As the water temperatures begin to drop into the Lower 60s and upper 50s it is time to ensure you are feeding your fish a wheat germ based food with added Vitamin C to boost the fish’s immune system. We recommend COLD Water Fish Food, which contains Wheat Germ. This food can be supplemented with fruits, vegetables and for a treat Cheerio’s. Also, as the temperatures drop, cut back on the amount you feed. Only feed the fish what they can eat in a 5 minute period. Any food that is not eaten be sure to skim out of the pond to reduce excessive waste that can cause toxic gases in the winter months. Between 55 and 50 degrees water temperature you should STOP feeding your fish. Pond temperature can be measured using a water thermometer, shown above.
If temperatures temporarily increase for a day or two, do not restart feeding the fish. This can be harmful to the fish, because if the food is not fully processed when the temperatures drop again, the food will remain unprocessed in their stomach and may cause gut rot and harm the fish.
Once water temperatures begin to rise in the spring, into the mid and und upper 50s you can begin feeding the fish again with a cold water fish food. Once the temperatures get into the mid 60s you can start using a higher level protein for to increase growth levels.
