What are you feeding your fish

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What are you feeding your fish?

Ed. This comes to us from the San Diego Koi Club via Anne Miller. San Diego has similar winters to ours and their advice is more on the mark than recommendations we get from other parts of the country.

Do you recall your basic biology? How a fish gut is really simply one straight through shot from mouth to tail? How food coming in is moved through that intestine by the muscles used by the fish as it swims? Or pushed through by the food it eats.
Then you can better understand why we cut back on feeding koi when winter comes. During the summer we may treat our babies with cut up citrus, quartered seedless watermelons, cooked white rice and plain (no sauce) spaghetti noodles, Cheerios, krill and rich color enhancing foods.
Winter means the water is cooler, the fish, being cold blooded creatures despite the gaping mouths, need less food because they are simply swimming slower. Here in San Diego we are fortunate to not really see the ice over the ponds that many other climates have. We don't have to consider bringing the koi in the basement for the winter, and draining the pond so the freeze will not crack it. Instead we have the difficult task of watching the pond temperature and remembering that when it drops to 55 degrees we must not feed the fish. No matter how much they beg.
California Koi Farm stocks a good winter food, higher in wheat germ and meal, easier on the digestive tract than the richer meals of summer. Be sure to pay attention to the labels on the foods you are serving your koi. There is no need to feel them high protein color enhancing foods while the water is so cool. The food is less likely to benefit the fish than an equal dose in the spring.
If you plan on showing your fish in February at the show, continue with the winter formulas and winter feedings, adding in color enhancers if you feel they are necessary in January - 6 weeks before the show. And of course, ALWAYS withhold food for a week before showing your fish. With such a heavy fish load, fish who are not going to load the show tanks with droppings are always more welcome and less unsightly. A common pool thermometer is quite sufficient to keep tabs on the temperature. Probably the best time to check the temperature is first thing in the morning when the pond is the coolest. How low the temperature drops will be a function of where you are located, the movement of wind and, of course, just how cold the winter decides to be this year. We've been lucky enough for the last few years to have warm winters, some ponds never dropping below 55 at all.
Save your pond treats for the spring. For now, think basics. A good winterizing food, fed sparingly, and the fish will come through the winter in better health for the spring.