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Dan: I have left the koi without food for a week in the summer with water temps over 80F without any visible loss of weight. I'm sure they grazed on algae the entire time, but hardly a high calorie diet. It has been suggested that when pond temperatures exceed 83-85F feeding should cease, even if that is for a month or more. Studies indicate koi are not very efficient using the nutition at such high temperatures, so the koikeeper is just feeding the filter. I am not sure this thinking is 100% applicable in warm climates. I don't think koi "evolve" a different metabolism in warm climates, but I think they adjust over time... a sort of re-programming of the metabolism to a slight degree? So, maybe the range extends a couple of degrees more? Anyway, no harm in not feeding adult koi for a couple of weeks. When it comes to fry in their first season, it is a different story. They need all they can utilize. Fry growth in very warm water is considerable as long as oxygen levels are maintained.
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