Sinking koi food: why is it good for your koi?

When winter arrives, the koi in your pond will swim a lot less energetically at the surface of the water than in warm summer temperatures. The koi are less likely to shoot for the floating feed. The floating food may have disappeared down the drain of the filter system before the koi have had a chance to eat it all. Shy koi in particular fall extra behind in their feed requirements as a result. By nature, koi will like to stay in the deeper parts of the pond in winter. In the depths, they are in much less danger of being suddenly attacked by a hungry land predator. Moreover, in wild nature, the lower water layer has a temperature of 4ºC, which is the minimum temperature that koi can survive in. Sinking food is therefore ideal in winter, as koi can then forage quietly in the depths and even the shyest koi can eat at their own pace. The minimum water temperature to feed koi yet has not been scientifically established, but is somewhere between 4 and 8ºC. Depending on several factors, feeding below 8ºC is desirable. This partly depends on how long it is cold, because with longer periods, koi will intervene more on body reserves. If a long period of cold weather is expected, it may therefore be advisable to feed up to 5-6ºC with caution. And then at least with sinking koi food.