Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Feeding Do i feed all year ?

Hi all, been reading a lot on feeding. but i do have an unanswered question. Down here we seldom get freezing temps, Last year we got just below freezing one time maybe, my question is should i feed all year round or just the summer months? Thanks

Hey BH,

You don't really need to feed into the winter. Even though you don't get temps cold enough to ice over you still get fairly cold I would think where fish will go into a more domant state and feed much less. I would slow down / stop feeding once your temps start to drop in the fall / late winter. Like water temps in the 50's you may at that point try to feed and see if your fish are still taking it. If you don't see much action I would shut it down till the following spring once temps start getting back up into the upper 50's low 60's they should start to eat again. You will just have to see how they react for you when it starts to get colder. Some folks also back off a little once it starts to get real hot out. As Bill Cody says "It all depends" on your pond and your fish. Good Luck

Thanks RC, i didn't think about when it gets hot, cause it does get pretty hot here. Our swimming pool gets like a sauna. I guess like you said, watch how the fish act and adjust.

I agree with RC - read the pond and read the fish. Let them tell you what they want to an extent. If they are eating, feed them. If temps affect their appetite, wait awhile and check when there's a sustained change in the weather. I have read here that when their digestion slows, feeding pellets may actually be potentially harmful to them. For us up north (yeah, yeah, Dwight, Blair, AP and others, I know you don't consider me to be a northerner!), colder fall and winter temps typically mean no feeding. Your idea of winter is vastly different and so your fish may respond very differently. Indeed, "it all depends!"

Thanks, Makes sense.

BG metabolism usually slows starting about 60 F water temps and feeding slows. There is local adaptation so that varies based on location and strain. Look to slow feeding around 60 and stop around 50. On the high temp end often at temps around 90 BG will slow way down for a while. But as noted above by Todd and RC let the fish tell you. In your location I would not be shocked if you feed 10 mths a year ( not feeding Dec 15 - Feb 15).

They should grow really well with all the feeding time i'll have ! getting more excited every day. And i got the first look at my CNBG since i released them, i was standing on the edge waiting for an alligator to show himself to get him out and a couple hundred came close by, so at least i know they made the transfer. Thanks

I fed all winter, and the fish ate like crazy. I guess it all depends on the fish - the ones that ate like crazy are RBT.