How to prevent fish from eating sturgeon food?

The problem in feeding sturgeons and koi

If you want to have koi and sturgeon in your pond, no problem, the two can cohabit without problem. However, there are strict principles to follow.

In relation to food, koi carp are greedy and eat a lot, both on the surface and at the bottom of the water. They can thus consume their food and that of the sturgeons. So what to do?

⭐ You may be interested: our selection of food for sturgeons 

You will have less difficulty feeding your sturgeons if you feed your koi at regular times and in one place, so you can create a diversion and feed the sturgeons in another location. Otherwise, the koi carp may well gobble up a good portion of the sturgeons' food before it even hits the bottom.

It is therefore important to accustom the fish to feeding in the same place and at the same time. Your fish will therefore be accustomed to getting their food from one and the same place.

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You can also feed your sturgeons via PVC pipes, which will deposit the food directly at the bottom of the tank. Sturgeons may also be accustomed to feeding in one place. In this case, it will be at the exit of the PVC pipes, at the bottom of the water.

It can happen quite quickly that the koi understand the trick and come to stuff themselves with the sturgeon's share.

Little trick: you tap on the pipe, and you will scare the koi who will run away. The sturgeons, on the other hand, are not very frightened and will continue to eat their food quietly.

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Should we feed sturgeons in winter?

Another thing to know also with sturgeons, they continue to eat in winter, while koi go into hibernation at this time and stop eating or only eat very little. Sturgeons thrive in cold waters. A sturgeon digests just as well in winter and therefore needs to be fed all year round.

However, in winter, they must be fed with caution because the biological cycle of bacteria slows down considerably. And we do not want to accumulate waste at the bottom of the water: this could be bad for all the inhabitants of the basin in general.

At the same time, it is essential to keep in mind that the ration given must be completely consumed within 5 to 10 minutes.

What food for sturgeons?

Sturgeons are fish that live and feed mainly at the bottom of the water, so they need sturgeon food . We have some in our online store, it is runny and of great runny quality.

It is good to know that sturgeons have great difficulty digesting most vegetable proteins. Their food must therefore be rich in small fish and crustaceans. Finally, it is recommended to avoid foods based on soy and cereals.

⭐ You may be interested: our selection of food for sturgeons 

How many times a day should sturgeon be fed?

It depends on many factors, their age, size, climate. However, sturgeons must be fed regularly during the day in small quantities. Their stomachs are small and can only work on small amounts.

Sturgeons smaller than 20 cm must be fed every 3 hours, otherwise they will waste away and may die. You can therefore use an automatic feeder, but you must also make sure that they get used to the location where they have to feed.

They do not see distinctly, which greatly reduces their responsiveness compared to other fish. These can gobble up all the food, before the sturgeons even realize it!

The general needs of sturgeons

What are the general needs of sturgeons for them to thrive in your pond?

• Sturgeons need a minimum water volume of 10m 3 for an ideal depth of 1.20m. Sturgeons can grow very large.
• They need a temperature below 25°C because the temperature plays a major role in the oxygen level of the water.

• You should also know that sturgeons need at least 8 mg of oxygen per liter of water. It goes without saying that we are talking about simple water here, but the oxygen level varies a lot depending on a few factors such as the quantity of plants in the pond, for example.

Effects of temperature on water oxygenation

• It is therefore necessary that they have very oxygenated water and with current. Indeed, in their natural state, they like the current and go up the rivers to make beautiful encounters at the end of their journey, just like salmon 😊

All things considered, raising sturgeons is a passion that requires rigor and attention. It is however a very beautiful animal, which can live up to 100 years, if it lives in good conditions.