I brought my Koi inside the garage because the outside pond is only two feet deep. In Michigan, it will freeze solid. I heated it last year, but that was very expensive. I know the fish go into a dorment state in the winter, and only nibble on algea. BUT, the problem is, in this new tank there is no alge. I have been feeding them a minute amount. What I really want to know, is there some vegation I could substitute for the algea. Thanks for you reply.
2006-12-01 04:23:45 · 11 answers · asked by hydroslug 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
Yes you should feed them, not a much as you did in warmer months but still feed them a little since there is no alge to eat.
2006-12-01 04:27:57 · answer #1 · answered by Help Needed 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I can't believe some of the answers you are getting. As soon as the water temperature drops below 55 degrees, stop feeding your koi. They cannot metabolize food below that temperature.
If you feel you must put some kind of algae in for them, there is a product marketed for feeding marine (saltwater) fish that is paper thin sheets (about 4x6 inches) of some kind of algae or spirulina. A friend gave me some once and my fresh water fish gobbled it up. It is available at better fish stores, or they can order it for you.
Do NOT break the ice if it forms on top of anything fish are living in. The shock waves will damage their swim bladders and internal organs and could kill them. Only you know if your garage will keep the water from freezing without a heater in the tank.
You should get a couple of large submersible aquarium heaters and set the thermostats on them so they will heat your tank to around 45 degrees. That will be cheaper than heating the pond or the garage and will keep it from freezing and splitting all the seams out when the water expands. The reason for two, if one fails, there is a backup already in the tank.
Buy some one inch foam sheets for insulation and cut them to fit the tank. Do all four sides and put a cover on the tank if you have one. Heat rises. If you don't have a cover, cut a foam sheet larger than the tank and place it on top. An air stone would provide some current to keep the oxygen exchange going.
That should do it for the rest of the winter. Next year, I would make plans to put the 200 g tank in the basement or find a friend with a heated garage.....
BTW, don't run your cars in the garage, the air pump will pick up the fumes and pump them into your tank for the fish to breathe.
2006-12-01 14:15:21 · answer #2 · answered by 8 In the corner 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Algae eaters need supplements in clean tanks. The tablets are called: Wardley Alge Discs . Probably lots of others around. Koi are sort of big carp and can take cooler temps, but the excrete large amounts of nitrogen and will actually try to jump out of tanks with high nitrogen content. You may want to filter the water with a carbon containing filter and/or change 1- -20 percent of the water every two weeks or so. If you filter the water you could just feed them as they look interested. if they do not eat, do not feed them. They can live a week or two with no food.
See the links below for better answers as putting fish into new environs can cause them various other problems besides what to feed them.
Good luck.
2006-12-01 13:31:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
As the weather gets colder, start feeding them a cold weather food. I dont remember exactly what is in it, but there are foods out there for that. After the temperature where you are keeping them is regularly below 55, stop feeding them or feed them a very minute amount. They will be fine through the winter. Their metabolism slows way down and what you feed them will likely rot in their body rather than be processed. As long as your water doesnt freeze over for a long period of time (if it does break the ice, this is necessary for gas exchange) and the temp stays low, you will not need to do much of anything with them. Dont ignore them though. If you choose to feed them, a small amount once a week will be more than enough.
2006-12-01 12:53:29 · answer #4 · answered by geohauss 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How warm is your garage? What and how much you feed will depend on how well they can metabolize what they eat, which depends on the temperature. If it is relatively warm (say, over 64F) then you can carry on feeding as usual, maybe a little less, just feed sparingly, once a day or every other day.
If it gets colder than that, you want to feed what is quickly gestible and leave minimal residue inside the fishes' stomach and intestine, making metabolism much easier. Wheat germ is good, so are Cheerios (flavoured is fine - they seem to enjoy Honey Nut). These foods will provide energy, with little nitrogen to strain a cold biological filtration system. (In normal times, don't feed to much Cheerios. Too fatty). So, in water 53-64, feed Cheerios once a day, every other day.
If your garage (and water temps) are consistantly under 54F, don't feed at all.
2006-12-01 12:32:01 · answer #5 · answered by Zoe 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Since it is in your garage I would assume the temperature is above 55. Is the garge heated? If it is you should deffinately feed your fish.
2006-12-01 12:26:45 · answer #6 · answered by Patrick B 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i would put a heater in the tank just warm enough to keep it from freezing and i would not feed them
2006-12-02 03:34:04 · answer #7 · answered by Loollea 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can buy special algae wafers, and you can also feed them blanched zucchini and lettuce. They might also accept regular flake food (find some for coldwater pond fish).
2006-12-01 12:29:01 · answer #8 · answered by lickitysplit 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Buy algae tablets (sold at any fish store)
but they also make pellets for those fish!!! Check your pet store!
2006-12-01 14:41:00 · answer #9 · answered by angelmwilson 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let the whole tank freeze and you will be OK Fish in lakes freeze and don't eat then in the spring you will have something to eat.
MMMMMMM frozen Koi.
Get serious man
2006-12-01 12:27:08 · answer #10 · answered by keith s 5 · 0⤊ 6⤋