I know everyone (and every label) says to "feed no more than the fish consume in five minutes," but at that rate I could be feeding all day long the way my fish eat! For example, I throw in a handful and it's gone in 2-3 minutes; another handful, gone in 2-3 minutes; and on and on and on. I have 4 Koi and about fifteen 2-3 inch goldfish in a 2500 gallon pond. They go crazy, begging for food any time I come near the edge, even after they have just been fed. Is there such a thing as overfeeding? Can they eat too much? None of it is going to waste or ending up in the filter. They seem to be eating as much as I care to give them. At this rate it is costing me almost $40 per week to keep them satisfied. Should I just let them fend for themselves on the aquatic plants? (And by the way, this is a new pond just established in June and these fish have all doubled in size since I bought them about three months ago.)
How much to feed?
Sounds like me. I was just wondering that two days ago. I know that they are opportunistic feeders, and will eat themselves into splitting.
So far, I have been feeding them 2-4 times a day, but not so sure I give them enough each time.
I guess the proof is in the pudding, as they are growing FAST and look nicely plump without looking "swollen." They all look really happy and healthy. All have about doubled in size, from 3-4 inches to now 6-8 inches. Since mid-June-ish / July.
The pond does have a small leak which I refill about every other day or so, maybe an inch or less of water. I hear fresh water keeps the fish's hormones? concentration in the water low, which means they will continue to grow? I have heard this for years (aquarium experiences) and figure it to be true.
I am thinking they eat a lot of the algae growing amok?
(I have about 30? "feeders" and 7 Koi, all about 6"-8" in an approx. 1,000 gal pond)
As hard as it is to resist those hungry eyes, I try not to over-feed them.
I am eager to hear other chime in on their experiences.
They will eat all day long because in the wild that is what they do. In the wild they don't get the amount of food we feed them plus the quality so yes they can very well overeat and the food by-products (waste) can really mess up your pond and your levels. So watch the amounts you feed. (I've been doing a lot of reading on the care and feeding of koi . . . LOL!).
If you live in a cold weather environment, try to bulk up your little baby fish so they have enough fat reserves on them. I am attempting to do that to a few of my fish before the Chicago weather hits! Small amounts of food 4-6 times a day.
They will end up being trained like Pavlov's dogs....they see you and swarm the top, like they haven't eaten in days. Don't be tempted to believe that they are hungry! Too much feeding makes too much poop, too much poop makes too bad of water quality, too bad of water quality makes bacterial sores, etc. Yes, they CAN fend for themselves without very much food, especially if you have plants in your pond. No one hand feeds them out in the wild!
During the cooler water months, you will stop feeding them all together. It's their internal metabolism that won't be able to digest the food, even though they happily ate it, and it will toxify them from the inside out!