How Often Should I Feed My Koi? A Simple Guide

If you've ever Googled "how often should I feed my koi," you've gotten ten different answers. Here's the honest one: it depends entirely on water temperature, not the clock.

Koi are cold-blooded and their digestion runs on water temp. Feeding the same amount in May as you do in July is one of the fastest ways to overload a filter and cloud a pond.

A seasonal cheat sheet (water temp, not air temp):

• Below 10°C — Stop feeding. Their gut bacteria can't process food and uneaten pellets just rot.

• 10–15°C — Once every 1–2 days, wheat-germ food only.

• 15–20°C — Once a day, regular high-quality pellets.

• 20–28°C — 2–3 times a day, as much as they finish in 5 minutes.

• Above 28°C — Back off slightly; oxygen drops and rich food becomes harder on them.

A $15 floating pond thermometer is the single best investment you can make. Combine that with high-quality Japanese-style koi pellets and you'll see better color, better body, and a cleaner pond.

If you're still building your routine, our pond installations come with a seasonal feeding plan tailored to your filtration and stocking level.