pond temp is 48.2* . they want food...

[CarolinaGirl]

Well said JR. My fish went into winter fat and healthy and in a clean pond, so fasting over the winter should be a breeze for them. I check them daily and no one is looking thin. I feel confidant that in spite of their begging on sunny days, they are not starving. I have the wheat germ food ready for them as soon as the temperatures warm back up.

[KoiCop]

thank you. Too often we want to be our koi's 'best friend' instead of their 'parent,' and your reality check post was really timely.

As one of your 'converts' on this issue, we've adapted your 4 season fish winter feeding regimen to include a 6 week mini-fast -- even though we're in sunny SoCal.

Water temps were 52 when we started at the end of Dec, dipped to the mid 40's during an Arctic cold snap, then returned to the mid 50's.

One small feeding of WG per week when water is above 50 degrees; nothing when below it.

PS: We don't let our grandkids eat at will, either.

[Gail]

Jan, that is perfect for JR...lol..........

Mine are in cold water for the last time this year. It's cold! Haven't fed them since the begining of December '06. Just looking at them makes me shiver

[PapaBear]

Quote: Originally Posted by JanT ...JR...You are the Simon Cowell of Koi, and I mean that in a very good way.

Gotta love that

[moikoi]

i don't have algae on the pond walls,would that make a difference of when to feed them?

[MikeM]

I do not believe the absence of algae matters. The algae has various nutrients, but is very low cal. Koi do not digest it as well as would seem likely. There is much fat stored in a carp. They can go a very long time without food. Virtually everything needed is in the stored fat.

While my koi have been fasting for about 6 weeks, if you saw them you would not know they had missed a meal. If it warm this weekend, I will begin feeding again. A half-portion of sinking wheatgerm in the morning. Over a couple of weeks, I'll gradually get them to full portions. By the end of February, they will be getting two meals on weekend days, one meal weekdays. By March we are in Late Spring in Central Florida, and I'll move to twice daily feedings and begin increasing the protein level of my mix of floating pellets. Some time in late April or May, I begin feeding very high protein content for a period of about 5 months ... it's a long summer in Florida. Sometimes I wonder if I give too rich a diet in the summer months. But, I'm not concerned about feeding too little during the winter months.

[Russell Peters]

There is no nutritional value in algae for Koi.

[MCA]

for most of us the thing about algae is that is already there on the walls. so if they want to eat....so be it. If nothing else....it gives them something to do.

[JasPR]

Gee Russ, why not just shout "fire"!! In a crowded theater! LOls

This is one of those chats that brings out the long knives. And I think it is a case of EVERYONE being right depending on the specifics of a given statement.
1) algae is VERY rich in nutrition---- protein, more important- vitamins E and B.
2) IF the fish can get to it, which is not easy due to the though waxy cell material surrounding plants (cellulose)
3) pellet manufactures tend to heat treat these materials to ‘release and predigest’ such things - this can lead to a mis assumption that carp can’t digest this material
4) koi as scavengers and omnivores have excellent abilities to ferment using cellulose attacking gut bacteria, digest thru enzyme action specific to cellulose.
5) food manufacturers act as a kind of ‘anti- educator’ when discussing grow out strategies for food fish as a general concept.
6) Age of koi. Not only are koi four season creatures that really act, respond and grow as different animals in each of the four seasons, they need to be further divided by 2!! Meaning a young or juvenile koi form is a ‘different creature’ than an adult koi in many ways- the gut length, the diet, the digestive abilities etc. A young koi is a carnivore moving towards an omnivore mix. An adult koi is a true omnivore.
7) finally, this depends on what type of algae we are talking about and more specifically, is it live, dead, unicellular, thick cellulose filament, green, brown, bacteria-type etc.

So koi , as efficient and gifted omnivores, can and do get a huge benefit from algae grazing. After all, this is one reason we feed spirulina. We also use yeast which has the same issues. Fungi as well. And your koi eat and gain benefit from ingested bacteria believe or not!
But here is the thing. The ‘camps’ are divided into two ‘armed camps’ by the underlying mistake of seeing a carp as a stable mammalian creature. Some envision the koi as a domestic mammal and others as a wild mammal. It , of course is neither.
So in high summer, Koi eat lots of algae and digest a good percentage of what goes in. In winter, koi will still graze , but A) there is less plant growth B) their ability to ferment and produce specific digestive enzymes is diminished- so the value becomes anecdotal when compared to SUMMER feeding results. BUT conversely in winter, when animal protein capture, ingestion, digestion, assimilation factors make this food type metabolically impractical, Algae is a more valuable source of nutrition. It may be inefficient and limited in calorie count but still metabolically accessible for its carbohydrate/ roughage content at least.
When we talk about diet in the ‘limbo temperatures’ ( below 60-ish and above 48-ish F) we have to modify our views somewhat regarding all dimensions of feeding technique/routine and nutrition/ digestion. What might be a true statement at 38 F and at 72 F many not be true in limbo temperatures.
I have found it helpful to see the range of 32F - 46 F as ‘black’ and the range of 62F - 82 F as ‘white’ and the range of 48-58 F as ‘gray’. So depending on the LENGTH of time of the gray area, you can lean towards either black or white and do no harm to a koi in short intervals. And do put some common sense thinking into the DIRECTION of the temperature's trend. Is the temperature rising through 58 F in spring OR is the temperature passing thru the 58 F mark on its way doen in late winter? Big difference! In one, you have a fish needing protein again after a winter stasis and in the other you have a fish plump with storage and 'good to go'.
But in general terms, less is more and the system the fish is IN is just as effected by the decision you make as the koi is. When in doubt, don’t feed. When ‘personally suffering’ sets in calm yourself by watching them graze on algae during sunny intervals in winter !

JR

[Brady Brandwood]

Additionally, a Koi's Hi plate is not maintenance-free,... it needs to be fed, year-round.

Best Wishes,
Brady Brandwood