Why feed less at lower temperatures?
At lower temperatures, fish's bodily processes slow down, including digestion. Fish need less food and will also show this by eating less of the given food. You can adjust your feeding pattern accordingly.
Do not feed too much, leftover food will sink to the bottom and pollute the water. This can disrupt the balance in your pond and cause harmful substances such as ammonia and nitrite.
How much to feed at these temperatures
Is the outside temperature dropping? Then keep an eye on the water temperature . You can adjust the following in your feeding pattern at these water temperatures:
- 10-15 °C - Reduce feeding and switch to easily digestible 'winter food' such as wheat germ food
- 5-10 °C - Reduce feeding drastically, limit to small amounts 1-2x per week
- <5 °C - Stop feeding, fish will no longer eat it
Avoid protein-rich food in the winter, this is better suited for higher temperatures in the spring/summer.
Adjust feeding pattern automatic fish feeder
Do you have an automatic fish feeder such as the BluFeeder or BluFeeder Smart Control? Then adjust the feeding schedule. Opt for less feeding per time, less often per day, only a few days a week or even completely off at the lowest temperatures.
