hand feeding koi

[jamiequin]

i have decided i want to start hand feeding my koi, i tried last year and they would not come anywhere near me, however, a few days ago i thought i would try again and once the large male came to feed they all did. monday i put in a spawning brush and netted out some leaves and took the pump out and cleaned it and got some bricks out the bottom of the pond. this morning i went to hand feed the koi and they where coming no where near me, i kept my hand in ages and the closest i got to handfeeding was the smallest fish (about 5 inces) heading towards my finger then getting about 2cm away then turning round and swimming of. i use nishikoi growth floating pellets and this makes it hard for me to hand feed as i cant place my palm in the water with them on it because they float of. what i have to do is get a pellet between my thumb and fingers and hold it slightly below the surface. they was taking it like this at one stage but not anymore. i even had them playing with me, they would come and sit in the palm of my hands and nuzzle me until i lifted them out the water and dropped them in then they would come back and do it again. it was great fun but now its all stopped? have i scared them? how can i get them hand feeding again? any replys greatly welcome. sorry its so long
thanks
jamie

[Eclipsar]

I would say you have spooked them, give it some time and they will come back.

You could try prawns, as they realy love them.

Another way is to buy a chagoi, very friendly koi and always hungry.

Regards
Chris

[PapaBear]

Like all things living, Koi have their own "comfort zone" and you'll have to allow them to invite you into theirs. It is likely they spooked a bit when you got in the pond to do your housekeeping the other day. Another thing that sometimes happens when you muck about in the bottom of a pond is that mulm gets stirred up in the water which can irritate their skin and gills for a day or two and make them anti-social.
Something that works well for hand feeding is bits of shrimp. Easy to hand feed and koi love it as a treat now and then.

[jnorth]

When they wouldn't hand feed from you the last time did you throw some food in for them when you gave up? If you did then don't do that the next time. If they know you are going to feed them anyway they will just wait. Starve them a little. They'll figure it out.

[B.Scott]

My fish were very tame the first few years. The last couple of years they gradually became ever more wary. A few weeks back I took the plunge and took on a long planned chore of deepening the pond by 50% from 1.20 meters to 1.80 meters. Since the fish have returned to the pond they have never been so friendly. When I come out to feed they charge me like wild cattle and food is eaten is seconds!
I have a gut feeling that the safety of the depth below them has given them confidence to approach people near the pond's edge once again.

B.Scott

[dick benbow]

if you guys will indulge me here...I don't encourage my koi to eat out of my hands. I have too many preditors around. Heron and raccoon mostly. Had a friend wiped out by a racoon family because the koi would run to anything that approached the pond. ( maybe just a caution to expose the other side of the coin) inside i hand feed mine worms...outside I throw sinking food in the middle.

[PapaBear]

It is one I hadn't considered. I have dogs in my backyard so I don't have to worry about most predators but for many it could be a real problem.

[LizardBreath]

Quote: Originally Posted by PapaBear It is one I hadn't considered. I have dogs in my backyard so I don't have to worry about most predators but for many it could be a real problem.

I have a pond right next to my front door. I figured it was safe. I had the fish coming to me all the time looking for a handout. Almost every time I walked out the door they would show up.
Suddenly they stopped. I found a couple heron feathers on the side of the pond. GRRRRR they had the NERVE to stand on the side of it.
I keep my tosai in there so I can keep an eye on them. Now the back and the front have nets on them.
No one has heron in their yard until they have a pond. I've seen the heron in the bottom of my pond flying out when I drain it. I have two dogs that would love to catch one. The big one chases geese in the air flying over our house. He is a bright dog and never hits the fence.....
LBD

[adreamer2]

My only problem is Mr. Slithers..... He likes fish, it seems..... Wiped out 10 of my new kohaku and all my baby tads..... that was last year.........

this year?..... He will meet Mr. Shovel, the harpoon!

And there will be no mercy!.... No.....

And I don't care if he grows another head.....


Your sister,
Ginger,
gmcfayden@yahoo.com

[jamiequin]

hi, its been a few days now and still they are shy? i miss playing with them