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Ponds & Aquatic Plants

question about feeding medicated koi food

16 years ago

I think I need to feed my fish some medicated koi food...a couple are showing signs of bacterial infection. My question is: because it is fall and the water temperature is cooler (55-60 at this point) how do I begin feeding the medicated food when the instructions say to feed for 10-14 days? do I just feed a couple of times a week until they have had the food for 10 days?

Catching them is impossible without pumping the pond down significantly (4000 gallon pond) the ones affected are 4 inch koi and very fast swimmers. Any advice?

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Comments (5)

hnladue
16 years ago
You might be better off treating the water. Start by salting it. Not table salt, use non-idozied salt or pond salt if you can find it. I'd treat with melafix too. Probably need a couple bottles!
sleeplessinftwayne
16 years ago
Can you describe the symptoms?
Hnladue, I worry about using the medicated food just before shut down because it reduces the good bacteria as well as the bad bacteria in the fishies gut and I haven't heard any thing about parasites which I would think should be addressed as a possibility. What do you think about using some winter active bacteria? I had planned to use it any way, but for other reasons. I would agree with the salt as a general tonic. As for the amount of salt, with a pond that size could she use the salt blocks for water softening? Otherwise, it could get a little pricey. I know you were around when David mentioned it. Can you help refresh my memory?
The Melafix... would it stay active in the water beyond a treatment period so that she would have to do a water change?
Sorry about the questions seemingly addressed just to you. I would appreciate info from anyone who is an old timer or who is familiar with the problems. Sandy
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Interesting info. This may be a dumb question, but I don't have koi and I'm really trying to learn to treat my goldfish well. I have read here that people feed their fish peas occasionally, this info says (koi, at least) don't digest the 'skin'. Do you mash them or peel them or what? I was thinking you just toss a few in.
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Vicki, I just bought fall and spring food for my koi and goldfish as well. The fall/spring food is for temps from 55 or so to 65 or so, and the difference is the protein content. The fall food should have much less protein and much more carbs. My fall food has 11 % protein, while the summer food had 36 %. I don't think it matters so much what brand it is, just check for the temperature and protein. It's on the back in the small print. :) Mary
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There are a few good videos on this on You Tube. http://youtu.be/RQw_tgdCwlY I started looking at this not only that I like bigger koi, but I wanted healthier koi. One thing he talkes about is the gradual transition from feeding cold supplement wheat germ to the high protein diet. I have a zip lock bag that I will make my combination of food. Even in the summer months, he suggests a small percentage of the food to be wheat germ. It's just easier on the koi's stomach. Now with the colder months coming, I'm starting to ween them off the high protein. I've found the results are great. The koi look healthy, they're active, and I've noticed a big growth difference from last year. Currently I use a standard cold supplement wheat germ, a high protein mix, and a silk worm protein mix. Again, this may sound like allot, but the bags of food last forever. Hope this helps Craig
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If you have a pond that has naturalized with plenty of plants, even without a filter you probably don't really need to feed the fish. Very big ponds tend to settle out and develop a dirt bottom from the leafy debris. Its full of grubs and the bottom of leaves have bugs. The koi also eat roots and some of the plants. The pond we had that was like that got damaged in remodeling so we are starting over with 3 ponds. One of the large ponds does not have a filter but it also has small enough fish so they do not destroy the plants. the pond with the major filter and the very large koi seems to have too much movement to grow large plants, so we have to feed koi for now. You can throw water hyacinth in but they practically gobble them in midair, and nibble on the roots. They disturb the water lilies and uproot them, even moving large rocks. They need to be fed. We throw them raw chicken liver pieces, to get them accustomed to eating something besides dried food.
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sleeplessinftwayne
16 years ago
Gee, how great are these search programs? I did a little reviewing and sorting and found some answers for myself. There were a few gardenweb discussions but I think this one from Koivet is probably the best I found. The blue background is distressing but down the page a few clicks is a good presentation on winter preparation and some temperature/feeding charts. The consensis is that the big 40 lb bag of watersoftener salt is the best and most economical product to use. I will leave figuring the amount to you. It's in the link along with application suggestions.
Don't use Melafix or other treatment with Formalyn with the salt treatment.
Medicated food prior to shut down is ok, even a good thing.
The salt will not adversely affect the bio-filter.
Hope this helps some other ponders as much as it helped me. Sandy

Here is a link that might be useful: Some of the answers
loma_ponder
16 years ago
If you are going to play with salt. I'd have to recommend two things.
1. Buy "solar" salt from HD or Lowes. (#$5 a 40lb. bag)

2. Purchase a salt meter - best way to know how much you have applied.

I toss in about 1/2 of what I need, wait 12-24 hours, toss in the rest. I run a .10%-30% salt treatment in my pond from 55 degrees to 65 degrees water temp.. When the water isn't being salted, but I happen to venture into my pond to move plants and stir up the bottom, I throw a couple of cups of salt in to beat down nasties I may have "stirred" up.

This has worked for me.

LP

Here is a link that might be useful: Salinity
hnladue
16 years ago
Sandy-Good info. --Heather.

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