A Healthy Appetite

First, it's important to note that koi are not good foragers. They are, however, pretty big eaters. So you need to provide them enough food and enough variety to keep them healthy and happy. The trick is not to give them too much. They will readily overeat, which isn't good for them or the pond water quality. Food quality is important. Koi do well with a commercially prepared high-protein diet in the summer. Note that kois' metabolism slows down significantly in winter and they do not need very much food when temperatures are low.

Provide just enough commercially prepared food that the koi can eat in five minutes. Little and frequent is the key to successfully feeding your koi. During the warmest months, feed them three times a day. Cut back as the weather cools off.

Supplement their pellet food diet with a variety of other foods for optimal health and vibrancy. Koi love earthworms, small shrimp and tadpoles. They will also enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables, especially lettuce, which tends to be a favorite of koi. They will also gobble up oranges, watermelon and squash. For heightened vibrancy in red and red-orange fish, look for foods with added carotene and spirulina algae.

You can actually train your fish to eat from your hand. Earn their trust by staying very close by when they eat. Then begin offering food from the same place every day. Once one brave fish takes the tasty morsels, the others will follow.