So spring is in full swing and the weather is tentatively warming up. During the coldest of the winter you probably haven’t needed to feed your fish much, if at all (especially when really cold). This of course is perfectly normal. When temperatures drop, your fish’s metabolism will slow right down. The general rule is that at temperatures lower than 5°C your fish will probably be very inactive, languishing in the depths. They will actually have entered a hibernation type state, and would have fasted and lived off the fat stores in their body.

Between 5°C and 10°C your fish will start to be more active. If they start to come to the surface searching about they are probably ready to start accepting food again. You may even see them beginning to nibble at plants. This is a sure sign they are ready to feed again.

That doesn’t mean you should just start throwing them loads of high protein food however, thinking they must be starving after their long fast. At this stage it’s best to feed a wheatgerm based food such as Bradshaws Wheatgerm Fish Food Pellets. This is a cereal food that’s easy to digest – perfect when your fish are just starting to be more active again.

Further on into the year when average temps are regularly up to around 10 - 15°C your fish will probably be feeding regularly. A good feed to use at this stage is a quality staple food product, such as Bradshaws Pond Sticks. By now you could be feeding your fish up to 3 times per week with only what can be consumed in about a 5 minute period.

By the time we’re getting in to late spring and Summer and temps are above 15°C (hopefully) your fish’s metabolism will be at its highest. At this stage depending on your requirements and type of fish you can either continue feeding staple food, or if you’re wanting to grow some big Koi or Goldfish, you can take advantage of that higher metabolic rate and switch to a higher protein food.

Foods such as Bradshaws Koi Pellets, will help your fish bulk up and will also help improve their lustrousness and colour. These foods contain the perfect mix of fats, carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals to promote superb fish growth, vitality and appearance.

If you’re not looking for growth then it’s fine to just continue with staple food, which will maintain your fish’s size while ensuring the ideal balance of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

It’s a good tip to remember that although the above is a good general guide, protein levels and other ingredients vary from one manufacturer to the next, so always check the label for proper usage.