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Hot Feeding Tips


Summer is the most enjoyable water gardening season and the timeto watch for potential problems caused by high water temperaturesduring extreme or extended hot periods.

It's important to feed food that is easily digestible so fishbenefit from fully absorbing the nutrients. Fish that activelyseek food should be fed 1-3 times a day. To ensure they'veconsumed all of their food, feed small amounts at each feeding inthe summer heat. This will prevent uneaten food from decomposingat the high temperatures and polluting your pond water. If yourfish show no interest in food, don't feed them!

The solubility of oxygen depends on temperature. In the winter,oxygen readily dissolves into cold water, readily available forfish. In the summer, as the water temperature rises oxygenbecomes increasingly insoluble. When fish feed in extreme summerheat, their movement also uses more oxygen, which is a problem ifthere isn't a sufficient oxygen supply in the water.

It is best to feed in the morning?the coolest time of day. Also,take steps to increase water movement, such as ensuring there isgood water circulation, add a fountain to aerate water, and addoxygenating plants.

The golden rule? Feed only as much as fish will consume withinfive minutes. Fish eat what they need to survive in variousconditions. As the water temperature rises from 77°F and up, fishwill consume less food in a given time.

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Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites includingMacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
'New Pond Owners Guide' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
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