Pond Fish Food For All Seasons

You probably hadn’t even considered that fish needed different foods throughout the seasons until you saw the dozens of brands and formulas of pond fish food available in the shops. Working out how and what to feed your fish isn’t as complicated as it seems. Pond fish do have special needs but this feeding guide will tell you all you need to know to choose pond fish food for all seasons.

Summer feeding
When the weather is above 70 degrees, your fish pond will be full of activity. This is when your fish’s metabolism is at full capacity and they are growing fast, developing brilliant colours and building up fat reserves for the cooler temperatures ahead.

Fish like to graze so its healthier and more enjoyable for them to be fed a few small meals each day rather than let them gorge at one 10 minute meal each day.

Remember that trip to the pond fish food suppliers? Now is the time to go back and see which ones offer a high quality high protein food. Most Pond fish food suppliers offer different formulations, you are looking for the high protein formula. The higher quality the better.

In addition to a balanced commercial food you can supplement your fish’s diet with small amounts of fruits, vegetables, shrimp, grubs and worms. Koi will especially enjoy this wide variety. Goldfish don’t eat as much as your Koi but they will benefit from the variety as well.

Autumn feeding
As the weather starts to change and your pond water cools your fish will start slowing down. You must monitor the water temperature to know what and how much to feed them. If you don’t have a pond thermometer, the time to get one is now.

The high protein food that you have been using all summer is still going to be used while the water temperature is between 65 to 72 degrees but now you are going to be mixing the high protein food with a wheat germ based food. Tetra pond fish food has a number of quality wheat germ based products to choose from.

When the temperature drops down to below 60 degrees your fish’s metabolism will really be slowing down. They don’t need any protein now so you can switch over to a 100% wheat germ based diet.

Winter feeding
You should now have been feeding the lower protein wheat germ diet for a few weeks as winter approaches and your fish should have a solid layer of fat stored from the extra protein you feed them in the summer.

Monitoring of the water temperature is crucial now. Once the water falls into the 50 degree range you have to watch how much and what you are feeding. Your pond fish are going to be entering a semi-dormant stage soon so they don’t need a lot of food.

There is some controversy as to whether or not you should feed your fish at all at and below 50 degrees. I err on the side of caution and under feed mine until the temperature reaches 40 degrees. All feeding should stop at this time as they are now semi-dormant.

Spring feeding
As the weather begins to warm up you’re going to reverse the process that you went through in the autumn. Start with a low protein wheat germ based food as the temperature goes into the 50’s and increase to the high protein food as you reach 65 and beyond.

One cautionary note for spring feeding; it’s natural for us to want to think that spring is here when we have enjoyed a warm day or two. But you must be patient and make sure that your water temperature is stable and not going to drop down due to some cold nights. Once the water stays in the 50’s you can start feeding a medicated food blend once or twice a week. You can even try adding some high carbohydrate foods like wheat germ, brown bread, dark greens, high in vitamin C fruits and even cooked squash.

As the temperature climbs into the high 50’s switch to low protein pellets and if the fish are active and hungry, feed them 4 to 5 times a week. Once your water temperature reaches 65 degrees your fish’s diet should consist of a high protein fish food once again to enjoy their summer growth!