Feeding your Koi a balanced, varied and nutritious diet is essential to their well being
I'm still shocked to meet some clients who have been told not to feed their fish by their pond installer. A few small fish in a very large pond may survive without food but will certainly not thrive and without being fed, will be missing key nutrients in their diet
Feeding Time
Feeding your fish is one of the highlights of the hobby. Their is nothing like seeing a school of koi rapidly converge in a rainbow of colour as they lunge for every pellet they can
Exciting as it is, it is also a prime opportunity to study your fish from a health standpoint. If for example, one fish is not responding or slow to respond to food then there definitely is a problem. Feeding time is also an opportunity to have a glance at the undersides of your koi as they will sit almost vertically in the water as they feed
Enjoy feeding your fish - just be cognizant of health observation
Basic Keys Freshness
It doesn't matter how good or expensive the food you are feeding, if it is not fresh (therefore lacking nutrients) it is just filler and will cause problems in the long run. Buy fresh food, throw out old food and treat your fish like you would yourself. You are what you eat
Quality
There is an old saying - you get what you pay for! Fast food is inexpensive but rich in fat and of little nutrient value. The same rules apply with Koi foods. It is expensive to manufacture a quality food and therefore costly to invest in. But when consider the value, it is the only logical choice. Quality bagged foods start at about $10/lb. Besides keeping your fish healthy, there is less waste in your filters when a better quail food is used
Variety There is not one perfect meal we can eat day after day and remain healthy in the long term. Some vitamin or mineral will be lacking and this is the same when it comes to koi food. Do not feed your fish exclusively on one manufacturers feed. Mix it up (literally) and feed a variety of pellets from different companies. Throw in some fresh greens and fruits - which are fresh and not processed
Pellet Size
It is important to make sure that all your fish have a pellet size that they are comfortably able to swallow. However, I have always felt that medium sized pellets will be more readily absorbed than large pellets
Frequency and Duration
With water temperatures above 19 degrees, fish should be fed several times (up to 6) a day and the food should be gone within 1 minute. I don't subscribe to a 10 minute feeding opportunity as koi have evolved as grazers. With temperatures between 13 - 18 degrees, feeding 1-2 times per day is recommended. In extremely hot conditions, koi may stop feeding
Seasonal Feeding Considerations Lower protein foods should be fed with temperatures in the teens. These wheat germ based foods are easier to digest and do not produce as much ammonia. Protein levels in excess of 30% can be fed to accelerate growth during the peak Summer temperatures. It is important to aerate heavily during warm weather and with a heavy feeding regimen more oxygen will be required
Do not feed your fish trout chow and other cheap foods. These contain too many oils and do not have the nutrient value. Inexpensive foods can also contribute to water quality and clarity issues and I have seen cases of twisted spines on fish who have been fed a poor diet
The colour of these Dainichi pellets indicated they are rich in Spirulina
Tetra offers an extruded pellet which some fish get hooked on
Ingredient Analysis Wheat Germ
Wheat germ is a costly ingredient (as it makes up a small part of the plant) but an excellent carb and easy to digest - perfect for Fall and Spring feeding
Spirulina
Spurilina is an algae which provides high protein (approx. 50%). It contains carotenoids which helps with developing better colour. Some of the better quality foods available have this as an ingredient
Corn
Corn (corn meal) is found in many koi foods - it should not be a main ingredient and both it or wheat are usually used as a starch ingredient
Silk Worm Pupae
This insect provides high protein and was originally fed by Japanese Breeders. We stock Hi-Silk 21 which features silk worm pupae as an ingredient. You can also breed your own, there is a fair bit of work involved however
Plankton is loved by Koi and great for feeding to Tosai
Krill/Shrimp/Plankton
With protein levels over 60%, these are warm water foods which promote growth and colour. While expensive, they are a worthwhile supplement. More expensive foods will have this ingredient in their pellets, or you can buy Krill/Shrimp/Plankton on its own for supplemental feeding. As fish love crustacea, these are great for training your koi to hand feed
Montmorillonite
This clay is very beneficial and can be added to the water as well as food. It contains numerous minerals and helps with digestion while increasing appetite. In pond water it also acts as a flocculent, clearing the water of minute particulate that is too light to settle out on its own
Vitamin C
Very important for your fish, it is probably best to offer them fresh citrus fruits rather than rely on a koi food to supply this vitamin. In koi foods look for stabilized vitamin C - Ascorbyl-2-Phosphate. This form is both absorbed well and is stable in the feed. Avoid the Ascorbyl-2-Sulfate form as it is not as digestible
This video is of my pond. It illustrates proper warm water
feeding activity. You can tell the fish are in good condition
by the way the are swimming and eating aggressively
Feeding Pitfalls Overfeeding & Underfeeding
I often visit ponds to find food floating on the surface which is a sure sign of overfeeding. You are not only wasting food, but adding organics to the water which negatively impact the water quality. Food should be readily taken and gone within 2 minutes. As for underfeeding, in most ponds there are too many fish to expect them to be able to find enough naturally occurring food. Even in lightly stocked ponds, a good staple pellet should still be provided to balance the diet
Feeding Old Food
Try to buy from a dealer who has many shipments of food coming in rather than one who stockpiles it. Food can spend an incredible amount of time in the manufacturing and distribution channels, all the while its nutrient content is diminishing. If the food you have is months old
there is any sign of it going rancid, throw it out
Buying Low Quality Food What seems like a bargain initially could cost you a lot more down the road. Poor foods don't digest as well and increase the loads on your filters. Additionally they can ruin a koi's conformation and fail to provide the nutritional building blocks for fish to grow well and stay healthy. At the end of the day, purchase a quality food with good nutrients so that your fish have every opportunity to thrive
