Asked By: Scott, Fairfield, IA
A: Fish can be finicky eaters sometimes – particularly when something changes their routine. If your fish aren't eating their Game Fish Grower Fish Food, it's likely due to one of these three reasons:
- Spooked By Predators Have you noticed signs of predators prowling around your pond? Have you seen tiny footprints, disturbed areas around the perimeter or unfamiliar droppings? Raccoons, herons and other fish foes can spook fish and cause them to stay far below the water surface. When they do come up, they pop to the top, check for food and dive quickly back to their safe zone. If this sounds familiar, look more closely for tracks or telltale clues and find yourself a deterrent (or live trap).
- Under the Weather Sickness, injuries or an inhospitable environment can also change your fish's eating habits. Check your fish when they come to the surface. Have they been gasping at the surface instead of showing interest in pellets? This could be a sign that your water needs more oxygen. Crank on your aeration system (or add one if you don't have one). Changing temperatures could be causing the cooler and warmer waters to stratify, and an aeration system will keep the water column mixed.
- Wintertime Blues With the changing season comes a decrease in fish's metabolisms – and appetite. Remember that fish go into hibernation and stop eating during the winter. If they appear to act normal but just shy away from their favorite diet or eat less of it, they're most likely responding to the changing water temperature and preparing for the cold weather. Check your pond's water temperature with a pond thermometer, and cut back feeding and stop entirely when the water temp dips to 45 to 50°F.