How to prevent fish from eating sturgeon food?

The problem of feeding sturgeons and koi

If you want to have koi and sturgeon in your pond, don't worry, the two can coexist without any problem. However, there are strict principles to follow

Regarding 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 in: our selection of food for sturgeons 

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

It is therefore important to get your fish used to feeding in the same place and at the same time. Your fish will then be used to getting their food from one and the same place.

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

It can happen quite quickly that the koi understand the trick and come and gorge themselves on the sturgeons' share.

Little tip: you tap on the pipe, and you will scare the koi who will run away. The sturgeons, however, are not very scared and will continue to eat their food peacefully.

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Should we feed sturgeons in winter?

Another thing to know about sturgeons is that they continue to eat in the winter, while koi go into hibernation at this time and stop eating or eat very little. Sturgeon thrive in cold water. A sturgeon digests just as well in the winter and therefore needs to be fed all year round.

However, in winter, they will have to 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 pond in general.

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

What food for sturgeons?

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

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

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

How many times a day should sturgeons be fed?

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

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

They do not see clearly, which greatly reduces their reactivity compared to other fish. They can swallow all the food, even before the sturgeons realize it!

General needs of sturgeons

What are the general needs of sturgeons so that they can thrive in your pond?

• Sturgeons need a minimum volume of 10m3 of water for an ideal depth of 1.20m. Sturgeons can become very large.
• They need a temperature below 25°C because temperature plays a crucial role in the oxygen level of the water.

• Also note 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 greatly depending on a few factors such as the amount of plants in the pond for example.

Effects of temperature on water oxygenation

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

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