Each type of fish has its differences. The 2 most popular fish in a backyard pond is Koi and Goldfish. When it comes to feeding it is important to keep these differences in mind.
Goldfish are strong foragers. Meaning they can find food anywhere. This includes swimming prey, insect larva, or aquatic plants. Koi fish, on the other hand, are not as strong at foraging which makes manual feeding more important for them since they also have a larger appetite than the goldfish.
Most people would be surprised how much fish food is available for forage living in the gravel at the bottom of a pond.
The main things to consider when feeding fish are feeding the correct foods and feeding the correct amount of food. Every time your feed your fish be aware of how much they are eating and only feed them what they can or will eat in a 5-minute span. This will take some experimenting at first but once you have measured out the perfect amount be sure to consistently only feed that amount.
How often you feed your fish will also vary depending on the water temperature. With warmer water temps (60-80 degrees) the metabolism of your fish will be high, which allows them to be fed 2-4 times per day. You should be feeding your pond pets with premium stable food. Our team uses Aquascape Premium Staple Fish Food Pellets but similar fish food works fine.
If temperatures get really hot to above 85 degrees then stop feeding your fish until the temperature drops back down. During the Spring and Fall season, water temperatures drop to 50-60 degrees, reduce the fish feedings to 1 time every 1-2 days. During lower temperature seasons our team likes to use Aquascape Premium Cold Water Fish Food Pellets.
Once the water temperature drops below 50 degrees stop feeding your fish, at this point they will be in a hibernation mode and their metabolism will greatly drop. If during the cold season you have fluctuating weather and the water temperature rises and drops don’t feed them. Your fish will be able to forage for the little food they need during the cold season.
Overfeeding FishOverfeeding fish is a common mistake. It’s also common to want to feed your fish until they are fulfilled with food. However, it is not good to feed your fish more than they need. Overfeeding can cause your fish to become sick and can create excessive amounts of fish waste which can decline your ponds water quality.