Koi feeding in winter - what to consider

Feeding koi carp in winter is not easy and unproblematic. Koi carp still swim around up to 5 degrees water temperature and consume energy, to maintain the energy they have to be fed. At temperatures below 5 degrees, the koi retreat to the ground and their metabolism slows down. But how should I feed now, what should I feed and what is actually right?

Basically, it is important to keep an eye on the fish. We recommend feeding the fish as long as they are still visibly active, and generally no longer when the water temperature is above 5 degrees.

What food should you feed now? Sinking or floating?

Easily digestible feed should be used from 12-15 degrees. The alpha complete koi food or the KENJI KOI Season with wheat germ, which are easy for koi carp to digest, are ideal here.

Food that is not easily digestible only puts an unnecessary strain on the fish on cold days, as they digest it less well in cold temperatures anyway, and especially on the pond water and the filter. This must now be avoided at all costs.

When the water temperature falls below 10 degrees, sinking feed is used, as the fish are only in the deeper water layers. We now recommend feeding the alpha ice.

Feeding amount in cold temperatures

We recommend our customers with suitable winter lining:

Feed below 9 degrees only once a day and reduce the amount significantly.

From 7 degrees only feed very little every 2 days.

Stop feeding completely from 5 degrees.

Also important is...

In order not to burden the fish unnecessarily, they should be fed where they are. So they do not have to move much to forage, where they would consume energy again. Therefore, please look where the fish are and let the feed sink to the bottom directly above the fish. In order not to scare the fish, however, this should be done with particular care. Even low levels of stress would be fatal in most cases.

In addition, the use of lactic acid bacteria, medicines, care products or the like is now strongly discouraged. On the one hand, it hardly brings anything, on the other hand, the water is polluted.