Feeding fish with other than fish food?

[Lisarita]

Earthworms. I am now EXTREMELY popular with my koi…

 

[GBBUDD]

Koi are carp and i use to catch carp with OATMEAL BALLS AND CORN They devour both.
they also chew up the weed whacker clippings that land in the water.
they valso nibble away on water cress as i toss in clumps for them from the stream

 

[Faebinder]

1 word for you.... Bloodworms

 

[LuvKoi]

I see there was a recent thread about fish food.

It got me thinking there should be a sticky listing things people feed to their fish other than designated fish food. If there is already a sticky, I apologize. Maybe post up that link if it exists.

I know some people feed peas, cheerios, watermelon.

Maybe we can start a list of what is ok and how to feed each item.
For example, peas...I think they should be raw and I think there was mention of pulling the skin off. How do you pull the skin off a tiny pea? Or maybe they weren't raw, maybe frozen peas?

I routinely feed my fish peeled softened peas for digestion and they love it. I buy frozen peas and place them in water and microwave for about 10 seconds or until they become soft. They are very easy to peel and my fish gobble them down as soon as they touch the water. I'm more cautious with Cheerios due to the mix of different ingredients.

 

[poconojoe]

I routinely feed my fish peeled softened peas for digestion and they love it. I buy frozen peas and place them in water and microwave for about 10 seconds or until they become soft. They are very easy to peel and my fish gobble them down as soon as they touch the water. I'm more cautious with Cheerios due to the mix of different ingredients.

Seems that peas are the most popular.

 

[jgrandmont]

Because of this thread, I have started feeding my goldfish Cheerios. Seems that they love them. Good info!

 

[poconojoe]

Because of this thread, I have started feeding my goldfish Cheerios. Seems that they love them. Good info!

Great!
How do you feed them?
Do you throw them in whole or break them up?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Great!
How do you feed them?
Do you throw them in whole or break them up?

I toss them in whole, but if I had very small fish I'd break them up a bit so the 'littles' would be able to partake in the feast as well.

Cheerios are my 'go to' when I have company over with young children. I can give them a bowl full to toss to the fish & not worry about "over feeding" issues (kids don't like to stop with the small amount of real fish food that's appropriate)

 

[jgrandmont]

Great!
How do you feed them?
Do you throw them in whole or break them up?

I break them up into about 1/4-size pieces.

 

[Wildneg]

Earthworms. I am now EXTREMELY popular with my koi…

This!

When I am out there digging and trying to finish some other piece of the pond up.... They follow me around as I work. As I find the worms, I throw them in. The three bigger Koi chase each other. I'm making friends!

 

[Mgessert]

I sometimes have black soldier fly larvae in my compost bin. The fish love them too!

 

[Dave Cee]

Once in awhile I toss in a medium sized cooked shrimp and the koi make like Great White Sharks. They already ate the two goldfish and are surly.

 

[poconojoe]

Once in awhile I toss in a medium sized cooked shrimp and the koi make like Great White Sharks. They already ate the two goldfish and are surly.

Ate two goldfish?
Really?
Full grown goldfish or tiny fry?

 

[Dave Cee]

Ate two goldfish?
Really?
Full grown goldfish or tiny fry?

2~3-inchers. Pond mates for more than a year then the small fish mysteriously vanished. The koi refuse to answer questions.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

2~3-inchers. Pond mates for more than a year then the small fish mysteriously vanished. The koi refuse to answer questions.

I would suspect they were lost to some other predator, not the koi.