Suffolk County Fish & Reef

Congratulations to Samantha Garvey, a student at Brentwood High School. We are glad that the donation of the 300 gallon aquarium has assisted you in receiving the recognition you so well deserve, and wish you nothing but good luck in your future!

                                   STORE HOURS

MONDAY – FRIDAY                           12:00PM TO 8:00 PM

SATURDAY                                           10:00PM TO 7:00PM 

SUNDAY (RED PEN SPECIALS)    11:00PM TO 5:00PM

They’re finally here! Check out the gorgeous Butterfly and Japanese Standard Koi, Shubunkin, and Sarassas we brought in for Pond Season 2011!

JAPANESE STANDARD KOI:

BUTTERFLY KOI:

SARASSA GOLDFISH:

SHUBUNKIN:

“What should I feed my koi?”

That is probably the number one question we get asked during pond season. As beautiful as these creatures are, you have to be very careful regarding what you feed them, as well as when you feed them. You can go into most pet stores and see a whole wall of different varieties of koi food, each one claiming to have a host of benefits. Unfortunately, most pet store employees won’t be able to give you any more information about those foods than you can read for yourself on the package. The more choices you have, the more room there is for error. Koi tend to be expensive, and can also live for years when cared for properly. You probably have too much invested in your fish to take a chance that the food you buy is not going to be right for them.

That’s where we come in.

Suffolk County Fish & Reef offers a four different types of Tetra Pond goldfish and koi foods in a variety of sizes. We want to make things as easy as possible for you when it comes to caring for your pond and pond fish, so we only carry the very best. What’s more, ask anyone in the store which food you should feed your fish, and we’ll be able to give you a run down of which variety of food will be best for your needs (and your fish’s needs, too!). We know that not all pond fish foods are created equally, and we’ll match you to the perfect variety of food for your fish.

To make things even easier,  we have also written up this primer on the four varieties of Tetra Pond foods that we carry at the store.

• SPRING AND FALL DIET: “Transitions Fish In and Out of Winter.” The Tetra Pond Spring and Fall Diet is going to be the first food you feed your fish after you open your pond, and the last food you will feed them before you close your pond. Spring and Fall Diet is specially formulated to be the easiest for you koi and goldfish to digest as their metabolism slows during the colder months. The first ingredient listed is wheat germ, a protein that breaks down quickly in your fish’s gut to allow for easy and efficient digestion. Wheat germ also helps support the fish’s immune system during those transitional months when they are most susceptible to stress and disease. Spring and Fall Diet is a specialty food in that it should only be fed to your pond fish when the temperature is between 39 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (DO NOT feed your fish below 39 degrees; their metabolism is too slow at this temperature to properly digest the food). Once the temperature climbs above 50 degrees, you can transition to the next variety of Tetra Pond food.
• VARIETY BLEND: Tetra Pond Variety Blend is a mix of three types of Tetra Pond fish foods. It contains a mix of the Spring and Fall Diet, Koi Vibrance, and Pond Sticks. The mix of different foods is an excellent way to transition your fish from one type of food to the next. It is also an excellent way to ensure that your koi and goldfish are getting a varied and balanced diet, which is very important for proper color vibrancy, overall health, and maximum growth over the course of the fish’s life. Variety Blend should only be fed to your fish once the temperature has risen above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
• KOI VIBRANCE: Tetra Pond Koi Vibrance is specially formulated to bring out the beautiful colors of your koi and goldfish. Koi Vibrance includes several color-enhancing vitamins, such as beta-carotene (the stuff that makes carrots orange), to help make the unique color patterns of your pond fish and bright and vibrant as possible. Of course, Koi Vibrance also includes all the same vitamins that the other Tetra Pond foods include, ensuring that your fish arehealthy as well as beautiful.
• POND STICKS: Pond Sticks are a simple, basic, easy-to-digest food for your pond fish. While Pond Sticks don’t include any specific color enhancers like the Koi Vibrance, they still provide the perfect balance of vitamins, proteins, fat, and fiber to make your fish healthy and happy.

The great thing about the Tetra Pond foods outlined above is that they are all “soft sticks.” Soft sticks are ideal because they immediately soften upon contact with the water, making them easy enough for smaller fish to pick at (larger fish can swallow the sticks whole). In addition to the texture, soft sticks are designed to be easily consumed and digested by fish, which allows for minimum waste and clearer water.

All four varieties are designed for large and small pond koi and goldfish.

When feeding with the Spring and Fall Diet, pond fish should only be fed once a day. This will ensure that their slower metabolisms aren’t bogged down with too much food too soon. Once the temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit and above, you can reduce feeding to once a day. Feed fish only as much food as they will consume in five minutes. Always remember that it is far better to slightly underfeed your fish than it is to overfeed them; overfeeding will lead to dirty water and sick fish.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact the store, or use the Contact Us form on the left side of your screen.