These warm Summer nights are so nice! It’s a great time to get outside for more than one reason. First to enjoy the cooler part of your day and, to start “fattening up your Koi” for the coming cool season.
Evenings are a great time to feed your Koi. This time of the season is when I really start feeding heavily, they need to put on some fat to get them through the coming cool season.
I’m feeding Koi Food, Koi Snacks and fruit 🍉 as a treat. And they are gobbling it all up 😋
So, my Pond Tip for this week is – Get out there and enjoy your Ponds and feed your Fish like your fattening them for market.
I stock high quality, fresh Koi Food at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
Spring is in full swing! We are past our last frost date and the whole world is greening up, I LOVE it! So do my Koi! 😊 They have been tearing up the Cool Season Koi Food and the veggies I have been feeding them. In fact, many of my customers and fellow Koi enthusiasts have been feeding Cool Season Food & have asked me the all important question…
– When can I start feeding regular and Color Enhancing Koi Food?
– My Answer- Remember the rule of 60!
When the water temperature has stabilized above 60 degrees Fahrenheit you can switch to a Higher Protein or a Color Enhancing Koi Food. We like to call it the ‘Rule Of 60’… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
I have covered The Rule of 50 in previous Blogs, when coming out of Winter into Spring, you must let the water temp stabilize for at least a week at 50+ degrees Fahrenheit before you start to feed your koi. AND, when you do start back to feeding, you should use a quality, Cool Season Koi Food! And don’t over feed! Gradually reintroduce food to them in small amounts.
Now, at least for me (check your thermometer) it’s time to make the transition to a regular Koi Food. In fact, I will start to feed both high protein and color enhancing feed, alternating weekly between the two.
Our finned friends are cold blooded & water temperature is very important when it comes to seasonal feeding times. After the water temp is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit you can start feeding High Protein and Color Enhancing Koi Food again. Pick some up at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
So to wrap it up, check your water temp & when your above 60 degrees for several days in a row and climbing, you can transition to warm season Koi Food. That’s the “Rule of 60”… 😉
I post seasonal Koi information, temperatures and best practices for your Koi’s health every year about this time. Sure enough, we have made another trip around the Sun and it’s Spring time again! 😊 People are already asking “can we start feeding our Koi now”… I always tell em’ to Check your Pond thermometer & “Remember the rule of 50”!
A simple floating Pond Thermometer is a ‘Must Have’ in a Koi Pond! Remember the rule of 50! | Carters Nursery, Pond and Patio | Jackson, TN
“I’ve been hawking my Pond Thermometer these last couple of weeks! The temperature of the water has been slowly rising as the days get longer and we approach Spring. As usual, I will start the feeding season with Cool Temp Koi Food when the water temperature has stabilized at 50 + degrees. The “rule of 50” I like to call it…
I’m always ready for Feeding Time! I love to feed my “Pond Babies”!
This is my favorite season of the year! Everything is waking up! Including my KOI! They have been VERY active! Literally begging for food 🐟 It’s so hard to wait… But, it’s part of the process & it’s so important for our finned friends health and well being.
Start your Koi by feeding a quality Cold/Cool Water Food. They are cold blooded and it’s really important to get them off to a proper start.
So, to wrap it up…
The Rule of 50 = Let the water temp stabilize for a week at 50+ degrees Fahrenheit before you start to feed your koi in the Spring. AND, when you do start back to feeding, use a quality, Cool Season Koi Food! And don’t over feed! Happier days are here again.
6 Things Koi Keepers Always Do In Their Ponds | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
1- Koi Keepers always keep a Debris Net handy! Murphy’s Law applies to your Pond! IF it can get in your Pond, it eventually will… So having a sturdy Debris Net handy, is a must!
A sturdy Pond Net with an extendible handle is an invaluable tool! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio
2- Koi Keepers always add Beneficial Bacteria to their Ponds. It does a great job of helping you keep the water clean and healthy with minimal effort.
Adding Beneficial Bacteria to your pond on a regular basis is a smart move! Crystal Clear Water will be your reward.
3- Koi Keepers always keep an eye on Aquatic Plant growth. They have learned that spending just a few minutes a week touching up their plants, makes them perform beautifully throughout the season!
4- Koi Keepers feed their “Finned Friends” top quality Koi Food! They make sure that their Koi Food is high quality and doesn’t have corn 🌽 in the top 3 ingredients.
Feeding your Koi quality food is a must! | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio
5- Koi Keepers keep their Ponds clean! Spring and Fall Pond Maintenance is a MUST! They always start the Spring season with a comprehensive Pond Cleaning. Then they follow up with partial water changes as needed and Fall Pond Netting.
6- Koi Keepers spend quality time out by their Ponds with friends, family and of course, their Koi! They have learned that the Greatest Thing About Having A Pond, is spending time around it. They have learned that ‘A Pond will change your life!’
So many people come to the nursery and just Love to feed the Koi!😍 They will swim right up and take the food from your hand 🖐🏻 So many people say “I can’t get my Koi to eat from my hand… What can I do”? So, I thought I would point everyone in the right direction on ‘How to get your Koi to eat from your hand”! 💥
Koi actually love to interact and eat from your hand. You just have to work with them a little bit… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee
The easiest way to explain how to train a koi to eat from your hand is to go Pavlovian on them… ie; Conditioned Response! Pavlov used a bell 🔔 or buzzer in his work. He would make the sound & then give the dog food… Eventually just making the sound would make the dog slobber with anticipation. It kinda works the same way with Koi!
Consistency and repetition are key to train your Koi. Oh, and watermelon 🍉
#1 – Feed at the same time EVERY day! Be it morning or evening, be Consistent! #2 – Repetition! At first, feed at the same time, in the same place and with the same food! Make a little splash sound with your fingertips, then throw a little food out. not to much at first. Doing it this way doesn’t really take that long. You just have to be committed to the process! #3 Only feed for a given time. 5 minutes at first. Once they catch on, you can improvise with snacks and fruit 🍉 🍊 🥬
Once you break the ice, you can move closer and closer during feeding time, until your right on the edge with them and they will be literally eating from your hand!
So there you have it. Be consistent, be repetitive and ❤️ Your Koi!
Spring is in full swing! We are well past our frost and the whole world is green! I LOVE it! So do my Koi! 😊 They have been tearing up the Cool Season Koi Food and the veggies I have been feeding them. In fact, many of my customers and fellow Koi enthusiasts have been feeding Cool Season Food & have asked me the all important question…
– When can I start feeding Max Growth and Color Enhancing Koi Food?
– My Answer- Remember the rule of 60!
When the water temperature has stabilized above 60 degrees Fahrenheit you can switch to a Higher Protein or a Color Enhancing Koi Food. We like to call it the ‘Rule Of 60’… | Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
We have covered The Rule of 50 in previous Blogs, when coming out of Winter into Spring, you must let the water temp stabilize for at least a week at 50+ degrees Fahrenheit before you start to feed your koi. AND, when you do start back to feeding, you should use a quality, Cool Season Koi Food! And don’t over feed! Gradually reintroduce food to them in small amounts.
Now, at least for me (check your thermometer) it’s time to feed a regular Koi Food. In fact, I will start to feed both high protein and color enhancing feed, alternating weekly between the two.
Every Pond should have a floating Pond thermometer. Our finned friends are cold blooded & water temperature is very important when it comes to seasonal feeding times. Pick one up at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, TN
So to wrap it up, check your water temp & when your above 60 degrees for several days in a row and climbing, you can transition to a warm season Koi Food. That’s the “Rule of 60”… 😉
If there is one thing I love the most about having a Water Garden, it’s feeding my Koi! It’s a daily ritual that I just can’t do without 😊 So I thought I would share this moment with you today. A little Hump Day Koi Fix!
People ask me that all the time! The answer is a pretty simple one… After the water temperature has stabilized in the spring and conditions are right, most anytime is a good time to feed your Koi! ❤️ The #1 thing not to do – Don’t overfeed! Feed a little at a time and let them consume it, then feed a little more IF they are still eating. I feed mine in the morning and then again in the evening. They are waiting on me both times 😊
One of the most enjoyable parts of the day is feeding my Koi! Remember – Feed em’ high quality Koi Food! Available at Carters Nursery, Pond & Patio | Jackson, Tennessee
Check our last evenings feeding session 👇🏻
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So to wrap it up – don’t overfeed & enjoy the moment. Feeding your Koi is one of the many rewards of having a Pond!
Carter's Water Garden 