Koi might be the main attraction of a water garden. They help balance your pond’s ecosystem, and they are also fun to watch and enjoyable to feed! Did you know you can train koi fish to eat right out of your hand?Â
A lot of people get caught up in fun and overfeed the fish. So, how do you know how much is just enough?
Can I Overfeed my fish?
Overfeeding can hurt your koi, cause illnesses, and excessive fish waste strains the biological effectiveness of your filters. Here are the essential tips:
At maximum, feed your fish three times per day. Only feed fish once per day in the colder season (below 70 degrees).Â
Stick to around five minutes per feeding. Your fish will let you know when they are hungry. If they aren’t coming up to the surface and eating quickly, they are either too hot, cold, or full. A good rule of thumb is to feed just enough with no excess food going into the skimmer.Â
Can I Underfeed my Fish?
Being bottom feeders, koi fish can live happily without being fed as long as there is enough biological waste to consume. In some cases, 1/2 inch per month is the recommended growth. However, if your fish are not growing this much, it could be an underfeeding issue, or it could be that their pond is too small.
Chances are, if you are feeding your fish, you are overfeeding instead of underfeeding. While it can bring us joy to see our pets swim up and eat, make sure to keep them on a healthy diet with just the right amount of food!
Want to read more?