Feeding Your Fish

There are many different types of food available for both Koi and Goldfish, which are the most popular types of fish found in garden ponds. With both of these types of fish, you will need to provide a certain degree of nutrition so that they can grow and thrive. You can also incorporate other foods to enhance the colour of your fish and provide variety.

You have probably spent more than a couple of dollars purchasing your fish, and the last thing you want is for any of them to die. During the warm months, you usually need to feed your fish at least once per day, depending on how much growth is desired. If you want strong growth, you can feed the fish up to three times daily. But remember that your fish will still have beautiful colours and grow well with a single daily feeding. When you do feed the fish, only provide as much food as they can eat within two minutes. Even though they may still look hungry, any more than this will be overfeeding. Overfeeding your fish will result in excessive wastes that can overwhelm the pond ecosystem.

When temperatures drop, you should feed fish more sparingly. When temperatures have dropped below 10 degrees Celsius, you should stop feeding your fish altogether, as they will not be able to digest food properly. Even if the fish are coming up to the surface and gulping, this does not indicate hunger but rather oxygen deprivation.

Hand Feeding Koi
Tips from Laguna Koi Ponds (1997).

Koi are very sociable and love a crowd of friends. They are less shy when they are in a large group. Your Koi will eat from your hand if you have the patience to earn their friendship.

Feed them in the same place every time. Drop a small handful of pellets and stay there observe. The bravest or hungriest will start to eat and the rest will follow. They must see you when they eat. Do not walk away from the pond before they start to eat. If you walk away, the Koi will think that the food falls from the sky and you are a predator. Withhold food for a day if they will not eat in front of you.

Gradually, the Koi will equate you with food. Tease them closer with small sprinklings of food. Put your hands in the water while they eat. The Koi will perceive that food comes from your hand. Start with just a few pellets. The bravest Koi will soon be nudging your hand. It is only a matter of time and their friendship will be yours. Soon all of your fish will swim, jumping and splashing toward you every time you walk by the pond. You can tickle their chins and pet their heads.