How Many Times Do Koi Fish Need to Be Fed Each Day?

Ornamental koi descend from Asian grass carp traditionally used for aquaculture purposes, particularly by rice farmers in China and Japan. In rice paddies, Asian carp continuously feed from decaying stalk and other plant residue. In a garden pond, koi will rarely exhibit this constant eating behavior, and this is the result of more than a century of selective breeding. Nutritious food is one of the most essential koi pond supplies, and you should know that koi only need to be fed once a day. There are situations in which you might increase this frequency, but you also need to be careful and avoid overfeeding. If you breed and raise koi, you can actually get them used to feeding many times each day, but there are practical reasons for you to avoid doing this.

Quality Over Quantity and Frequency

It’s far more important to feed koi properly than frequently. If your work and family obligations only allow you to feed your koi once a day, this is fine. However, you should make the most out of this situation by ensuring the nutrition is adequate. Whether you choose pellets or other forms, what’s really crucial is that the food offers nutrients such as wheat germ, spirulina, vitamins, and minerals. In general, you should feed between 2 and 4 percent of each koi’s weight.

Koi Are Creatures of Habit

Whenever possible, you should stick to a feeding schedule that happens at the same time every day. Ideally, this should be around noon or whenever the temperature is higher, which is when koi metabolism is more active. This will help with digestion and more lively consumption. Koi are smart enough to appreciate being fed at the same time each day. In the case of more intelligent koi variants such as Chagoi, you may be able to get them accustomed to eating right out of your hand.

Multiple Koi Feeding Times

Breeders are known to feed juvenile koi up to four times a day: twice in the morning, and twice again in the afternoon. This is done for the purpose of stimulating early growth, but it isn’t necessary to keep doing so with adults. If you enjoy spending time at the pond, you can certainly feed koi twice a day as long as you don’t exceed 4 percent of their weight. The problem with excessive feeding is related to uneaten and half-eaten food that may accumulate at the bottom of the pond, thus forcing more frequent cleaning and water changes.

Feeding Koi with Treats

The omnivorous nature of koi means they’ll enjoy snacks from time to time. Recommended healthy treats koi are known to enjoy include lettuce, frozen peas, mandarin oranges, watermelon, and worms. You can also feed them dehydrated krill, but no more than 2 or 3 times a week in the warm season, as too much protein can be harmful. Treats for koi are more effective when they’re provided during the summer, especially when sunlight is beaming right on the water.

Feeding your koi nutritious food the right amount times per day is essential, but you also need several other supplies to properly maintain your pond and keep your koi happy and healthy. For all your pond equipment needs, reach out to Aquatic Warehouse. If you’re in the San Diego area, you can stop by our store in Kearny Mesa, or you can also order what you need from our website if you live elsewhere. Call us today at 858-467-9297 if you have any questions.