Hi Mike:
I tend to go with you, but in fairness to others, it is much easier for me
to decide when to start/stop feeding with all the really cold weather we
get. There's little question when you live here...
If fed properly with good quality foodstuff, your fish will go into "winter"
fine. They will live off stored fats all winter. In fact mine grow over
winter (not a great deal, but measurable) without any supplemental feeds.
There's really no need to add to the bioload, esp. during times when the
food may not be properly assimilated by the fish to begin with.
There should be enough easy to digest algae, etc in the pond for the fish to
consume, during the time the temperatures are fluctuating.
I see mine nibbling on the algae on the sides of the pond, under the ice, at
times.
Happy ponding,
Greg

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"MLF" wrote in message
...

"Gregory Young" wrote:
Average your daily temperature.. If your average temperature
remains above 50 or 55 degrees go ahead and feed.


I am always in a conundrum. In Zone 8B/9A my pond has never gotten below
48 degF. It's often too cold to feed, but some days it gets up to 55 for
a week or so and then down to 50.

I figure once the fish go into their winter torpor, it's best to just
let them ride it out until things warm up for good. I certainly don't
feed them on warm days and starve them on cold ones. As soon as the
average temp is 55 degF for a week, I'll start feeding them again.


Michael Fermanis
New Orleans, Louisiana USA (Remove the RICE to reply)
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