CJ Castle said:
When the water temperature falls below 8-10'C, a fish is unable to digest its food because its digestive track becomes inactive and continued feeding will result in serious health problems. Even if the Koi seem hungry (which they always do), you'd be doing more harm than good by feeding them in Winter...
This is becoming quite a myth these days. If this were true, we'd be hearing many many stories of unexplained deaths and internal bacterial diseases in koi. I've been feeding my fish for many years at those temps and below and if the fish can't digest its food, i'm sure i would've known about it by now.
I was discussing it on koichat.com the other week and most of the experts on there continue to feed until the temp reaches around 6 degrees.
To tell you the truth, i find the above statement a little startling and could possibly jeopordise the fish's health during the spring when the bugs wake up a good 10-14 days before the fish's immune system does. By keeping feeding, that immune system is just a little more prepared for those diseases.
Are you telling me that if the water temperature never goes above 8 deg from October to March, the fish don't get fed ?