[Lardman]

The new place has a pond with gold fish in  Can anyone point me at a basic how to (really basic like feeding them ! ) the seller left a clear polly bag with what looks like chicken pellets in  but I have no destructions what to do with it or clue as to what is it.

[cadalot]

Sounds like food of some description take a look at https://www.koiwatergarden.com/tips-advice/

[snowdrops]

The new place has a pond with gold fish in  Can anyone point me at a basic how to (really basic like feeding them ! ) the seller left a clear polly bag with what looks like chicken pellets in  but I have no destructions what to do with it or clue as to what is it.

Have you moved? I must have missed that if so. Sounds like fish food,is it multi coloured or all one colour? You will probably find as it is now colder they can survive without feeding. Basics are throw a small amount of food in & if it hasn't gone in 5 minutes remove it so it doesn't foul the water. Ideally feed 2/3 times a day in warmer weather but not in heat of day. We tend to feed our fish just in an evening. Some of them we've had for over 15 years & some bred in the pond at our old house.



Has the pond got a filter?

[8doubles]

Feed at the end of the day when the water has had a chance to warm up, carp digestive systems slow right down in cold water.

A rough guide for this temperature i would try is one pellet per inch of fish and if they come back for more a few extra.

[Lardman]

Mother Lard is on the move Snowy 

It's nothing like your very posh pool, about 3ft in diameter and I only saw one 1 fish.  All the pellets are the same colour and size, if it had been in a retail box/bag I would have had a brand or at least and idea of what it was.    It's been 2 days I think since they were fed I'd hate them to be floating on the top tomorrow having died of starvation 

Im not sure what's in the pond the water looks pretty full of algae, there are some water lilies but everything else is a mystry - including the really dodgy wiring running in a hose pipe from the garage 

I'll grab some pictures tomorrow - I have no clue what I'm doing and my track record with fish isn't very good ... lots of floaters.

[Norfolkgrey]

I gained a pond when I moved and haven't a clue when the fish had been feed but it certainly wasn't recent. I only discovered there were fish when I removed 10 bin bags of bullrush. I don't think they are very easy to kill once settled. Try them with a little food, however with the cooler weather they may be eating less.

[snowdrops]

Food might be all one colour for goldfish,ours is for koi. No other diffence that I can see. As others have said just give a little food to begin with. As for electrics usual safety advice is to be recommended. If the fish has survived up to now it can't be all bad. You might want to clean them out in the future if so come back for further advice, on that size pond you could let some tap water stand in a tub or water barrel for 24 hours then move fish in to it then clear pond,refill, let stand for 24 hours before putting fish back.

[8doubles]

Mother Lard is on the move Snowy 

It's nothing like your very posh pool, about 3ft in diameter and I only saw one 1 fish.  All the pellets are the same colour and size, if it had been in a retail box/bag I would have had a brand or at least and idea of what it was.    It's been 2 days I think since they were fed I'd hate them to be floating on the top tomorrow having died of starvation 

Im not sure what's in the pond the water looks pretty full of algae, there are some water lilies but everything else is a mystry - including the really dodgy wiring running in a hose pipe from the garage 

I'll grab some pictures tomorrow - I have no clue what I'm doing and my track record with fish isn't very good ... lots of floaters.

If the pond is of green algae it will help feed the fish as they will graze the sides and even get nutrients from the water.

The main thing to watch out for this time of year is fallen leaves and plant die back in the pond as this can cause deoxgenation.
If needed the fish will be happy in a water butt for a few months till the pond is sorted.

[Lardman]

I dropped in to feed them this morning, I waited and waited but nothing so returned to scrubbing the toilet  when I came back I saw 3 good sized fish running for cover into the plant life and all the food had been eaten. 

I can see a black float plastic thing , some sort of fountain ? the thing with a squirrel I imagine is a waterfall but what the white bell wire bottom left is attached to I have no idea.

Unless it's a bad idea and something needs to be done, I'd like to leave well alone until the spring.

[8doubles]

I would lift the lily basket out and take all the stalks and leaves off , less to rot and more surface area for oxgenation.

And you will get a better  view of what in there !

[Goosegirl]

We have some goldfish in an outdoor "pond" and the pellets sound like the same ones we give them. As the fish aren't that big, we break the pellets into two and drop them in. Don't worry if you see them spitting them out as that's what they naturally do when they eat. Try getting some Elodia to help oxegenate the pond, but just give them a pellet or two for now as winter is coming and they won't need a lot.

[mrsbean]

my pond on allotment has over 13 fish at last count, i feed them tetra pond food pellets and flakes. during winter they get no food for weeks at a time and pond freezes over, but it has half of it covered in plants. nothing seems to kill them.

[spottymint]

In autumn and spring you can feed Wheatgerm pellets, they are meant to be easier to digest.
We just stop feeding as the temperature drops and the fish slow down and move less.

They won't starve, as their metabolism slows down, in fact food in their tummy in cold weather can rot and be worse, than no food at all.

My tropical fish can go weeks without food, and normally look and act healthier for it, hence I feed every other day.

Our pond hasn't had food for a month now, the fish are a bit dozy and won't feed now till maybe March/April, weather dependent.

[8doubles]

They won't starve, as their metabolism slows down, in fact food in their tummy in cold weather can rot and be worse, than no food at all.

That is what the people who want to sell you wheatgerm pellets tell you !

As an angler i can tell you that carp have survived winters for millennia without wheatgerm pellets.

If the water temp is steady and above freezing for a few days they feed but on smaller items not big baits .

[Lardman]

No floaters yet 

I've counted at least 9 fish in there  I bought some wheatgerm online as the tiny tub I bought locally didn't last very long, they're still taking the food of a morning.