To Feed or Not To Feed

[EricV]

This is true. The correct rule for amount of food per day is % of fish body weight corrected for fish size and temperature. Much as the chart in my article by the same name "To Feed Or Not To Feed".

Thanks. I'd overlooked that chart. That's much more helpful. Then the next piece of information is is that chart for maximum growth, survival, or some "happy medium" in between? I'd just seen a blanket 3% of body weight elsewhere. Your chart suggests more like 5-6% for my small fish.

Thanks,

Eric

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Thanks. I'd overlooked that chart. That's much more helpful. Then the next piece of information is is that chart for maximum growth, survival, or some "happy medium" in between? I'd just seen a blanket 3% of body weight elsewhere. Your chart suggests more like 5-6% for my small fish.

Thanks,

Eric

This is the chart that is used in Aquaculture to determine feed rates. Considering that their goal is the biggest fish they can get in the shortest amount of time, I would venture a guess that this is for maximum growth. As far as young fish are concerned, have you ever had to feed a growing child, especially a teenager?

 

[EricV]

This is the chart that is used in Aquaculture to determine feed rates. Considering that their goal is the biggest fish they can get in the shortest amount of time, I would venture a guess that this is for maximum growth. As far as young fish are concerned, have you ever had to feed a growing child, especially a teenager?

Never had to feed one, but I've seen it done. Makes sense anyhow, smaller animals generally have more active metabolisms. Next stop, the kitchen scale.

 

[Dave 54]

Here is an excellent article about feeding Goldfish.
http://www.puregoldfish.com/feeding/

Looking at this article the author touches on some good points however there is a distict lack of information on alternate foods and what they can give koi and goldfish
One good thing one of the pictures shows is the intenal workings of koi and goldfish , it shows the difference between goldfish and just what man has done to the goldfish over the years of breeding in mutations and the effect its had on the goldfish.
In that all the organs swimbladder etc have become scrunched up thus leaving the goldfish with problems with the swimbladder when constipated .
He doesnt touch on the fact that being cyprinids neither the koi or goldfish have stomach's both only have a modified pouch in the intestine
He claims that koi are not good forager's yet omits the fact that they are built for foraging and have a phenominal sense of smell .
He also omits the fact that goldfish are built for mid water feeding their mouth parts being straight forwards unlike a koi which points downwards i;e :-

Ofre:- have upwards facing mouth [ thus are built for feeding at the surface].

Goldfish:- straight forwards facing mouth [thus are built for mid water feeding].

Koi:- dowards facing mouth with barbels [thus are built for bottom feeding].

This article will help goldfish and koi keepers with alternate foods note please note all the vitamins, folic acids, protiens, etc that we put together over years of research that are good for our charges alongside each alternate feed :-

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/articles/alternate-foods-for-koi-and-goldfish.4/

I hope this helps the novice goldfish and koi keepers

Dave