The most successful aquatic pet owners seriously study the biology of their pets in order to provide them with the right environment and nutrition for healthy development. In the case of koi, it is important learn about how their bodies react to changes in water temperature. They can live in hot and cold climates as they can adapt to the conditions that they encounter. When faced with the onset of winter, for example, their metabolism starts to slow down as they gear up for hibernation. This generally happens when water plunges to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 degrees Celsius. During this time, many owners will switch their feed to koi wheatgerm pellets.
Easy to Digest
Wheatgerm is formulated for ease of digestion. Since metabolism is slowing down, fishes are unable to process too much food. They still need to eat but not nearly as much as they do during summer when they are more active and thus need high energy. This kind of hibernation allows koi to survive even in when it’s bitterly cold where they are. They have to build up their fat stores until such time when they fully transition to “torpor”. Wheat germ products often contain other ingredients such as krill meal, fish meal, bran, soybean protein, wheat flour, garlic, and vitamins. Use smaller pellets for koi wheatgerm pellets so that they can consume these without problems. If you bought products that have large pellets, then you might have to crush them to help things along if you see your pets having difficulty.
Slow Release Energy
The koi will need food sources that can give them slow release energy to last for a long time. Wheat germ is a great candidate because it is rich in polyunsaturated fats and crude protein. It even has good amounts of vitamins and minerals. This type of feed also has higher levels of complex carbohydrates which, unlike simple sugars, tend to have a more gradual release of energy which is exactly what the fishes need at this point. Some argue that having a purely plant-based nutritional source won’t be enough so check if the product that you are buying has animal-based proteins as well.
Feeding Reminders
Although switching to a cold weather feed is ideal, it is not absolutely necessary. If you don’t have anything else and there are shortages in your local stores, then you could still feed them with summer products until you can get your hands on more optimal pellets. Just remember to reduce the amount that you give the fish to prevent waste and minimize water problems.
