Stapeley Water Gardens

Providing fish with a supplimentary dried food is the only way to ensure they are provided with adequate proteins, fats, carbohydrates and minerals that will promote growth and good health In certain pools the fish may be able to find enough food naturally, but even here we would recommend feeding for two reasons:
1. one of the most pleasurable aspects of fishkeeping is feeding your charges.
The fish will usually become more confident and you should therefore see more of them.
2. feeding time is one of the best opportunities to judge the health of your fish each day. Minor changes will occur in any fish's feeding response from day to day, but a sudden or major change will often be the first warning you will get that fish are distressed. Every set of fish will feed differently, so get to know your fish's behaviour.

How Much and How Often do i Feed?
This will depend on many factors, from the fish's age to water temperature, to your growth requirements. But the following could apply to most situations, where maintaining good health is more important than rapid growth, and assuming that a standard flake, pellet or stick food is the fish's main diet.
WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES ARE + 15C - feed fish 1 - 3 times a day with enough food that it takes them approximately 1 - 2 minutes to feed each time. Fish should be very responsive to food.
WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES ARE BETWEEN 12 - 15C - fish can be fed once a day with enough food that takes approximately 1 minute to feed.
WHEN WATER TEMPERATURES ARE BETWEEN 8 - 12C - feed no more than once a day or preferably only every few days, ideally around lunch time, with enough food that it takes approximately 30 seconds to feed. Be aware that the fish may not be very responsive, and if they show no interest remove food within 10 minutes.
BELOW 8C - there is no benefit to feeding fish. Indeed it may be harmful. In most cases the fish will show no interest in feeding.

1. smaller frequent feeds are better than larger, infrequent feeds.
2. missing a day or two is not a problem. Indeed, otherwise healthy, well fed fish, even in summer, should be able to go at least 2 weeks without food.
3. seasonal feeding is not linked to exact calendar dates, but rather water temperature. You may find it useful to use a thermometer to check water temperatures at certain times. Feeding through the autumn and Winter period will normally be a stop and start affair. If it appears to be suddenly milder, and the fish are more active, then try a little food. If it has been relatively mild and the fish go 4 - 5 months without feeding, they will often be too weak to make it through a stressful spring.
4. add food bit by bit, as this will give you more opportunity to judge the fish, and you will notice when they start to lose interest in food, leading to less chance of under or over feeding.
5. remove any uneaten food after 5 - 10 minutes.
6. floating foods are preferable to sinking foods. The fish will become more confident and feeding will be easier to judge. Waste food will be easier to spot and remove, and all happy, healthy fish should be willing to feed at the surface, even fish such as tench.

WHAT SHOULD I FEED? - there is a massive choice of food on the market and deciding what is best for your fish is almost impossible. Most foods by recognised names are likely to be manufactured and packed under good conditions and provide a sound basic diet. All manufacturers claim to make the best food, so at least all bar one are wrong! The price of food can be an indication of its quality as high quality ingredients and manufacturing, costs. However, this isn't always the case and a food that is 3 times the price of another, won't be 3 times better, if it is better at all!
So-called koi foods are not for koi only but may be better quality, and general pond foods are as suitable for koi as goldfish. Some foods contain colour enhancers that help improve the coloration of certain fish, especially koi. The main thing to remember is that once a pack is open, use the food within 3 - 5 months and try to store the food in an airtight container. Finally, chopping and changing, or mixing foods can be beneficial. Some fish may show an initial resistance to new foods, but persevere for as long as the food is of a physically suitable size, it will become accepted.

1. Flake - really only for pond fish less than 10cm (4 inches) long, as it is not bulky enough for larger fish, and can be messy to feed in a pond. Flakes typically sink slowly.
2. Pellets - although you can buy sinking pellets, most float allowing for easy removal and observation. Pellets are usually excellent value, weight for weight, and can be bought from 1mm to 10 mm in size making them suitable for most fish, with 1.5 - 4 mm pellets proving to be suitable for most fish from 4 - 30cm (1.5 - 12 inches).
3. Sticks - a very popular floating food but generally not as good a value as pellets. Easy to digest but due to their size, they are better for fish over 10 cm (4 inches).