How often to feed goldfish in garden pond

[Sinkingfeeling]

We've just moved house and have a pond in the garden with four goldfish. The previous owner has left us some fish food pellets, but we're not sure how often to feed them. I've been giving them a small handful every other day. Any advice please?

Sounds about right. It kind of depends on how much plant and insect life there is in the pond for them to eat. Think the advice is to feed only as much as they can eat in about ten minutes. If they are leaving lots of food you are giving too much. More dangerous to over feed than under feed. Good luck, and hope you enjoy your new pets!

Thank you, neontetra - that's very helpful. There do seem to be quite a few insects around the pond (we have a few frogs too and assume they also like to eat the insects). We do love our new pets and want them to be happy and healthy - think I might need to invest in a book about ponds!

We hardly ever feed our fish in the pond. We do feed them at the end of the summer in the hopes of 'fattening them up' ready for the winter, but the rest of the year they seem happy enough eating the algae and the insects that are in there.