Feeding your fish seems like a simple thing to do, and yet! Feeding is often the cause of many problems in the pond. Let's learn how to feed your fish wisely to preserve their health and the balance of the water.
How to feed your pond fish?
Always buy the right food for the species in your pond. Some fish feed on the surface and will be satisfied with floating food, others, such as sturgeon, are bottom dwellers and will therefore need food that sinks directly.
Be careful with the amount of food given, which is often too much; a tip is to check that all the food is absorbed within 5 minutes. If the food is given in excess, it will end up soiling the pond water. This can lead to problems with filtration, pollution and invasive algae. If the water is polluted, or if the nitrate level is too high, the fish may suffer and be more susceptible to various diseases.
In summer, some fish feed on mosquito larvae and need less food. This means savings and fewer mosquito bites!
Some fish are also fond of aquatic plants such as duckweed, this should be taken into account when feeding.
When to feed pond fish?
Pond fish do not all have the same needs because some of them go into a resting period during the winter, so food will only be distributed very sparingly. Sturgeons are still an exception as they are well adapted to the cold and remain active even in winter, so you should continue to feed them very regularly.
Generally speaking, as soon as the temperature drops below 8°C, it is useless to feed the majority of the pond fish, which will then become lethargic. The water would be unnecessarily contaminated and the transit of the fish would be disturbed by this superfluous food supply.
When the temperature rises in spring but does not exceed 14°C, gradually start feeding your fish once to three times a week.
When the temperature rises above 15°C, you can start feeding daily. If the night and day temperature is above 21°C you can feed them 3 times a day especially during the breeding period and when there are fry. The food given to small fish should be specific because it is very rich and digestible.
