| Toshio sakai taught me to winter my sexually mature girls in the low 50's and feed occassionally every coupla days with wheatgerm/ cooked barley. If you run higher temps and feed more often they will take the food and produce eggs with it rather than re-absorping possibly causing grief later on down the road.
for those with unheated ponds dale's advice is sound to follow.
I used to run 52-53 F but my grandmother koi that I've had close to 30 years
(she was 7 when i got her) acts stressed at anything under 55 F so that's where they sit all winter. I keep them there nov thru mar before inching the temps slowly up and go to daily feeding of wheatgerm.
I do believe there is value in allowing them to experience winter as long as it is controlled. Prior to having heat and an outside pond only, if i could get them thru winter with no dips under 41 F they came thru fine. Anything lower and i had issues to deal with coming out in the spring ( hence the inside heated pond) |