|
Whether produced in Niigata or Southern Japan, koi are still temperate climate animals that are seasonal in nature (ask JR and you'll get the full treatment about this :-)
Essentially what this comes down to is that koi need to experience winter. Not necessarily a blistering icy winter but enough of it to trigger their hormonal cycle. Momotaro himself said that koi that experience a colder season without food typically catch up in growth with those that are fed year round.
A koi's metabolic system is optimal at the high seventies, low eighties (°F). What I do is use a pond heater to follow the daily average temperatures and not allow a cool off during the night in the growing season. This allows the koi's metabolism to remain fully active during the growing season.
I maintain a minimum of 65°F year round except when the koi are supposed to get their "winter". Here in the Pacific Northwest I make that correspond with the coldest months (to save $$$). So in January I gradually lower the temperature to the low fifties and maintain the koi there for 6-8 weeks (depending on weather) without food.
After this "koi winter", I gradually raise the water temperature to 65°F over a two-week period, over which I start to progressively increase feeding to once a day. Then I let nature catch up and again keep up day temperature at night using the heater.
I hope this helps.
__________________
Arthur
|