Koi Care Basics Blog

With fall well under way, and winter fast approaching, I figured it was a good time for a reminder about when and how much koi fish food you should feed.

In the fall when water temperatures fall to 50-60 degrees, you should change your feeding schedule to once every 1-2 days.

A low protein food should be fed. Many companies make special foods for spring and fall, when you are switching from feeding to not feeding.

When the temperatures drop to below 50 degrees you need to stop feeding the fish altogether.

In the colder temperatures the metabolism of your fish slows down and food cannot be properly digested. It can take up to 3-4 days for your koi to fully digest their food.

Don’t be fooled on warm days when your fish may become active and “beg” for food. Stay strong and do not feed!

If your koi really do need a little food, they will find enough growing in the pond. The algae that is still coating the pond liner more than enough. You don’t want to literally kill your koi with kindness!

Koi fish food definitely needs to be fed according to temperature. In many parts of the country, temperature coincides with the season, which is why you hear that koi need to be fed according to season!

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

Particularly if you are leaving the vegetation out of your pond you will want to feed your Koi some fresh foods.
Many fresh foods supply vitamins and minerals. Bear in mind that these Koi fish foods are meant to be offered as occasional treats and not included as dietary staples.

The following are some fresh foods you can offer your Koi:

* Lettuce:
Lettuce is an excellent treat for Koi fish. You can begin serving lettuce by shredding the leaves and letting them float in the pond. After a few weeks you can put in a whole head of lettuce and watch your Koi enjoy tearing off the pieces on their own. I recommend Romaine or Leaf lettuce as these contain more in the way of nutrition than ordinary iceberg lettuce. Once all the leaves have been eaten remove all the remaining pieces from the pond water.

* Oranges:
Oranges are another favorite Koi fish food. They are high in Vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant and also helps lower stress levels. These can be served by cutting them into segments and putting them into your pond with the rind intact. The Koi will rip away the flesh, leaving the rind behind. As soon as your fish are done eating make sure you remove any leftover remnants.

* Prawns:
Koi consider prawns a delicacy and they are also a good source of protein. Since they are high in protein they should only be fed in the summer months when your fish require a higher protein Koi fish food for extra energy and can digest the protein more efficiently.

* Garlic:
Koi adore garlic and will consume almost anything that is covered with it. You can use a coating of garlic to entice your Koi to eat out of your hand.

Finally, you should consider adding insects and larvae to your Koi fish food repertoire. If you do decide to offer your Koi insects then mealworms, soft-shelled crickets, bloodworms, blackworms, waxworms and tubifex worms are all suitable.

Feed them sparingly, and don’t feed them at all unless you can guarantee they are from a pesticide-free environment. As with prawns it is best to feed these higher protein treats only during the summer months.

The following is a VERY cute video of a Baby Duck feeding Koi, I wanted to share it because I enjoyed it so much!

Enjoy!
Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

There is no reason that Koi and Koi pond plants can’t co-exist, however many Koi owners are very reluctant to mix the two. The main reason for this is that these fish are voracious eaters and will consume almost anything they can fit into their mouths!

Koi are by nature very curious and each has a unique personality. Koi pond plants might become food, provide entertainment or even be ignored. Unfortunately there is no way to predict how your particular fish will react.

Koi & Pond Plants

In general it works out better to introduce your Koi into a planted pond than to introduce a Koi pond plant into an established Koi pond. Koi are curious fish and will go over to investigate the new addition. Then, if one begins to nibble on the plant they will all nibble on the plant as they learn from each other.

However, if you put a few new Koi into an already planted pond chances are that they’ll probably leave the plants alone. Exploring a new environment and finding new things to do can occupy them, thus providing a bit of protection for the plants.

Koi pond plants that have recently been potted do not have well developed root systems to help hold the soil in the pot and the plant in the soil. If your Koi can find any way to get to the soil they will uproot your plant. Rooting is an instinctive behavior for members of the carp family.

One way to keep them out of the soil is to place rocks on top of the dirt. Of course this only works when the rocks are larger than the Koi’s mouth and it won’t prevent them from pushing the rocks out of the pot.

To prevent that from happening you can plant in a pot that is two or more times deeper than the dirt. If the Koi want to get at the dirt they’ll have to stand on their head which is quite uncomfortable for them. Even so, you still need to place the rocks over the soil.

Another option for protecting roots is to grow your Koi pond plants without soil. You can plant them in plastic net baskets with golf-ball size lava rocks. The fish aren’t interested in the rough textured rock, your plants will get their nutrients from the water and the spaces in the rocks allow bacteria to grow. This method will both help keep the Koi away from the roots and help keep your pond water clear.

Leaves are considered a delicacy by bored or hungry Koi fish. There are a couple of ways to handle this problem. You can make sure your Koi are well fed and offered a variety of foods, including fresh and / or rotate pots in and out of the pond. Pots sitting out of the pond give plants a chance to recover while the pots in the pond are available as a tasty snack! Watercress and water celery are particularly good for this.

Keep the plants that you most want to protect in shallower water and at the edges of your pond to make them harder for your Koi to reach. They aren’t averse to coming up out of the water a little ways to get to a delicious meal!

The addition of fast multiplying duckweed or mosquito fern to the pond offer a nice alternative to your more prized Koi pond plants.

As your Koi get larger you might need to separate your plants from your fish. Often barriers can work well. Most of these include netting with holes just large enough for Koi fry and water currents to pass through. Your success rate with netting can vary as the fish can learn to wiggle over the floating nets. If one does it the others
wil surely follow since Koi are quick learners. However you could get lucky and they may not figure it out.

Koi pond plants

Some Koi enthusiasts build cages from wire around their plants and this can work well as long as you are certain that there are no sharp edges for your fish to get scratched on. Opportunistic diseases can take over if an open sore or scratch is available to fester in.

A last thing to keep in mind is that many Koi ailments are treated with salt and some Koi keepers keep a minimum salt level in their ponds. This is probably okay as long as it is a very low level. A pound of salt per 100 gallons of water will kill all of the submerged plants.

If you have a sick fish and want to medically treat i with salt you will need a higher concentration and should remove it to a seperate tank for treatment purposes.

If you are careful and do some planning you should have very little trouble with Koi pond plants.

To learn more about how to take care of Koi pond plants visit KoiCareBasics.com

Alan Deacon
KoiCareBasics.com

Keep Koi Treats On Hand!

Keeping Koi supplies close at hand will keep your Koi fish ownership experience more stress free and pleasant. It’s smart to stock up on all supplies even if they are not used on a daily basis.

The water in the pond will need to be replenished from time to time. Tap water is generally what is used. Harming your Koi can be avoided by using a dechlorinator as it will help to rid any harmful chemicals in the tap water. Be sure to read the directions carefully.

It is best to check nitrate and ph levels daily. Koi owners can purchase test kits at almost any quality pet store. You should always keep pond salt and baking soda on hand. These items are used to regulate the nitrate and ph levels whenever the testing shows them to be “off”.

You want to keep the water well oxygenated. This will keep your fish happy and content. There are many ways to oxygenate your Koi pond. Placing a fountain or waterfall in your pond will accomplish this as well as producing a serene and tranquil setting for you, the owner of the Koi pond.

When you install a fountain or waterfall in your pond remember that neither will replace the water pump. Removing unwanted waste and pollutants is necessary and will keep your Koi healthy and happy.

Filters are designed to maintain water quality and require a pump to keep the water moving through them to be effective. A good filtration system is neccesary in the pond you are building to keep the koi healthy. so once again let me emphasize that you should get a high quality water pump.

Let’s talk about the food. There are a wide variety of types and it’s important to always keep a good supply on hand. The koi will learn to eat out of your hand with patience. Snacks and special treats are also good to have on hand as long as you keep them fresh.

You should have a net installed for protection against predators and it should be securely placed over your pond. Koi fish are highly visable with all of their bright colors.

If you’re able to build your koi pond under a tree it will help prevent flying predators like cranes, kingfishers and the dreaded heron from changing your pond from beautiful to empty! Creating overhangs high enough all around the pond will help stop cats, foxes, racoons and badgers from helping themselves to a meal.

A properly placed net will also keep leaves and debris from blowing into your koi pond. Such debris will quickly gum up the works of all the electronic devices and filters used to enhance the environment for your
Koi .

There is considerable effort and thought that needs to go into a Koi pond. With their magnificent colors and calming ways the Koi are magnificient fish. Adding a fountain or waterfall is well worth the effort and should give you years of enjoyment when sitting by your Koi fish pond.

If you would like to sign up for a completely free 10-part e-course about Koi fish visit KoiCareBasics.com

Remember do not run out of the necessary Koi supplies!

Alan Deacon