This can also be fed to the fish in spring when the water is just heating up and the fish haven't quite regained their immunity systems. Some folks say that you can feed them wheatgerm food as long as they will eat. I don't agree with this for our Metro Atlanta Area. In warmer climates like ours it is unusual for water temperatures to remain under 50 for more than 10 or 12 weeks. This is the time when fish are virtually dormant and eating becomes more stressful to them than beneficial.
Fish have no stomachs.
If a fish eats in very cold water the food may not be digested and could lead to an internal bacterial infection known as Sepsis. Fall Cleaning Fish need a clean environment for the winter. Ponds that winter over full of leaves and debris are havens for parasites, aeramonas and pseudomonas. Salt the pond in the fall. By this time, it'll probably be early or middle November.