Seeing a Koi that is in your care thrive and become more beautiful as it matures, is undoubtedly one of the greatest joys of Koi keeping.
Koi will eat both animal and vegetable matter which makes them omnivorous. They do not have stomachs but they can eat a large amount of food at one time. You really can't over feed a Koi but you can over feed your filter so feeding many small amounts during the day is best for your Koi and your bio-filter. Another reason to feed many tames a day with small amounts is that it will help you Koi grow faster and larger then feed only 1 or 2 large amounts per day.
If you aren't to feed them 6 or 8 times in a day you might want to look into an automatic Koi pond feeder if you are looking for maximum growth potential.
Koi spend a great deal of time foraging around for and will actually eat just about anything that is small enough for them to swallow.
The hand-feeding process can be pleasurable for both you and your Koi. Instead of throwing the Koi food into the pond, take the time to place the Koi food into the water at the same area daily. In doing so, the Koi will become accustomed to the routine and will, over time, become friendly and trusting enough to be hand-fed. Koi have even been known to recognize there owners' footsteps and follow them around the waters edge. We train our Koi to hand feed using pieces of water melon. Water melon is larger then a normal Koi pellet so it is easy to hold on to while you hand feed your Koi.
Taming and training your Koi is a gradual process, but it can be very rewarding. Spending this time with your Koi will also allow you to observe any problems early on.
Quality Koi Food
Many Koi owners do not realize the importance of feeding quality Koi food. Not only must consideration be given to the amount and time of feeding, but to the combinations of foods that are essential for healthy and colorful Koi.
At USA Koi we feed most all of the food that we sell but my favorite and if I could speak for the koi I think their favorite is Hai Feng. We also use Medi Koi medicated Koi food when they are sick because it stimulates their appetite and the koi really seem to respond to it..
Here are some recommendations.
- Below 50 degrees - - - Do not feed !!
- 50 to 60 degrees - - - 2-4 times a week
- 60-85 degrees - - - 2-4 times daily
- Above 85 degrees - - - Do not feed !!
