Do You Feel The Need To Feed?

Not every pond has to be fed. I know it sounds amazing but it's true. And there's a converse too. I've heard Aquascape installers say that their ponds never need to be fed and that's equally wrong. If you've stocked with koi, chances are you will need to feed something. If you stock heavily with Goldfish, you will probably need to feed.

But if you have Mud bottom ponds with freshwater feeds and a 'bug light', you have arguably "handled" the fishes' feeding requirements. This is because in spring fed mud ponds, there's always something to eat. Either a variety of amphibians in the Spring and sides of the pond, or copepods and worms on the mud floor of the pond. If you suspend a plain light bulb fixture over most ponds and run it at night - insects will be attracted to the light and fall into the Koi's waiting mouths. This advice does not hold true for stocking farmers who have many mouths to feed in such ponds. I hope this brings home the concept of natural forage. Does your pond have natural forage?

What follows is a brief discussion of how pond "type" influences feeding requirements.