Is it true that if you feed your fish in the winter, they will die in the spring?

          Feeding below 10°C in the winter is usually two to three days before you see any fishUnlike other seasons, it may be digested and absorbed to defecate in a few hours, so that it can be fed several times a day. And in the cold season, fish metabolism is reduced, and fish food is slow to peristalsis in the intestines at low temperatures, aggravating the burden on the fish.

Winter is not absolute fasting, mastering the time and amount is the most important, feeding time must be stretched, depending on the weather and temperature flexibility.

Change in water temperature: As water temperature drops in winter, fish feed less intensively, leading to a decline in immunity. When the water temperature rises in spring, bacteria reproduce faster, which can easily cause diseases.

Dissolved oxygen issues:In winter, due to the pool water freezing or continuous cloudy days, the dissolved oxygen in the water body is reduced, which can easily lead to fish hypoxia.

Organic matter accumulation:Failure to strengthen the improvement of water quality in summer and fall, and failure to clear the ponds and sun bottom in winter leads to the accumulation of organic matter and the growth of harmful bacteria in spring, which produces harmful substances.

sludge hazard: Silt formation at the bottom of intensive high-yield pools, organic matter by bacterial action consumes a large amount of oxygen, producing toxic substances, endangering fish health or even death.

3. Feeding management

improper feeding: Failure to strengthen fish nutrition before overwintering or stopping food too early, resulting in weak fish and reduced immunity.

Inadequate disease prevention measures: Mechanical damage to fish after pulling nets is not treated in a timely manner or is not insecticided on a regular basis, triggering water mold and parasitic diseases. Parasitic infections, leading to fish mortality in the spring.

4. Disease factors

bacterial disease: e.g., vertical scale disease and bighead carp bacterial hemorrhagic disease, which are prone to occur in the spring when water temperatures are favorable.

fungal diseases: e.g., water mold, which multiplies in winter when water temperatures are favorable, infects injured fish, and causes mortality in spring.viral illness: e.g., infectious hematopoietic organ necrosis disease, which is endemic in the spring when water temperatures are favorable.

5. Physical factors

Fall and winter neglect: It leads to weak fish, reduced immunity, and susceptibility to disease and death in spring.

Feed quality issues: Excessive growth promoters in the feed or cutting corners in the raw materials lead to poor fish body condition and easy death during the overwintering period.

6. Preventive and treatment measures

Fish pond filtration system turned on properly: Although feeding is controlled during the cold winter season, if the fish population is large and the fish pond is large, it is recommended that the fish pond filter be turned on normally to ensure that the water quality is continuously purified. Avoid the impact on the health of the fish. For small fish ponds or fish population is small, you can consider appropriate reduction of filter operation, night off daytime open.

Pond water quality control: Appropriately draining and replacing old water in the pre-wintering period, refilling with new water, and keeping the water quality fresh.

Feed feeding science: Feed feeding is appropriately controlled according to the water temperature during the overwintering process to enhance fish fitness.

substrate improvement: Use chemical bottom modification to treat the pool bottom environment and reduce the release of hazardous substances.

Disease management: Disinfect promptly after pulling the net, use antimicrobial drugs to mix and feed, and disinfect the whole pool.

strengthen immunity: Add polysaccharides and multivitamins to the feed to improve fish immunity.

Timely treatment of sick fish: For ponds infected with water mold, use the end of the five times with salt external splash, then iodine preparation splash.

In summary, spring fish mortality after winter feeding is a multifactorial problem involving environment, feeding management, disease prevention and control and other aspects. Through scientific management measures, the phenomenon of spring fish death can be effectively prevented and reduced.

For more information, please contact Ollies: 020-82686289