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Koi Feeding Through the Seasons

Watching koi in a beautiful pond is very peaceful and relaxing, and some even believe they bring good luck. However, feeding Koi can be stressful if you don't understand their needs. You need a thermometer and some understanding of Koi feeding needs to be successful in feeding them.
Water temperature determines when and what to feed outdoor koi. During warm temperatures koi grow and build up reserves for winter. Koi need more protein during the summer months because so much of their growth takes place during the warm season. They devour their food voraciously and can be amusing to feed by hand since they are particularly social creatures. A seasonal feeding schedule needs to be followed in spring and fall which includes wheat germ and a lower protein diet.
Seasonal adaptations to their feeding schedules need to be made to account for varying feeding habits. In spring and fall, when temperatures begin to drop, their food needs change, as their growth patterns decrease. It is time to add wheat germ to their normal summer food.
You need to keep a close check on water temperature and when the temperature begins to drop in the fall, getting below 60 degrees, use the wheat germ food only. Their metabolism slows when water temperatures get below 55 degrees and their feeding needs comparatively drops. Once the temperatures reaches 50 degrees or below, discontinue feeding altogether until spring when temperatures rise again. Remember the 70-60-50 rule. At 70 degrees, feed low protein and wheat germ. At 60 degrees, feed wheat germ only. At 50, stop all feeding until temperatures rise again in the spring.
Monitoring the weather as cold fronts and other weather systems come through is useful to determining when to end feeding. If the weather will be changing in the days after the feeding, stop feeding them just before the temperature change. Koi can not process food at colder temperatures and unprocessed food will begin to decay causing potential infection and disease. A mild antibiotic added to the last feedings of winter will help keep the fish healthy during the wintry months when the bacteria are low and the pond water's balance is not in harmony.
If this all sounds a bit high maintenance, automatic koi feeders will do the work for you. While they won't load themselves with the seasonal food needed, they will dispense the food you load into them at specific times and intervals. Research shows that it is better to feed koi small meals several times a day rather than distributing one large feeding. An automatic koi feeder also insures that the food is not wasted and the fish are not overeating.
Automatic koi feeders range from under 50 dollars to over 200 dollars. Some are a bit unattractive and detract from the beauty you value while others are beautiful pagodas that enhance the Japanese feel of a lovely koi pond. Either way, a vacation is much more enjoyable when the worry of your fish being belly up when you arrive home is eliminated.
Once spring arrives, the 70-60-50 rule reverses to become the 50-60-70 rule. The process is simply to begin including wheat germ and low protein foods until the water temperature rises. Your koi will be energetic and ready to bring you the good luck Asia values throughout the summer months.

Article Source: http://articles.yournetguru.com

Pamella Neely writes about how to build a garden pond and koi feeding.

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