I live in MN so once we go low, we STAY there! But what from what I've read, don't feed the fish if the water temp is and stays below 50F. There are certain types of food you can feed during cooler temps before In my pond (low to moderate fish load) I stop feeding my goldies when the air temps are in the 50's during the day. If we have a warm up, they are still slow, and I may offer them a pinch or two of food, but they don't clean it up like they normaly would, so I stop. I believe in minimal feeding anyway, they have plenty of algae, etc to eat if they need food. That certainly varies with what kind of fish, and how many, you have and if your temps hover at 50 - 60 for long.
Anymore help here?

Sarah

remember, your fish are cold blooded and their bodies are the same temp as the water (the water temp is the only temp that matters). their metabolism slows down considerably and they do not need as many calories. as a general rule don't feed at all below 50 and low to no protein below 60. when their bodies are cold, the bacteria in their gut cools as well and stops funtioning making them unable to digest the protein properly. in japan they sometimes feed their fish boiled rice, or soft vegetables like peeled and cooked peas when the water is cold. even so they do it sparingly as the fish do not need much food and any unused fool will foul the water.

personally i do not feed at all from about the beginning of november to the begining of april. i don't take a temperature reading, but watch the fish. when they quit rising to the surface to eat, i quit feeding them. i have some low protein food that i feed them when they are feeding, but the water is colder than water i would consider swimming in. there is plenty of algae and vegetable muck in there for them to snack on if they need a mid-winter snack. in fact, i only feed them a 4-5 times a week in the summer. and don't worry about them if i leave town. they are perfectly capable of finding enough with out me, anything i give them is dessert. i do step up the feeding in september and october to give them a few months to put on some reserves before the long fast. i only have 3 large ranchu (7") in 500 gallons of heavily planted chemical free waterÂthere is plenty of food for them in the form of worms, insects and algae. if i had more fish i would probably need to feed more in the summer than i do now.

watch your fish, they will let you know when it is time to eat. if they are gulping and begging at the surface it is ok, just start and end the season with low protein foodsÂthey are labeled as such and available at any pond or pet store.

As mentioned by other posters the rule about feeding applies to WATER temps not air temps I suspect if they are that active the water may still be holding some heat ? (water temps dont really fluctuate all that much betw day and night, just decline over time as winter comes). A floating thermometer can be had for only a couple of bucks.

Definitely invest in a water thermometer. Because you're in Texas, I suspect your water temps are above 50. I'm in Oklahoma, and my water temps are currently in the mid-50ish range.

I live in Houston, so my temps are a bit warmer than yours are in Dallas in the winter. I have had Koi for 7 years now, and I feed them the same food in the winter as I do in the summer, but I only feed them on warm days, which this time of year is usually once a week. You will notice that if you put food in the water when it is cold, the fish ignore it, but when the water is warmer, they charge the food. At least that is waht mine do. Either way, they will not die if you don't feed them this time of year, they will find some trash in the pond to feed on if they are hungry.

I have a real problem with going out in the cold. I resist it with all I have. Going out to locate a thermometer that is hiding somewhere in the plants is not my favorite occupation. After a discussion with some of the more experienced ponders I got a remote sensor thermometer at Menards. With the home base unit I can get the outside temperature and the water temperature down to 3 feet from the warmth of my living room. There are more expensive setups for the science minded but I am happy with what I got. Also see them at most big box stores. It can be a surprise to see the temperature variations in and out of the pond. Sandy

Thank you for all your help!