Koi Nutrition | A Balanced Koi Diet Requires The Correct Koi Food
Koi Nutrition Involves Feeding The Right Koi Food & Supplying A Balanced Diet
Like a newborn infant and it's mother the process of feeding our koi creates a bond and a closeness where one depends upon the other.
When it comes to koi keeping as a hobby it could be argued that this alone is probably the most interesting aspect of koi keeping and without it there wouldn't be the same fascination or appeal.
Koi nutrition involves the basic understanding of exactly what a koi is and how it is designed to fit into it's environment.
Koi are opportunistic fish who are classed omnivores, capable of eating both vegetation and meat. By monitoring koi nutrition and understanding our koi it is possible to bring out certain coloration and health characteristics.
You must however remember that high protein rich koi food results in higher levels of metabolic waste and higher levels of strain on your biological filter
Why do koi need the correct koi nutrition & what benefits do they gain?
The majority of koi food is available ready packed and contains specific ratio's of proteins, carbohydrates, oils, vitamins and minerals, depending upon the time of year or product requirement.
The major reason a koi and any other fish for that matter requires food is to meets it's energy requirements. It's metabolism, bodily functions, movement and breathing require this energy.
Koi are adaptable creatures, capable of using various sources of food as the means of obtaining the required energy. As stated earlier high protein rich diets result in an increased workload for the biofilter due to increased levels of ammonia (NH3). Carbohydrate rich diets burn much cleaner, producing cleaner metabolic waste consisting of carbon dioxide and water. Ammonia in high concentrations can be potentially lethal to your koi.
Having obtained it's energy requirements the koi uses it's diet to achieve growth. The growth aspect requires protein and can be measured by a physical increase in the length of the koi. Higher protein levels will result in increased growth patterns, particularly in warmer water. Protein is available in the form of vegetable matter e.g. feather meal or animal matter e.g. fishmeal. However both are not equal in terms of koi nutritional benefits. Koi carp can absorb and utilize the protein from fishmeal for growth far more easily than from feather meal.
Your average koi pond environment consists of a deep pond, with steep sides and relatively little if any aquatic pond plants and with relatively high fish loads. Koi are therefore entirely reliant upon us to feed them and supply them with their nutritional needs.
They trust us to supply them with a balanced diet that will allow them to remain healthy, stress free and disease free. Many readily available koi food products include immuno stimulants that encourage a stronger koi immune system and encourage the growth of disease fighting white blood cells.
Koi fish are well known for their coloration and beauty. Their color is the result of the stimulation of millions of color cells by carotenoids, obtained by the koi from it's diet. Planktonic algae, causing green water is one of the major sources of naturally occurring carotenoids. Other sources include shrimps, paprika and marigolds. These color stimulants need to be added to the koi food as they don't occur naturally within the koi pond.
A koi lives and breathes in it's own toilet so to speak. It is for this reason that we must try to offer koi nutrition that has as little impact upon water quality as is possible.
The less stress placed upon our pond filters ammonia oxidizing capabilities, the better. Increases in nitrates is unavoidable but feeding the wrong type of koi food and in too large a quantity and at the wrong time of year is asking for problems.
Food can cause discoloration of the water due to increased levels of dissolved organic carbon as well as causing a frothy, scummy pond surface.
As koi absorb minerals and vitamins from their diet some will pass through the koi into the pond water. Excess phosphates for example will lead to an increase in blanket weed and green water problems. The secret is to feed little and often.
Seasonal koi food variances & koi nutrition requirements
Koi ideally prefer water temperatures of about 27C in which to grow and develop. However a Koi's physiology requires a period of inactivity. When the water temperature cools, below about 4C certain changes take place within our koi fish. The appetite level falls, along with the energy requirements and the ability for growth. It is important therefore that there is a change to the Koi's nutrition and the koi food fed. We should endeavor to feed a lower protein diet that is more readily absorbed. A good example of this would be a Wheat Germ based diet.
Proteins & Why are they needed?
The average protein content of pre packed, pre-milled koi food is about 30%. However the protein level will be higher for a product designed specifically for a growth product and less for a product designed for winter feeding. Protein is required by all living creatures in order to aid growth and repair. protein is the single most expensive aspect of any koi nutrition program. Protein sources include both animal and vegetable sources e.g. fishmeal, soya, wheat and egg. It is important to feed a high quality Protein rich fish food to your Koi, if you want to maintain proper shape and form.
Carbohydrates & why are they needed?
These are complex sugars such as starch and cellulose. They are plant in origin and are added in large quantities to artificial koi diets as a cheap means of supplying energy and as a dietary fiber source, to aid digestion. They have the distinct advantage of being clean burning, resulting in cleaner pond water.
Oils - why are they needed?
Koi need oils in order to produce new tissue. They make up approximately 10% of the diet and are available as either fish oils or vegetable oils. Don't use trout pellets as the oil content is too large and can not be readily digested by koi carp. These pellets will also lead to water quality problems.
Vitamins and minerals
Koi unlike humans have the ability to source minerals from the pond water as well from their koi food. For this reason it is a good idea to boost mineral levels by adding clay or other mineral supplements to the pond water. Artificial diets often include these essentials.
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