: five to six times a day, and supplements (watermelon, oranges, grapefruit, freeze-dried krill, etc)

Food shouldn't be given at low temperatures, some pond owners will even cut off food supply at 55 degrees or below. This is because a fish is a cold-blooded creature, and their body moves with the water, and it can slow or speed up their circulation (depending on the temperature). The bacteria in fish slows down, and if they are fed in colder climates, food will not digest fast enough and could causes diseases (such as ulcers).

Wheat germ is good to feed in these colder temperatures because it digest easier (it's plant protein). But, koi don't usually need food in winter, since they don't need to maintain a body temperature. So, you can get away with not feeding anything to fish in low temperatures.
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Our next blog is going to finish up this series with information on koi food fads and trends, and speak about how the winter can help keep koi trim. After this series, we are going to take a break from ponds and help you out with gardening. Then, we will look to answer some questions concerning goldfish. Feel free to drop off comments with any questions, and we'll consider using your questions in future blogs.

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