How much should you feed is always a common question as it does have many varying factors depending on the season, time of day and water temperature / type of food being fed. Many high-end hobbyists generally stick to a strict feeding routine throughout the seasons being meticulous with their feeding schedule which will alter depending on the above factors.
A common guideline for most to follow:
- Feed only what the koi can consume within about 3–5 minutes.
- During warm months roughly 15–20°C, feed small portions 1–2 times per day dependent on the type of food being fed.
- Reduce feeding significantly as water temperatures fall.
- Below about 5°C, many keepers stop feeding or use specialized cold-water foods mainly consisting of wheatgerm because digestion becomes very slow.
Signs you're feeding too much
- Food remains floating after several minutes.
- Water becomes cloudy or develops excessive algae.
- Filters require unusually frequent cleaning.
- Koi appear sluggish despite being fed heavily.
- Water parameters spike aggressively during the warmer months.
In most ponds, underfeeding slightly is safer than overfeeding, because koi are efficient foragers and can supplement their diet with natural organisms in the pond.
Below is a feeding table guideline from Saki Hikari, this is a great guideline of when to feed what type of food.
