Its important to look after all your pets, but pets that live outside all year round need extra care, not only fish but rabbits, Guinea pigs, chickens and many other pets you may have, we will cover these pets at a later date, but for now we are talking fish care in spring, now the days are getting longer and warmer, fish outside are starting to wake up, its still important thou to monitor how you feed them.
Pond fish are “cold blooded” and the amount of food needed depends upon their activity, which is closely tied to the water temperature. Goldfish and koi become very sluggish below 8-10 degrees C and it is generally best not to feed them when daytime temperatures fall below 10 degrees C or if there is any night-time ice on the pond. Feeding at too low a temperature can result in food being uneaten and polluting the water, or worse, being undigested by the fish and causing internal problems.
Changes in temperature have a big effect on fish appetites e.g. a drop from 12 C to 10 C may put fish off their food whereas a rise from 8 C to 10 C may encourage them to look for food. Keep an eye on forecasts and avoid feeding if colder weather is due.
Even when spring arrives, feed only lightly until the weather is reliably warmer. Special foods are available that are more readily digested in cool weather. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on when to feed, and use a pool thermometer if necessary to monitor water temperature.
Feeding during the milder days of autumn can help to build fish up for their winter “down time”, and feeding in the warmer days of spring will help them to recover from the winter.
Fish page https://www.shanklinpetstores.co.uk/product-category/fish/
Pond Food https://www.shanklinpetstores.co.uk/product-category/fish/foods-pond/
Pond Treatment https://www.shanklinpetstores.co.uk/product-category/fish/pond-treatments/
Team Shanklinpets