Page 29 - Koi Net - On-Line Koi Magazine - Issue 68

When Koi first hatch they feed on minute creatures At this time some Koi keepers may decide to feed
living in the green water, which gives them a high
protein diet necessary for them to develop a strong
skeletal structure and this continues until they’re big
enough to feed on very small, high protein, pelleted
food which is around 60% protein.
Young Koi are just like children, they need to eat to
make them grow. I remember when my sons were
growing up, my wife and I had hardly got in the front
door and our sons were straight in the supermarket
bags looking for something to eat – young Koi (Tosai)
are just the same!
As Tosai grow and enter their first winter, if their pond is
heated they will continue to eat ravenously on regular
feedings of a high protein pelleted growth food. I say
A KOI CAN regular feedings, because a Koi can only absorb a
ONLY ABSORB limited amount of nutrition at a time and overfeeding
either bloats them and gets them out of shape, or they
A LIMITED eat the food which is too much for them to digest,
resulting in excessive waste being released into the
AMOUNT OF water and putting extra load on the filter.
NUTRITION AT The best method of feeding, whatever the size of Koi, is
A TIME a little and often, which is why automatic feeders have
become so popular. The required quantity of food can
be delivered at regular intervals, so that both the Koi
can digest the food and the creation of waste and
ammonia can be spread over a period so there are no
ammonia spikes, but there is still a regular supply of
ammonia to feed the nitrifying bacteria in the filter.
Depending upon the temperature Koi require more or
less food, so as the temperature rises in the spring, Koi
become more active and their appetite for food grows,
and the population of nitrifying bacteria living in the
filter increases to cope with the increasing demand on
the filter to maintain water quality.
This is the start of the growing season and high growth
food can be gradually increased as the temperature of
the water rises to maximise the growth of the Koi, and
because they are becoming more active they are able
to digest the increased protein (around 45%) to both
grow and maintain their shape.
29
colour enhancing food, particularly if they are intending
to enter their Koi into a Show. These colour enhancing
foods include ingredients, like spirulina, which is
derived from seaweed and is the food which gives the
flamingo their pink colouration.
Care has to be taken when using a colour enhancing
food because while the food enhances the Beni (red)
pattern of the Koi, it can turn the white skin a pale
shade of pink. So Koi keepers wishing to show their Koi
stop feeding colour enhancing food several weeks
before taking their Koi to a Show.
As summer progresses, Koi continue to grow and as
the temperature of the water gets lower at the end of
the summer, a food with a lower protein (around 35%)
USE A FOOD content is fed. Then later in the autumn as the water
WITH GOOD gets cooler, a wheatgerm food with a protein of around
30% is enough to maintain the health of the Koi and
QUALITY keep them in good condition as they prepare themselves
for the winter.
INGREDIENTS
TO FEED Some Koi keepers choose to stop feeding their Koi for
a couple of months during the winter, to keep their
YOUR KOI Koi’s shape and remove any excessive fat that may
have been built up over a heavy feeding summer
season, to maximise their growth during the summer.
Others give their Koi a few pellets in the morning on
warmer days during the colder months. It’s all about
knowing your Koi, your pond and the way the weather
affects them.
To summarise, Koi need to receive regular feedings
throughout the day which enables them to receive the
maximum benefit from the food and keeps a regular
supply of food to the nitrifying bacteria in the filter.
Use a food with good quality ingredients (not a cheap
high protein food formulated to grow trout and salmon
quickly for the catering industry), and the right level of
protein for the temperature of the water and the time of
the year. Ask your Koi dealer for help if you need it.
I hope this simple guide will help you understand the
different types of Koi food, when to feed them, and
why, and leave you to see what is on offer and make
your personal choice.
31