What kind of fish food do I give my fish?
Fish food for pond fish
What kind of fish food do you need to give your fish? After our previous blog “tips for pond maintenance in the winter” follows our latest blog about food for pond fish. We receive questions about this topic every day. This blog takes away a lot of these questions.
The supply of fish food is enormous and depends on the type of fish that live in the pond and the period in which you feed the fish. In the spring and summer the fish need different fish food than in the winter and autumn. This is partly due to how active the fish are. It is important that the fish get the right nutrition. The main thing the fish food needs to contain is proteins, fats, vitamins and various minerals. You should always pay attention to these values when choosing fish food. If the food doesn’t contain enough of this, then you are probably dealing with low-quality fish food.
Fish food for pond fish in the spring and summer months
In March / April it starts to get warmer outside and the fish become more active again. It is important during this time that you start feeding the fish several times a day. Feeding the fish several times a day stimulates the fish’s digestion. Try to feed the fish at the same time every day. The fish will get used to this and they will get tamer. Make sure that the food is completely eaten within 5 to 10 minutes. If the fish don’t eat all the food, you have probably fed them too much. Too much food causes too high a protein content in the pond, which ultimately leads to more algae. If you want to make sure that you are always right with the time and dosage, it is recommended to buy a feeding machine. It is a very useful tool to feed the fish at the right times even when you are not at home.
In this blog we distinguish between fish food for ornamental fish (golden orfe, goldfish and various bass), koi and sturgeon.
Fish food for sturgeons
Sturgeons can be fed the same food all year round. It is important to feed sturgeon food that is specifically made for them, because sturgeons have their beak under their nose, with which it searches for its food on the pond floor. That is why sturgeon food is always sinking food. A sturgeon usually needs a little more time to find its food. That is why you have to check and make sure that they actually eat the food. Continue to feed a sturgeon in the winter, but to a lesser extent. A sturgeon swims in circles in winter and therefore uses more energy than the rest of the fish.
Fish food for ornamental fish
Ornamental fish in the wild generally eat aquatic insects and flies. That’s why they are fond of fish food consisting of aquatic insects and water flies. This floating food is very high in protein, while the fat content is minimal. Due to the natural composition of the food, the water will not become cloudy and the pond environment and filter will not be burdened. In addition, give the fish floating grain fish food with extra added Spirulina algae, carbohydrates and fish and seafood products. This can contribute to a more intensive color pattern of the fish and the extra vitamin C content allows
the resistance of the fish to increase. The granules of the fish food come in different sizes (3, 6 or 9 mm). You should give the small and young fish in the pond small pellets; large strong specimens should be fed with 9 mm pellets. For more information about feeding ornamental fish, the article Fish food for ornamental fish is very interesting.
Fish food for koi
You can also find natural products such as dry steamed silkworms in the product range of koi. This food is the best for your koi. It contains a high amount of protein and can contribute to strong growth, optimal condition and great resistance of your koi. It is wise to alternate the steamed silkworms with floating pellet food for koi. SaniKoi Color Hi-Grow mix consists of various components that are extremely good for koi. For example, think of krill meal, wheat germ, trace elements and vitamin C. Astaxanthin has been added last to ensure vibrant colors of the koi. The advice is to give koi a combination of this fish food. As mentioned before, try to feed several times a day, so that the fish get into a certain rhythm. SaniKoi pellets are also available in different sizes for small and large koi fish.
Fish food for pond fish in the autumn and winter months
Around the beginning of October the weather gets colder. This means that the fish slowly go into their resting mode. There is special fish and koi food for the colder months. If the water temperature falls below 10 degrees, you no longer have to feed several times a day. Once a day is sufficient and if the temperature falls below 5 degrees, 2 to 3 times a week is more than sufficient. The fish food in winter is sinking food. This is because in the cold months the fish are on the bottom, since it’s warmer on the bottom then on the surface.
Winter fish food for ornamental fish
There is special winter fish food with a low energy content for ornamental fish. Ornamental fish are cold-blooded animals and when the water temperature falls below 10 degrees, the activity and energy requirement decrease significantly, as does the food intake. Winter fish food is feed with a reduced energy value.
Winter fish food for koi
There is also special ‘winter koi food‘. It is sinking food that can stimulate a natural resistance of the fish. Special attention has been paid to the added trace elements and vitamin complex, including stabilized vitamin C. Winter food for koi fish also contains a low energy value and is intended to be given to the fish a maximum of 2 to 3 times a week.
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