feeding fish

[Alex Woodward]

I am getting conflicting advice when to stop feeding fish. Some say stop
feeding fish when they stop eating, while others say stop feeding when the
water temperature falls to 50F or below.

Which is it?

Alex

[Ka30P]

Alex wrote > Some say stop
>feeding fish when they stop eating, while others say stop feeding when the
>water temperature falls to 50F or below.

Go with the water temperature as fish are, in real layponder's terms here,
dependent on their body temperature (from the water's temp) for their digestion
workings and not from their appeitite.


kathy :-)
zone 7, SE WA state

[Phisherman]

On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 19:20:12 GMT, "Alex Woodward" > wrote:

>I am getting conflicting advice when to stop feeding fish. Some say stop
>feeding fish when they stop eating, while others say stop feeding when the
>water temperature falls to 50F or below.
>
>Which is it?
>
>Alex
>

What kind of fish? My goldfish feed throughout the winter months,
although they do slow down. My spring-fed pond stays within 15
degrees (50-65 degrees) throughout the year.

[Alex Woodward]

"Phisherman" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 19:20:12 GMT, "Alex Woodward" > wrote:
>
>>I am getting conflicting advice when to stop feeding fish. Some say stop
>>feeding fish when they stop eating, while others say stop feeding when the
>>water temperature falls to 50F or below.
>>
>>Which is it?
>>
>>Alex
>>
>
> What kind of fish? My goldfish feed throughout the winter months,
> although they do slow down. My spring-fed pond stays within 15
> degrees (50-65 degrees) throughout the year.

They area comets and golden orfe.

Alex

[[email protected]]

yeah. koi stop feeding below 50o (altho I dont use any different foods, I just feed
way less food and more infrequently).
those damn GF will keep pigging out and they stay quite active right thru winter. so
it is easier to just quit feeding them below 50o too. Ingrid

Phisherman > wrote:

>On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 19:20:12 GMT, "Alex Woodward" > wrote:
>
>>I am getting conflicting advice when to stop feeding fish. Some say stop
>>feeding fish when they stop eating, while others say stop feeding when the
>>water temperature falls to 50F or below.
>>
>>Which is it?
>>
>>Alex
>>
>
>What kind of fish? My goldfish feed throughout the winter months,
>although they do slow down. My spring-fed pond stays within 15
>degrees (50-65 degrees) throughout the year.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

I really doubt that koi and GF can digest wheat germ. it is mostly a complex carb
which they dont digest. OTOH, it is bulk. Ingrid

Be sure to ony feed them easily digestible food
>in the winter (preferably something that is mostly made of wheat germ, as it
>will give them the most of the nutritian they need and is easily digested).


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[San Diego Joe]

"Alex Woodward" wrote:

> I am getting conflicting advice when to stop feeding fish. Some say stop
> feeding fish when they stop eating, while others say stop feeding when the
> water temperature falls to 50F or below.
>
> Which is it?
>
> Alex
>
>
I always go by temperature. The fish will act like they are hungry and
continue to eat as long as you provide food, but it isn't good for them. At
lower temperatures the food just sits - undigested - in their little fish
tummies.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Goldfish, a RES named Colombo and an Oscar.



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[~ jan JJsPond.us]

>On Sat, 16 Oct 2004 11:03:22 -0700, San Diego Joe > wrote:

>I always go by temperature. The fish will act like they are hungry and
>continue to eat as long as you provide food, but it isn't good for them. At
>lower temperatures the food just sits - undigested - in their little fish
>tummies.
>
I agree. My understanding is, koi have a very long gut, no real tummy. ;o)
There are three reasons to stop feeding by temperature:

1) Koi/goldfish go into habit mode when they see you approach the pond and
will beg for food, regardless.
2) They can't predict what the nighttime temperature is going to drop to.
3) They need swimming action to help pass the food thru the gut more
efficiently. So if one feeds, and the temperature drops severly and they go
to the bottom and sit. Game over.

Unfortunately, beCAUSE many things we do to our koi doesn't produce AN
instant EFFECT, we don't already realize in late winter it was that last
feeding that caused them to roll over an die in January.

I didn't see that mentioned on the Purina website. ;o) If I was selling
food, I'd want you to keep feeding and therefore buying as long as
possible. Since it will take so long for the bad effects to happen, you'll
never figure it out it was the food. 1st of the 10 Commandments of koi
keeping: Never, ever, trust a Marketing Rep. ;o) ~ jan

See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Defrosted~
Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[Alex Woodward]

"Hal" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 19:20:12 GMT, "Alex Woodward" > wrote:
>
>>I am getting conflicting advice when to stop feeding fish. Some say stop
>>feeding fish when they stop eating, while others say stop feeding when the
>>water temperature falls to 50F or below.
>>
>>Which is it?
>
> There are several opinions.
> I've always trusted Purina because they have been manufacturing stock
> animal feed a long time. Here is what they say:
> http://www.mazuri.com/winter-koi-feeding.htm
>
> I usually feed once a day if they will come up to eat, but my water
> rarely gets below 40F and never gets more than a sliver of ice which
> won't last a week and my fish don't stay inactive very long.
>
> You are going to have to weed through the posts and make up your own
> mind. I enjoy feeding mine and haven't lost any figuring it out and
> I wish the best for you.
>
> Regards,
>
> Hal Zone 8

Many thanks.

Alex

[George]

> wrote in message
...
>I really doubt that koi and GF can digest wheat germ. it is mostly a complex
>carb
> which they dont digest. OTOH, it is bulk. Ingrid
>
> Be sure to ony feed them easily digestible food
>>in the winter (preferably something that is mostly made of wheat germ, as it
>>will give them the most of the nutritian they need and is easily digested).
>

If you look at the literature, that is what has always been recommended. And
every manufacturer of food for koi sell a product that is primarily wheat germ,
and sell it as food for use during winter months. Go figure.

[[email protected]]

yeah. I know. they also recommend mixing tank water into the bag water when
introducing fish. OTOH, food manufacturers are in the business of selling food.
Ingrid

"George" > wrote:
>If you look at the literature, that is what has always been recommended. And
>every manufacturer of food for koi sell a product that is primarily wheat germ,
>and sell it as food for use during winter months. Go figure.
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

short gut and no stomach. at 68o or so food is in and out in 4-5 hours.
http://www.akca.org/kht/nutrit.pdf
Ingrid

~ jan JJsPond.us > wrote:
My understanding is, koi have a very long gut, no real tummy. ;o)



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[Tom L. La Bron]

George et al,

The food manufacturers are correct in providing Fall/Winter foods for KOI
and Goldfish. Ingrid does not know what she is talking about. Wheat Germ
is a main ingredient in these foods because the Wheat Germ is one of the
most digestiable foods for the fish at colder temperatures, plus is is about
30% simple proteins for the fish to use readily. In addition, wheat germ
also provides about 55% simple carbohydrates for the fish to turn in to
muscle fats to store in their tissues to tid them over for the long cold
winter.

The Higher protein foods that Ingrid is always saying the fish need produce
fats also but they produce complex fats and have a trendency to accumulate
around the heart, liver, etc. These fats are not readily available for the
fish to use as winter stores for energy and the simple carbohydrates supply
the simpler fats that accumuate in the tissues that are easily accessible
when the fish needs it for winter engery.

All Japanese and Chinese breeders and collectors of KOI and Goldfish who
keep their fish outside through the winters always feed their fish foods
with carbohydrates in order for the fish to build up tissue fats for winter
use. Wheat Germ, over the years, has become one of the components that
experienced people have used for years.

Wheat Germ is good for the fish, especially if the fish is staying out side
for the winter where water temperatures get into the forties.

Tom L.L.
"George" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>>I really doubt that koi and GF can digest wheat germ. it is mostly a
>>complex carb
>> which they dont digest. OTOH, it is bulk. Ingrid
>>
>> Be sure to ony feed them easily digestible food
>>>in the winter (preferably something that is mostly made of wheat germ, as
>>>it
>>>will give them the most of the nutritian they need and is easily
>>>digested).
>>
>
> If you look at the literature, that is what has always been recommended.
> And every manufacturer of food for koi sell a product that is primarily
> wheat germ, and sell it as food for use during winter months. Go figure.
>

[George]

"Tom L. La Bron" > wrote in message
...
> George et al,
>
> The food manufacturers are correct in providing Fall/Winter foods for KOI and
> Goldfish. Ingrid does not know what she is talking about. Wheat Germ is a
> main ingredient in these foods because the Wheat Germ is one of the most
> digestiable foods for the fish at colder temperatures, plus is is about 30%
> simple proteins for the fish to use readily. In addition, wheat germ also
> provides about 55% simple carbohydrates for the fish to turn in to muscle fats
> to store in their tissues to tid them over for the long cold winter.
>
> The Higher protein foods that Ingrid is always saying the fish need produce
> fats also but they produce complex fats and have a trendency to accumulate
> around the heart, liver, etc. These fats are not readily available for the
> fish to use as winter stores for energy and the simple carbohydrates supply
> the simpler fats that accumuate in the tissues that are easily accessible when
> the fish needs it for winter engery.
>
> All Japanese and Chinese breeders and collectors of KOI and Goldfish who keep
> their fish outside through the winters always feed their fish foods with
> carbohydrates in order for the fish to build up tissue fats for winter use.
> Wheat Germ, over the years, has become one of the components that experienced
> people have used for years.
>
> Wheat Germ is good for the fish, especially if the fish is staying out side
> for the winter where water temperatures get into the forties.

Oh, I agree with you 100%, otherwise I wouldn't have suggested wheat germ.