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    Thread: Time To Start the Spring Pond Routine?

    1. #1
      Euryth's Avatar
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      Time To Start the Spring Pond Routine?

      I have NO idea what's going on with the weather this year, but the temperatures here in the Southeast are higher than I remember them in the last few years for February. Weeds, grasses, trees and even the insects have all started acting as if spring is here, which is starting to throw me off a bit. Water temperatures in my pond & QT tanks have been rising steadily and can be as low as 59* to as high as the mid 60*'s. I called myself fasting the bigger girls for weeks late December - early January when water temps were way below 50* and would only feed 1 tablespoon of food once every week or so on a day where water was above 50*. For close to three weeks or so, I've withheld any and all food whatsoever even though the water's warmed up significantly.

      Should I adjust my usual Spring cleaning and feeding schedule to account for this unusually warm start to the year? I have been following this PDF that I stumbled upon two years ago here on Koiphen for feeding my herd. So far, I've been operating as if we're still in the 55*F and below span of the year.

      For those that are experiencing similar temps, what are you all doing?
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      audioenvy is offline Supporting Member
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      Interesting document. I'm not sure the advice would get consensus around here or on any other koi board for that matter--but it's very interesting.

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      I just started feeding lightly last week , my water temperature is 49 . 50 still on the low end but my koi are ready after a long winter.
      We’re going to be in the 70s all week their won’t be any turning back .

    4. #4
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      Quote Originally Posted by audioenvy View Post
      Interesting document. I'm not sure the advice would get consensus around here or on any other koi board for that matter--but it's very interesting.
      Thanks for weighing in on this! I'm not sure I follow, so could you expound a bit?

      I had been using this as a guide to know when to start ramping up the feeding during late summer - fall to best put growth on my herd. With it, I've been able to take Tosai from 5" - 6" to 12" - 14" and Nisai from 14" - 16" to 19" - 20" in one season (after late spring/early summer QT FOR newcomers) following this schedule of food every 2.5 hrs for 5 feedings daily. Seemed to work fine for me, but it may be something I'm missing lol I'm still a new hobbyist & trying to find what works is trial & error for me so far!

    5. #5
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      I would really like to start my pond back up...low 50's at night and 70's during the day here in Tennessee this week. BUT....we have had snow in April.
      Not sure if I want to take the chance. No feeding since Thanksgiving, but pond has been shut down so no filtration...no feeding.


      Pam

      Montgomery County Water Garden Society
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      Quote Originally Posted by delbert View Post
      I just started feeding lightly last week , my water temperature is 49 . 50 still on the low end but my koi are ready after a long winter.
      We’re going to be in the 70s all week their won’t be any turning back .
      That's what my two week forecast shows here outside Atlanta: mid to high 70's this week with high 60's next week. Have you begun feeding lightly, daily?

    7. #7
      Euryth's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by totallyvictorian View Post
      I would really like to start my pond back up...low 50's at night and 70's during the day here in Tennessee this week. BUT....we have had snow in April.
      Not sure if I want to take the chance. No feeding since Thanksgiving, but pond has been shut down so no filtration...no feeding.
      Yikes! That would be pretty intense so I totally understand your concern. Have you tried covering the filtration & pond during that time to see if it makes a difference?

      I ran my filtration the entire winter & life had been so hectic late fall I couldn't throw my usual painter's tarp up over everything. Water parameters have been 0 for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate and I've been changing water every 7 - 10 days. More in my 300g Rubbermaid QT tank. Also did PP doses on warmer days to be safe.

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      Charts on feeding written in Texas probably work in GA but in WA last summer my water only reached 72* at the high
      mid summer, and that was just for a couple of days.
      It snowed here yesterday and they're calling for more all week so I'm going to hold off for a bit myself.
      --Steve



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      Here in Atlanta I put away the pond cover, cranked up the speed of the Flowfriend to 1800rpm for the shower, and started seriously feeding high protein food. The bead filter had been running all winter with the shower off. I turned the shower back on low speed a few weeks ago. Soon I can expect all the flower petals from nearby trees: Bradford Pears, Cherrys, and a few Dogwoods. Happy early spring to all!!!

    10. #10
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      icu2, sounds like that made for a summer of great growth then lol! With temps like that, I'm sure your growing season comes a bit earlier than most? Enjoy that snow, we saw a bit of it this "winter" too lol. First time seeing my water iced over like that, huge sheets about an inch or so thick.

      MCAsan, nice! So you start your spring off feeding heavily as opposed to slowly ramping up to feeding large volumes in the fall? I figure temps should soon be in the same range as when they're cooling down for the fall, so do you try to capitalize on this period of time for feeding heavy too?

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      Quote Originally Posted by Euryth View Post
      That's what my two week forecast shows here outside Atlanta: mid to high 70's this week with high 60's next week. Have you begun feeding lightly, daily?

      yep ,,,, lightly each day . i want to give my filters time to wake up good

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      Steve, any nice articles that are similar for those of us in Washington? Or the northern states that you would recommend? Perhaps one that is geared towards backyard hobbyists rather than show koi? I need to send out something to start waking up the club members. Bad Prez here... if my koi are still sleeping on the bottom of the pond, I'd just as soon hibernate with them (in my house of course).
      ~ jj
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    13. #13
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      Quote Originally Posted by jjspond View Post
      Steve, any nice articles that are similar for those of us in Washington? Or the northern states that you would recommend? Perhaps one that is geared towards backyard hobbyists rather than show koi? I need to send out something to start waking up the club members. Bad Prez here... if my koi are still sleeping on the bottom of the pond, I'd just as soon hibernate with them (in my house of course).
      Not that I'm aware of but maybe someone else has seen something. You being east of the mountains it might
      be a lot different than us on the west since you usually get a lot colder in the winter and much warm in the summer.
      --Steve



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    14. #14
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      Quote Originally Posted by Euryth View Post

      MCAsan, nice! So you start your spring off feeding heavily as opposed to slowly ramping up to feeding large volumes in the fall? I figure temps should soon be in the same range as when they're cooling down for the fall, so do you try to capitalize on this period of time for feeding heavy too?

      I won't waste time and effort on ever feed wheatgerm. But I do not feed the volume now that will be feed when the water is 70F+.

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      Our temperatures have been up and down and that is pretty normal for us in Virginia. 76 degrees and snow 2 days later. We have always had some nice days anytime of the year, but winter can descend upon us at any moment.

      Just be prepared to deal with whatever weather comes to you.
      Nancy



    16. #16
      Euryth's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by MCAsan View Post
      I won't waste time and effort on ever feed wheatgerm. But I do not feed the volume now that will be feed when the water is 70F+.
      I've heard of hobbyists preferring to feed a low protein staple food as opposed to using wheat germ due to the increased waste produced. I always thought the benefits of wheat germ are its ready digestibility & that it reduces the strain that high protein koi food places on the liver. Is this something you've experienced?
      Last edited by Euryth; 02-19-2018 at 05:01 PM.

    17. #17
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      Quote Originally Posted by koi4u2c View Post
      Our temperatures have been up and down and that is pretty normal for us in Virginia. 76 degrees and snow 2 days later. We have always had some nice days anytime of the year, but winter can descend upon us at any moment.

      Just be prepared to deal with whatever weather comes to you.
      Definitely some major temp swings! Do you avoid feeding altogether until later in the spring then even with warm "einter" temps? I would expect as long as feeding is light & guts aren't packed food during a freeze, the koi should be fine?

    18. #18
      koi4u2c is offline Senior Member
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      I have done slightly different things through the years as I have had koi for more than 23 years.
      There have been years when I did not feed from late November until the last of March. Now some of my fish are in a hoop covered greenhouse and I could feed them year round since water temperatures do not get below 50 degrees. This year I did not feed December and January. I have fed a couple of times when the weather was warm. I will probably start feeding them more consistently from now on. They have stayed active and appear to have grown and do not even appear to have slimmed down much. But they probably eat a few water celery leaves that reach over from streambed and trimmed the roots from the papyrus which are still green.

      My fish in uncovered ponds have not been fed since late November except for a couple of times when we had some 70 degree days in a row. They all look good and are moving around on all but the coldest days.

      One year when I fed a little more on colder days, I did have a fish die, may have been for other reasons, but I then decided to not feed unless really warm temperatures for most of a week.

      Fish food being man made worries me more staying in the gut than plants of and natural worms and bugs that fish in the wild and not so clean ponds may find.
      Nancy



    19. #19
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      I switch to wheatgerm since new year
      Digestible and benefit the white ground of the koi
      A fresh change after all summer feast for the herd
      M.Nguyen


    20. #20
      Euryth's Avatar
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      Great responses and thanks for sharing your routines! I have been tossing in worms that I find in the backyard during yard work since my backyard hasn't been treated in nearly a year. The way they snap them up I wish there were more to go around lol.

      I usually feed wheat germ but believe I've run out, I'll have to double check. I've decided to try Nijikawa along with Saki Hikari growth for staple foods, but for now I'll stick to the multi-season Nijikawa for feeding lightly.

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