Should I really not feed my fish?

[Shan]

Hi. The pond temperature is in the high 30s (Fahrenheit) here in Sacramento, and my goldfish are swimming around. Should I really not feed them? I'm having a hard time with this concept. It just doesn't feel right not to feed my pets.

 

[koiguy1969]

even if theyre active, but their digestive tract may not be. if you feed, you run the risk of having undigested food sit in their digestive tract,.going rancid. and making them ill. even killing them. if theyre hungry they will find algeas, plant matter etc..to munch on. cold water slows / shuts down their digestive and immune systems.

 

[sissy]

I agree with above why risk it :cheerful:

 

[addy1]

Mine go for 3-4 months sometimes more without food, they do just fine. (food from me)

 

[sissy]

I have taken apart ponds for realtors and they have no working pump and have not been fed for years and they are healthy and happy .I am sometimes amazed at this .I took a preformed one apart a year ago and no one lived in the house and no electric for 5 years and they were huge .About a foot or two long in this little preformed .Did not harm them

 

[Shan]

Okay. Thank you very much.

 

[dieselplower]

If they are up around the top and active I will throw them a small amount of food. If they are hungry they will go after it. If not, they wont. I have not had any fish die from feeding them when it was cold, nor have I seen any posts on any forum in the past 2 years that I have been reading on forums that have claimed they fed their fish and they died. But yes in general if the water is in the 30's you really dont need to feed them.

 

[sissy]

well in 11 years of ponding it sure has not hurt not feeding them and I sure am not going to take the chance .My koi were little and now are over 2 ft long and I have yet to have a fish die on me .

 

[adavisus]

If you look at a drop of pond water on a healthy balanced pond you will see a bazillion microscopic muchies, algaes, organisms

Fish have plenty better nibblies to find and filter at a time when their metabolism is much reduced by colder waters than some manufactured ingredients like crude fat, grass, ash, the muck passed off as fish food

Regards, andy
http://swglist.wordpress.com/
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/

 

[sissy]

I am sure not gonna drink pond water no matter how clear it looks .But guessing by spring the pond should be cleaner with them eating all the good stuff in there .Plus don't have to worry about ammonia getting out of hand if they are not eating the junk food I give them .I wish they would eat higher quality food but tried and tried and they are stubborn .I guess they like Mcdonalds and wendys instead of a fancy 4 star restaurant .my mutts :cheerful:

 

[JBtheExplorer]

But yes in general if the water is in the 30's you really dont need to feed them.

So, if water is in the 40's they can be fed?

 

[dieselplower]

So, if water is in the 40's they can be fed?

Are you asking a legit question or looking to argue? I have fed my fish when the water temperature was in the 40's several time. None of them have died or had their intestines rot out that I am aware of. Again, you don't need to feed them. I have thrown food into my pond in cold water and sometimes the fish all go for it and sometimes none do.

 

[sissy]

we do not argue we discuss on here

 

[pecan]

I feed cold weather food from 70-50 consistent degree pond water, below 50 I do not feed, above 70 I switch to warm weather food. My fish have done fine with this and it saves money on fish food.

 

[sissy]

alot of the pond pro's even say not to feed but then they put rocks on the bottom of there ponds .Funny when you watch you tube and you see some of them now changing there minds about rocks on the bottom .I know also that they still suggest those big clean outs of the ponds by them ,but guessing since they are making money that way ,why not .I cringe when I see them power wash the pond .