When To Start Feeding Fish In Pond

[KTMsm]

I have a pond approx 5m x 2m by max 1m deep

It has 20 goldfish approx 8" - 14"

I read that you don't feed them in winter when water temps get to 4 degrees ish so I stopped feeding in late October

As it's currently warmed up I've noticed they are more active should I start feeding them yet or will this harm them when we get the next cold snap ?

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I didn't feed mine between October & end of March ish.

Some folk use wheatgerm in say February & March.

Mine thrived for the 20+ years that I had my ponds.

[otolith]

Their metabolic rate will be very low, they won't be using much energy. If they are willing to eat, it won't do any harm to feed them a bit, but you may find they aren't interested. You don't want a load of uneaten food in the pond.

If the pond is mature it's likely there is some natural food in there. You can buy wheatgerm based food which is supposed to be more digestible at low temperatures. I don't think it will do them any harm to wait a bit longer, though.

[anonymous-user]

When i had fish in a pond years ago i would simply watch for when they started looking for food on the surface , then sprinkle some flakes on. Never loads just a small amount.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

otolith said:

If they are willing to eat, it won't do any harm to feed them a bit,

Although you do need to be a bit careful. Sometimes they can eat but not digest, so food rots in their belly (and kills them)

[KTMsm]

Thanks - just wanted to check I wasn't harming / starving them

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

It always amazed me that they didn't eat for six months but kept swimming about without getting any thinner!

[otolith]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Although you do need to be a bit careful. Sometimes they can eat but not digest, so food rots in their belly (and kills them)

From which comes the market for the supposedly more digestible foods. Or possibly vice-versa...

I've always been a bit sceptical on the basis that pond fish are mostly just selectively bred colour morphs of species which survive perfectly well in the wild without someone deciding whether they can eat or not. But I guess giving them a load of food at a time of year when it would naturally be scarce might create a situation they are not adapted to, so yes, I would be careful.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

otolith said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Although you do need to be a bit careful. Sometimes they can eat but not digest, so food rots in their belly (and kills them)

From which comes the market for the supposedly more digestible foods. Or possibly vice-versa...

I've always been a bit sceptical on the basis that pond fish are mostly just selectively bred colour morphs of species which survive perfectly well in the wild without someone deciding whether they can eat or not. But I guess giving them a load of food at a time of year when it would naturally be scarce might create a situation they are not adapted to, so yes, I would be careful.

Never came across it personally, but I read quite a few books before I set my ponds up.

[Nightmare]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

otolith said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Although you do need to be a bit careful. Sometimes they can eat but not digest, so food rots in their belly (and kills them)

From which comes the market for the supposedly more digestible foods. Or possibly vice-versa...

I've always been a bit sceptical on the basis that pond fish are mostly just selectively bred colour morphs of species which survive perfectly well in the wild without someone deciding whether they can eat or not. But I guess giving them a load of food at a time of year when it would naturally be scarce might create a situation they are not adapted to, so yes, I would be careful.

Never came across it personally, but I read quite a few books before I set my ponds up.

I think it’s one of those things that the internet has turned from a ‘it has been recorded as happening’ to ‘it always happens’ - see also having to have a pond filter, feeding hedgehogs mealworms and letting cats have milk!

[otolith]

Yes, it is very frequently cited - I'm just a bit sceptical about it!

[superlightr]

KTMsm said:

I have a pond approx 5m x 2m by max 1m deep

It has 20 goldfish approx 8" - 14"

I read that you don't feed them in winter when water temps get to 4 degrees ish so I stopped feeding in late October

As it's currently warmed up I've noticed they are more active should I start feeding them yet or will this harm them when we get the next cold snap ?

We had two ponds over the years the first about same size as the OP although a little bit deep in part had goldfish in - never fed them and they still multplied about 50 ish and in the end after 15 years the pond was filled in due to us having children and I didnt want the risk and we collected and gave the fish away.

2nd pond was small but 1 mt deep (so it didnt freeze that deep) - only 4 fish in it and again never fed them and they were fine for about 5 years and died off.


I presume they were eating o-natral stuff and frog spawn, bugs, green things, etc.

Edited by superlightr on Thursday 18th February 12:46

[so called]

I feed mine all year round but only a little once a week in the winter months.
Never had issues.

[so called]

superlightr said:

........... never fed them and they were fine for about 5 years and died off.

Something sounds a bit fishy there.

[superlightr]

so called said:

superlightr said:

........... never fed them and they were fine for about 5 years and died off.

Something sounds a bit fishy there.

chips

[Mexican cuties]

if its over 10 degrees, ours are feeing

[KTMsm]

superlightr said:

We had two ponds over the years the first about same size as the OP although a little bit deep in part had goldfish in - never fed them and they still multplied about 50 ish

I presume they were eating o-natral stuff and frog spawn, bugs, green things, etc.

I be less concerned if they had multiplied but we introduced them at around 3" and then fed them - have had the pond for 5 years but this is the first year we've managed to keep them all alive as we had a battle with Herons

The low barriers don't work, high barriers don't work, low nets don't work, heron scarers don't work - I finally erected a "tent" net over the pond so it's the first time I've had 20 largish fish in it so I'm unsure how many fish it will support without additional food

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Nets are the answer to stave off the Herons. We protected ours successfully for 20+ years (after the first scooping!)

[KTMsm]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

Nets are the answer to stave off the Herons. We protected ours successfully for 20+ years (after the first scooping!)

As above - we tried a low net - they stood on it and speared the fish, killing them but they were unable to get them out - so that was a pretty sight

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

KTMsm said:

As above - we tried a low net - they stood on it and speared the fish, killing them but they were unable to get them out - so that was a pretty sight

My nets were maybe 8" above the water with a fine mesh.

I miss my ponds (we moved & left all the fist there, some were more than 20 years old!).