Fish pond

[Paulapearce]

I have a small fish pond that has a pump and filter and I have quite a few fish in it but I have noticed I now have baby fish should I still be feeding the fish this time of year and if so anything special for the babies,also there is blanket weed growing I have used a product from the shop but it doesnt seem to have made a difference.I dont want to put my hand in and pull it out as I dont know if this will disturb the babies.

[woofgang]

Leave the blanket weed alone unless it is really thick as the baby fish will feed off tiny things in it if they need to and also hide in it from predators. My pond is well established and I stopped feeding my fish in november. I wont feed them again until  see them actively up and looking for food on two or three consecutive mild days and even then I will only put in a tiny amount of food and early in the day. When a fish has swallowed food, if the temperature doesn't stay up to keep the fishes metabolism working while the food is digested and the waste excreted, when the fish goes back to semi hibernation, the food will stay in its gut and could decompose and make the fish ill. The risk of this happening is greater with prepared food than with what they will scavenge out of their environment as this has a greater concentration of nutrients in it

[woofgang]

Leave the blanket weed alone unless it is really thick as the baby fish will feed off tiny things in it if they need to and also hide in it from predators. My pond is well established and I stopped feeding my fish in november. I wont feed them again until  see them actively up and looking for food on two or three consecutive mild days and even then I will only put in a tiny amount of food and early in the day. When a fish has swallowed food, if the temperature doesn't stay up to keep the fishes metabolism working while the food is digested and the waste excreted, when the fish goes back to semi hibernation, the food will stay in its gut and could decompose and make the fish ill. The risk of this happening is greater with prepared food than with what they will scavenge out of their environment as this has a greater concentration of nutrients in it

[woofgang]

PS I live in Hampshire which has a mild climate