The great thing there is about Koi fish is that they lack fear when it comes to humans. Once they see you as someone who feeds them food and the one who takes care of them, they're likely to eat through your hand (provided with proper training). Hand feeding the Koi can be one of the most funniest and entertaining experiences you're going to get involved with!

These fish, by nature, are non-aggressive. They don't have teeth, and this is the reason why it's perfectly safe to feed them with your hand. This kind of activity will attract smaller children, who will be delighted and entertained by the fish's gentle nature and beautiful patterns and colors. Like all of the other wild animals out there, they will really fear you in the beginning.

Their natural instincts tell them to fear you, which is what keeps them alive and survive in the wild in the first place. So, what you have to do is to build up trust with your pet, which takes a lot of time and patience. Remember that hand feeding is not acheivable overnight!

They feed on both meat and plants, as they are an omnivorous species. Being omnivorous as they are, it brings adaptability in their diets. They will eat almost everything that you give them, never caring and thinking if it's good for them or not. Since they don't have the ability to judge what's good or bad for them, you, as the owner, should be the one to control their diet.

Overfeeding can be another problem for your fish, as they might get overweight from eating foods that are not nutritious for them. The healthiest treats for them are the natural ones, such as tadpoles and earthworms. Also, you can feed them with veggies, bread, lettuce and fruit. Be very careful when feeding them with treats like corn, beans and grapes as they come with outer casings. These outer casings will be harmful for your fish if not properly digested. Remember to remove the outer casings before feeding them.

Now, the trick here is to start slow in feeding your pet. Never make any kind of sudden movements, as this will scare away even the most trusting of your fish. What you should do is start hand training your pet right from the moment you get them (also applicable for the fish that are in your current population). You can start by placing few of the snacks or pellets in your hand and then place your hand at the underneath the water.

Then allow the food to fall from your hand at a slow pace. Now, it may seem that your fish may not seem to pay any attention, but they are really aware of your hand giving them food. This can be done within a period of two days.

Doing this will enable you to gain the interest of your pets. As you now have their interest, let the Koi remove the treat from your hand. Now, if your pet will refuse to take food from your hand, don't feed them on that day (you're not going to stare them in this process). They will have the notion that they must get the food from your hand if they want to feed. Doing this everyday will be able to make your fish comfortable with you.

So once you have the fish feeding out of your hand, you can start feeding them from your fingers. And the same thing applies here: if they're not going to feed from your fingers, then do not feed them on that day. Remember that food will serve as your motivator when it comes to feeding wild animals, guaranteeing that no Koi will simply stare itself as it isn't sure of the situation it's in.

And once you're successful in making your Koi feed from your hand, you can then have an alternate routine between regular feeding and hand feeding. Keep in mind that there's no reason in trying to take the time in hand feeding if your hurrying. And once you get your fish to feed from your hand, be careful always in allowing your visitors to feed them. Supervise both the kids and adults in feeding your pets properly; no sudden movements and giving the right treats for your pets.