The best thing about Koi is the fact that they lack fear when it comes to humans. Once they see you as someone who feeds them food and the one who takes care of them, they're likely to eat through your hand (provided with proper training). Hand feeding your fish can be one of the most funniest and entertaining experiences you're going to get into!
The Koi are non-aggressive fish. They don't have teeth, so you don't have to worry about getting bitten if ever you decide in attempting to feed them with the use of your hand. This activity will also attract smaller kids, as they will be delighted and entertained by the fish's gentle nature and beautiful patterns and colors. Like all of the other wild animals out there, they will have that fear of you in the start.
Their instincts are the ones that tell them to fear you, which keeps them alive and lets them survive in the wilderness. So, you have to build up trust with your fish, and this will take a certain amount of time and patience in your part. Keep in mind that hand feeding your Koi is not acheivable overnight!
They feed on both meat and plants, as they are an omnivorous species. Being omnivorous as they are, it brings adaptability in their diets. They'll eat almost anything they are given, not caring whether it's good for them or not. Since they don't have the ability to judge what's good or bad for them, you should control their diet.
Overfeeding is another problem, as they might get overweight from eating foods that are not nutritious for them. The healthiest treats for them are the natural ones, such as tadpoles and earthworms. Also, you can feed them with veggies, bread, lettuce and fruit. Be careful when feeding them with food like corn, beans, and grapes as they come with outer casings. These outer casings will be harmful for your fish if these are not properly digested by them. Make it a point that you remove the outer casings before feeding them.
Now, the trick here is to start slow in feeding your fish. Don't make any sudden movements, because this will scare them away (even the most trusting of your Koi). What you should do is start hand training your pet right from the moment you get them (which is also applicable for those that are in your current population). Start by placing few of the pellets or snacks in your hand and then put your hand under the water.
Then allow the food to fall from your hand slowly. Now, it may seem that your fish may not seem to pay any attention, but the reality is that they are aware of your hand (and that your hand is the ones giving them food). This can be done within a period of two days.
Doing this will help you gain the interest of your pets. Then as you have now gotten their interest, let the fish remove the food from your hand. Now, if your pet will refuse to take food from your hand, don't feed them on that day (and do not stare at them during this process). They will have the notion that they must get the food from your hand if they want to feed. Doing this everyday will be able to make your fish comfortable with you.
Once you have fed the fish out of your hand, you can start feeding them from your fingers. And the same thing applies here: if they're not going to feed from your fingers, don't feed them on that day. The food will serve as your motivator in feeding wild animals, guaranteeing that no Koi will simply stare itself as it isn't sure of the situation it's in.
And once you’re successful in making your Koi feed from your hand, you can then have an alternate routine between regular feeding and hand feeding. There is no reason in trying to take the time in hand feeding if your hurrying. And once you get your fish to feed from your hand, be careful always in allowing your visitors to feed them. Supervise the kids and adults as they feed your pets; there should be no sudden movements and give your fish the right treats for them.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on Jun 7th, 2009. Comment. 
To have healthy Koi, feed them with the right fish food to keep them in good shape. For this, it’s important for you to know the nature of your pets when it comes to their diet.
Generally, Koi are omnivorous fish that feed on both meat and plants alike. They’re known to have sharp appetites when water temperature falls around 61 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer is when they’re most active in their appetites, and this is the reason why they should be fed with nutritious food.
They eat almost anything, including insects, worms, snails, and even the foliage of underwater plants!). Some of them would manage to pull themselves out of the water to eat grasses and acorn!
Wintertime, however, is when their digestive system slows down, almost to a stop. At this time, there’s no need for you to feed them. Why? That’s because they nibble the algae found at the bottom of the pond (or other natural food). But always remember that once the temperature will fall to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, any food that will be left in their stomach will become rancid, that it may cause them to fall ill.
So, what are the good treats that you can give to your fish? Remember that they need to have the right combination of protein, fats, fiber, minerals and vitamins. To get these, feed your fish with pellet foods, which can be made to float on the top of the water so that they’ll come out of the water’s surface to eat it.
In addition to this, you can feed them with special treats like watermelons, peas and lettuce. Be careful though in feeding them with food such as corn, beans and grapes, as they contain an outer casing, which can’t be properly digested if swallowed by your pet. Make sure to remove the outer casings before feeding it to them.
Other food include prawns (edible crustaceans which has similarities to shrimp, only that they are bigger), bread (which can be broken down, rolled into small balls and thrown into the pond), lettuce (high in essential vitamins and minerals) and fruits (but should only be fed occasionally, as most of them have high amounts of natural sugar).
So as their owner, ensure that your fish are in good health and also free from injuries. Since they have great appepitites, be very careful on how and how much you feed them. In feeding your Koi with treats, you can take the pleasure of your fish’s willingness to interact with you. Remember that if your fish have a healthy diet, they will have vivid colors, making them even more attractive to the sight of the people.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on Apr 27th, 2009. Comment.
