We had a real sweet break from the August heat, but it looks like its making a comeback! It's back-to-school time with homework and after-school functions keeping families very busy! Don't forget to feed the fish! It will soon be transition time for your outdoor ornamental and pond fish (depending on your geographical location!). Here in the south, we really don't think about fall or winter until Thanksgiving!
When the pond water begins to cool down, most koi keepers and fish hobbyists change to a lower protein diet with added wheat germ. Many of today's pond pellets contain wheat germ even at higher levels of protein. You can feed either either way. It really depends on your preferences.
We will start offering 28% Fall/Winter diet around mid-September!
In the meantime, you can save some cash by choosing our premium 35% protein color-enhancing diet with wheat germ at 10% off through Labor Day! This diet is actually processed specifically for feeding koi and goldfish all year long. We've also included our newest line of 32% premium protein low-dust formula in the 10% off sale. Neither diet contains corn or corn ingredients, and both are very low in dust, making these ideal for outdoor aquariums!
Time passes so quickly. Before you know it, Christmas will roll around again and a whole new year! Enjoy nature! Relax, and feed the fish! A peace of mind is a daily necessity!
Creating a haven for koi can be a great hobby. However, you need to consider a few tips before going all in with this backyard water feature.
Assess the Situation
Make sure the soil in the area you chose is stable enough support a pond. A gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds, and a decent sized backyard pond can hold around 200 gallons, so you can see why ground stability is important. It’s also essential to select a site with a good amount of sunlight. The best way for beginners to install a pond is to buy a kit, which includes all the components needed to start the pond (tub, liner, pump, and often a fountain and plants).
Determine Depth
Your koi will grow only in relation to the size of the space they’re in. In shallow water, a koi fish, which can reach 3 feet in length, won’t reach its full potential as much as it would in a 5-foot-deep pond.
Fish also tend to get sicker in small ponds because they’re swimming around in water with higher concentrations of their own waste. Deeper ponds equal higher water volume and, thus, cleaner water. The fish are healthier, which also makes it much easier to maintain the right chemical balance. Ensure there’s enough depth to allow the fish to hibernate during winter.
Additionally, deeper ponds make it more difficult for predators like birds, raccoons and cats, to target your fish.
Keep the Water Oxygenated
Adding a waterfall or fountain will circulate the water and keep it oxygenated. By circulating the water, you can keep algae at bay and prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs. The water has to be oxygenated if fish are to live in the pond.
Learn about Koi Pond Maintenance
You'll find exactly zero maintenance-free ponds. Surprisingly, a small pond is actually more difficult to take care of than a larger one. The more water you have in your ecosystem, the easier it is for nature to take over and regulate the environment. Fish need to be fed the best koi food daily, and pump filters need to be changed or cleaned. too many algae are unwanted, it is still very important to have algae in your pond. It’s beneficial as a nutritious food source for fish, especially baby fish, and algae also oxygenate the water.
Add Plants
The plant life in a garden pond not only provides shade to control algae growth but also keeps a cooler water temperature that won’t lower the immune systems of aquatic life in the pond. Many different types of plants can be used in a koi pond: completely submerged plants, floating plants (not rooted in the soil), and marginal plants (rooted in the soil but grow above the water’s surface) tend to thrive very well in the water these ponds provide.
Know What (and When) to Feed Your Koi
In the summer, when temperatures climb above 72 degrees, we recommend feeding your koi 3-4 times a day every day for approximately 10 minutes or 5-6 times a day every day for approximately 5 minutes. When the spring temperatures hover between 60 and 72 degrees, feeding once or twice a day every day for approximately 5 minutes is sufficient. Between 50 and 59 degrees, you can feed 4-5 times a week for approximately 4 minutes. When temps dip to 50 to 54 degrees, feed your fish 2-3 times a week for approximately 2 minutes. And, if the water temperature hovers at 50 degrees, offer food for approximately 2 minutes once or twice a week. When drops below 50 degrees, we recommend not feeding your fish, but it’s important to let them be your guide. If they appear to be hungry, feed them.
Just a reminder that it is summer and snakes love to be near ponds! Always keep an eye at your feet when feeding the fish! This isn't my photo, but I stumbled upon one of these recently! Cottonmouths love water and they especially like to come out as it gets close to dark. Be careful out there!
New Product! June 22 2017, 4 Comments
We now offer a new pellet size in our 32% protein line. These 5.5 mm pellets are a great size for juvenile to adult koi and goldfish. This fish food does not contain any corn or corn products, and it is very low in dust, making this an ideal fish food for ornamental fish ponds.
When feeding your pond-dwellers, there are three main aspects you need to consider for proper nutrition. These are: Feeding your fish the appropriate foods, feeding them the proper amounts, and feeding them food that’s best for the season.
Determining what and how often to feed your fish depends primarily on water temperature. In warmer water (60-85 degrees) the metabolism of the fish is high and they can be fed 2-4 times per day. At this time you should be feeding a food with a high protein level such as Kenny’s Vibrant Vittles, which contains 35% premium protein. As water temperatures begin to rise in the spring, koi will become more active and require higher amounts of protein. However, during spring and summer, younger koi have a higher protein requirement than adults. Our premium koi food is 100% guaranteed to be nutritionally balanced.
In spring and fall when your water temperatures fall to 50-60 degrees, you should reduce feeding to once every 1-2 days and feed your koi a low-protein food such as Kenny’s Chillin’ Chow, which contains 28% protein.
Hot Times in the Summer
If the water rises to 90 degrees or above, you should stop feeding. On hot days, the fish may become active and "beg" for food. Don't be fooled. It’s important to stay strong and do not feed them. If the fish do need a little food, they will find enough growing in the pond. The algae that coats the pond liner is all they should need.
Winter Woes
America’s Best Koi Food has feed for every season. It is important for you to measure the temperature of the water in your pond. Once the water temperature drops to less than 50º F, the koi will become less active and their appetite decreases as metabolism slows down; they will not be able to process the high protein in their food. However, many koi owners let the fish be their guide, and offer food if they appear active and hungry. If koi appear hungry, Kenny’s Chillin’ Chow may be offered for approximately 2 minutes once or twice a week.
If water temperature hovers at 50º F, Kenny’s Chillin’ Chow may be offered for approximately 2 minutes once or twice a week. Keep in mind, the protein requirements are the same for all ages of koi during the winter feeding months.
Timing for Feeding Fish
Whether you choose to feed three times a day or three times a week, you need to make sure you feed only what your fish will consume in five minutes. A little experimenting can teach you how much to feed. If, five minutes after feeding, there is still uneaten food you know to not feed that much next time.
The main step you can take to ensure you keep a pond full of healthy, beautiful koi is to feed them the best koi fish food. Order economical koi food from America’s Best Koi Food today and give your fish the right diet to help them thrive.
I hope you enjoy summer as much as I do! Enjoy the sunshine and remember that other critters love fish food pellets just as much as the fish do! Offer your pond turtles food every day when you feed the fish! They will love you for it!
Raising koi is a fun hobby, and a pond featuring these beautiful fish can be a delightful addition to your landscape. But, do you know the whole story of these living paintings? Many people think koi and goldfish are interchangeable, but they’re not. An easy way to distinguish the two: Koi have barbels or whiskers on their lip; goldfish don’t. Koi are ornamental varieties of the common carp that were originally domesticated in Eastern Asia in the early 400s (that’s not a typo!) as an important source of food.
It wasn’t until much later, around the 1820s, that the carp moved off the dinner plate and began being bred for their unique color variations. However, the general public wasn’t aware of the development of these stunning fish until 1914, when the Niigata koi were exhibited at an annual exposition in Tokyo. From then on, the hobby of keeping koi spread worldwide.
Types of Koi
Koi breeders have identified and named a number of specific categories of the fish based on color, pattern, and scale formation. The major colors of koi are white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream, with more exotic colors such as solid metallic silver and gold being bred more recently.
The most notable and popular category of koi is Gosanke, which is made up of more than twenty varieties; however, you can find more than 120 varieties of koi if you look at other categories.
The most common koi are easily found by contacting breeders or farms and even stores such as Petco.
Kohaku, the oldest and most well-known variety of koi, have a solid white base with patterns of red overlaid on top of the white.
Showa Sanshoku, or just Showa, have white and red/orange patterns over a black base color that wraps around the body. Showa also has black patterns on its head.
Tancho is a hugely popular variation of Kohaku. The only red pattern on this fish is a single red dot on its head, which is symbolic of the Japanese flag.
Symbolism and Koi
A couple thousand years ago, a legend in China was formed that told how carp that swam up a waterfall and through the dragon gate were magically transformed into dragons. Through perseverance and endurance, the carp become mythical beings. Two thousand years later and the koi fish still symbolize perseverance and endurance, as well as strength and individualism.
Because koi can develop such variation in colors, it shouldn’t be a surprise that each color also has a specific connotation. Of course, gold koi such as Kigoi represent wealth and prosperity. Metallic koi such as Matsuba symbolize business success. A blue koi such as Asagi brings serenity and also symbolizes positivity. Black koi symbolize love and overcoming adversity.
One step you can take to ensure you keep a pond full of healthy, beautiful koi is to feed them the best koi fish food. Order economical koi food from America’s Best Koi Food today and give your fish the right diet to help them thrive.
Learning how to care for koi fish is the first step to having a pond full of beautiful koi. Find out about koi food, the ideal pond environment, and more.
Kenny's Chillin' Chow has returned! We have received a brand new shipment of large and medium floating pellets. This fall/winter low-protein diet contains wheat germ meal and alfalfa meal which will help with the assimilation of fish food during the cool feeding season. This is great cool-season food for all pond fish. You can reduce the protein requirements when the water temperature falls to about 60 F.
NOTE: Although this is a cool season formula, it does not contain any color enhancer ingredients.
We are very excited to carry a new koi and goldfish floating pellet fish food! Kenny's Vibrant Vittles with wheat germ meal and spirulina is specifically formulated as an ornamental staple food that can be fed year round! A special bonus is that it also contains montmorillonite clay - well known for boosting immunity and just keeping your koi and goldfish healthier! Available in two sizes - Large and Medium. Save $2.00 now on 10 lbs! Only $29.95.
Water will begin cooling down soon, but now is the time to feed well - so don't forget to feed the fish!
