Foods.................Again

[Gazza]

Hi Guys,

While we are on the subject of food i thought i would ask a few questions see where you guys are with growth food and colour enhancers

I know a lot of people seem to mix foods for all various reasons some for colour some for growth and some as it makes it more economical to mix a cheaper fish with a more expensive brand.

1. Do you use colour enhancer foods or even food stuff

2. Do you feed growth foods

3. Do you mix you foods and if so why

4. Do you feed a particular food make and if so why (is it better for growth or colour)

I know the food debate can go on a bit but we all seem to do so many differing things and i just wondered why and if there are any particular reasons for this.

[Geoff9]

Hi Gazza
I have feed the Nutrikoi Performance(kusuri Multiseason)Winter and Summer for a few years and had no problems,I did try the Nutrikoi silk a couple of Summers ago but the koi got the runs and the water wasn't very good,did try the Saki Hikari but there is an oil slick as soon as you put it in the pond,

Is the food any better or worse than any other,I'm not sure as this is the only one I have used for a long time, but the koi seem to like it and they do keep growing..well you can't stop um can you,just wish there was a more scientific approach than just testing one food after another,as everone who sells Koi food tell you theres is the best for the health and growth of our beloved koi.

Regards Geoff

[StuW]

Just use medicarp. Tried colour and I thought it messed up the beni....as for growth I dont do too bad in my lil old pond and just think all that extra protien has to go somewhere, probably in my water
Dont do wheat germ either as never seen the benifits proven anywhere just the old thing that it has to be fed in winter with no back up

[Dave Collins]

I feed Nutrikoi wheat germ all year round.

Reasons:- the Koi like it
Minimum waste
What seems like reasonable growth, though this is of course impossible to control

Pond contains a mixture of Koi from Tosai to older 70cms jewels

Dave

[Jon W]

Hi Gazza

1. Don't use colour enhancers.

2. Don't use growth foods - there isn't that much difference in protein content between good quality foods and growth foods and unless I had extremely high pond temp, I don't think the additional protein would be used for growth, so would only add to waste.

3. I don't mix foods but do feed various supplemental items (e.g. lettuce, shrimps, etc) to add variety to the basic diet.

4. I feed Hikari Gold (I can only afford this because I have only a few fish in the growing on pond whilst new pond being built - if anyone can recommend a cheaper alternative I'd be very interested) in warmer temparatures and Hikari Wheatgerm during the winter. Both produce relatively little waste.

Cheers

Jon

[Brockp]

Hi Gazza

More questions but prompted by the answers posted so far;

Q1) What is the maximum % of the food eaten a koi can abosrb from its gut assuming water at 22 deg ?
Q2) Is the absorption of protein different to carbohydrate ? i.e. as koi have no stomach does temp and gut enzymes control protein absorption but carb (sugar) is simply absorbed without gut bacteria/enzyme intervention.
Q3) What is the miniumum daily requirements for various vitamins minerals that koi require (Duncan knows I have been looking for this info).
Q4) I assume not all koi are equal....... the ghosties in my second pond are enormous compared with their equally well fed cousins in the other ponds. Perhaps we shouldn't consider a one size fits all approach as I asume most of us have mixed koi in our ponds.

Just a few questions to help formulate and answer.

Peter

[Geoff9]

Hi Gazza
After reading Tomc's post on feeding below I'm having a rethink on the way I feed my koi,I have never read a post that makes so much sence on the feeding subject,I'd never thought why I shouldn't feed them if there asking.at 14c there on one feed a day even though they came and greet me as though they have never been fed,it's so hard to change the habit I have got into for the past 5 years.

Winter - I'm on a diet
Spring - I like to produce eggs so feed me sapringly
Summer - It's rather warm, I like to snack and graze
Autumn - oh heck, winter soon, better pile on the weight and length

Regards Geoff

[MikeWh]

I've tried both colour enhanced & non ch. I never noticed any difference, but I've not yet been tempted to pay for the higher priced stuff ...I've no show enterable fish so I think it would be wasted on my lot.....Mike

[greg]

Gazza,

I know a lot of people seem to mix foods for all various reasons some for colour some for growth and some as it makes it more economical to mix a cheaper fish with a more expensive brand.

I ask the question here - Is mixing a cheaper "bulk" food negating the good work of the higher end food and what you actually end up with is a "mid level" food as a mix? Would you be better off using a consistent food across the food. So instead of buying 5 bags of high end food and 5 bags of bulking food - would you be wiser to buy 10 bags of a food in the middle of your two "mix" foods.

1. Do you use colour enhancer foods or even food stuff

I did last year (around 10-20%) and will be looking to see if i need to this year aswell. I don't see the harm as long as your monitoring your koi's beni condition and the shiroji and adjusting to suit. Feeding is a constantly moving thing i'm finding. Looking for condition and environmental changes and reacting to them.

2. Do you feed growth foods

Last year around 80% of my pellet diet was a 40% protein growth pellet.

3. Do you mix you foods and if so why

I started to last year (as per carlejo's thread) but in the end dropped the "mix" pellet and fed one main pellet which i felt was suiting my koi more. I'm currently mixing w/germ and medicarp but this is to use up remaining stocks. I will be using a single pellet this year and supplementing with a paste food recipe i have come across.

4. Do you feed a particular food make and if so why (is it better for growth or colour)

No i have not so far i have over the years fed various foods, Kusuri, Coppens, JPD, Hikari, Probites. I guess the longest one used was Kusuri at around 3 years and that was more "loyalty" than anything else. I am more convinced i want to use a Japanese food this year.