How to Hand Feed Koi
Is Hand Feeding for you?
You’ve installed your fish pond, chosen your koi fish and bought all the pond food and pond supplies, now what? You may be content with just passively enjoying the sights and sounds of your new water feature. If that’s the case, your fish feeding style is probably all business, just toss handfuls of fish food across the surface so you can get back to the enjoyment of it.
Hand feeding is for hands on koi owners. Are you excited to get up close and personal with everything in your new koi pond, including your new fish family? Read on.
If this describes you, start this feeding style from the very start of your relationship. Just like any relationship, you’ll need to get to know each other and build trust. And that can take time to achieve. So, first off, have realistic expectations: getting koi to eat out of your hand won’t happen overnight. It will take time, as well as two other ingredients of good relationships: patience and commitment.
Benefits of Hand Feeding Koi Fish
- Monitor for parasites, injuries or illness
- Create a bond with your pet
- They may even let you pet them
- Impress your friends!
Location, Location, Location
The location within your pond from which you feed koi fish by hand is important. A good feeding spot is in an area where the water is tranquil (away from waterfalls and filters) and where the water is deeper so fish feel safe. Feed from the same location every time, so the fish associate your presence there with a reward: food! Some even get to the point where they are waiting when you arrive with grub.
When to Hand Feed Koi or Goldfish
You may have greater success hand feeding koi if you can hand feed the very first time you feed your koi fish, but it’s not necessary. You can also try introducing it to koi fish already thriving in your pond. What is important is consistency. When you begin training, it’s best to feed at the same time of day.
You should also know that Koi have different feeding needs depending on the season, more specifically depending on the temperature of the water. In fact, most koi experts will tell you to stop feeding your koi when the water temperature falls below 55F. Koi are more active and eat more during warmer temperatures, so you will have better luck training your koi to eat from your hand in warmer months.
How to Interact with Koi
While koi are more social than most fish, they can also be timid and shy. So, get to know each other slowly. First step: scatter a floating fish food and sit still next to the pond while they eat. Don’t move until they’re finished eating. Be patient. Do this for several days, prolonging the length of time you sit before scattering the food. One or two koi may begin to surface in anticipation of the food. Focus on these guys, the hungry curious leaders. Fish have pack mentality and trust and follow their leaders.
It’s best to do this training when there are not other people around. Koi will recognize your voice. They will recognize your footsteps. They will also be able to tell if you have friends or family over they don’t recognize just by the sound of their feet.
Once they are more comfortable with you, slip your hand in the water. Don’t splash. Don’t move your hand or fingers. Just let them get used to this intruder and begin to trust it in their home.
Try this for several days. Watch for cues and day by day inch a little closer until your koi literally eat out of your hand.
