A Guide To How Much Fish Food To Feed To Koi And Goldfish

How much fish food to feed pond fish

The amount of food eaten by your pond fish will depend upon the species and the water temperature. In warmer water temperatures the metabolic rate is higher and fish are constantly searching around for a morsel to eat.

A Koi carp is capable of eating three times as much fish food as an equivalent sized goldfish. As the water temperature gets colder the metabolic rate slows down, and with it the fish’s appetite.

The following list is a rule of thumb that can be used as an approximate guide, as to how much you can feed your pond fish.

It is based upon a single fish living in a pond water temperature of 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) ... please do not take these figures as gospel; rather use it as a guide.

  • For a 6 inch fish that weighs 2 ounce or 50 grams - feed 1% of this weight per fish per day in total.

  • For a 12 inch koi that weighs about 14 ounce or 400 grams - feed 1% of this per Koi per day in total.

  • At about 15 Celsius (59 Fahrenheit) you should reduce the amount of food fed by 1/3rd.

  • At about 10 Celsius (50 degrees F) reduce the amount of food fed to about 1/10th.

  • Remember that a fish can quite easily survive for about a week without artificial feeding. They will eat small insects and plants etc.

Fish Feeding Considerations ...

  • When it comes to feeding pond fish it is always better to feed little and often. By feeding 4 smaller meals, 4 times a day instead of 1 large meal a day you will reduce the amount of fish food wasted. Excess food will only sink to the pond floor and rot. This causes potential ammonia and carbon dioxide problems.

  • It is better to use a floating pellet food rather than a sinking fish food. This again helps to prevent excess food from decaying on the pond floor. It also gives the fish more time to eat. If you have bottom feeding fish then you will of course need to use a sinking fish food. Koi and goldfish are top feeders, but are opportunistic and will eat food wherever they can find it.

  • If you have mixture of large and small fish grind the food up into smaller particles to give the smaller fish a chance to eat before the bigger, greedier fish eat everything. Self preservation is Keeley the Koi and Goldy the gold fish’s perspective on life.

The reason for all of the above 3 tips is that the amount of fish food fed has an almost immediate and direct impact upon water quality and biofilter load.

Types Of Fish Food & What Are The Ingredients Of Fish Food

Feeding your Koi, goldfish and other pond fish varieties a branded quality fish food is very important, not only to the health of the fish but also to minimize the level of waste thereby reducing the strain on your biological pond filter . Pond fish are affected to a large extent by the temperature of the water in your pond. The temperature of the pond will affect their appetite and the type of fish food that should be fed. Koi and goldfish are approximately 80% water and as a result are affected by variances in water temperature. Koi and gold fish stop eating at around 8 C ( 42 F).

Summer Fish Food : During warm pond temperatures experienced in late spring and summer your Koi and pond fish will be lively and hungry. During summer it is advisable to feed a balanced fish food diet, high in protein, as your fish are easily able to digest and assimilate protein, which is needed for healthy growth , development and to allow your Koi and goldfish to store fat reserves for the cooler water conditions during the fall and winter . Many modern quality branded fish foods from industry leading suppliers such as Tetra Pond, Saki-Hikari, Nishikoi etc include added color enhancers, minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin C to boost your pond fishes immune systems and increase their resistance to fish diseases.

When To Feed Summer Fish Food: Once your pond water temperature reaches 8 to 10 C (46 - 50F) it is safe to feed your pond fish between 2 to 3 times a day with a high protein content summer fish food.

Winter Fish Food : During winter your Koi, goldfish and other pond fish species go into a semi hibernation state where there metabolism slows down and they are less inclined to eat. It is important to ensure that your choice of pond fish food is high in wheat germ, which is much easier for the fish to digest and relatively low in protein, as protein isn't easily digested at this time of year. It is important not to feed fish food in winter that has been designed to be a summer fish food as this can cause stress and illness.

When To Feed Winter Fish Food: Once the temperature in your garden pond is between 5 to 8 C (41 - 46 F), usually in early spring and late autumn in the cooler northern states of the USA and in the UK, and your pond fish have started to look for food it is safe to feed them with a winter fish food. You should only feed once a day to prevent excess waste and to maintain the health of your Koi, goldfish, sterlets etc.

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