| Japanese koi are the most colorful and | | | | color are protein ingredients to look for in a high |
| magnificent fish that you can keep in any fresh | | | | quality koi food. |
| water environment. The different color and | | | | Koi Eat Plants |
| pattern variations associated with the different koi | | | | There are a lot of people that will tell you not to |
| varieties can be like an artist painting on each fish. | | | | put Japanese koi and plants together. Pet stores |
| Even the white of the Platinum Ogon koi can be | | | | and internet articles suggest that koi will destroy |
| breathtaking. Especially for a fish that can grow to | | | | any plants you put in your pond. Koi are |
| 30 inches and live to 50 years in the right | | | | omnivorous and need vegetable matter in their |
| environment. From the Asagi to the Utsuri, there | | | | diet. A high quality koi food will contain spirulina |
| are many factors involved in raising these | | | | algae which also enhances color. Since koi forage |
| magnificent koi. Many koi keepers have done all | | | | constantly it is good to grow a plant in your pond |
| the right things in creating a koi pond large | | | | that will keep up with the appetite of the koi. |
| enough, with plenty of water movement and | | | | Watercress is an excellent plant food source for |
| filtration to keep and grow large koi. They may | | | | koi. Watercress contains significant amounts of |
| buy quality Japanese koi that started out looking | | | | iron, calcium and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A |
| great, but as time goes by may loose koi to | | | | and C, and koi love it. It is best to plant on a |
| disease or have the colors seem to wash out. | | | | shallow ledge with rocks around it to keep the koi |
| Many koi keepers overlook the importance of | | | | from pulling up the roots. You can buy it in the |
| using a premium koi food that meets all the | | | | produce section of your grocery store. Just stick |
| nutritional needs of their koi. It's like humans eating | | | | it in some shallow water in gravel and it will grow. |
| a diet of junk food and expecting to be trim and | | | | Different Foods for the Seasons |
| healthy and live a long life. | | | | During the cooler seasons of spring and fall it is |
| Bentonite Clay | | | | best to feed a food that is higher in vegetable |
| The Japanese have spent many years developing | | | | matter, lower in protein, and easy to digest. In |
| the different breeds by careful selection and also | | | | the summer months, when the water |
| developing their own formulas of food for the | | | | temperature is above 70° F switch to a higher |
| best growth, color, and health. The best koi in the | | | | protein formula. When the water temperature is |
| world are grown in mud ponds in the fertile | | | | above 70° F it takes about 16 hours for the |
| valleys of Niigata in Japan. The reason for this is | | | | food to move completely through a koi digestive |
| because of the minerals present in the clay of | | | | tract. At 50° F it can take up to 60 hours and |
| these mud ponds that ad to the color and health | | | | food intake is much less. Only feed the koi as |
| of the koi. Dainichi is the only koi food that | | | | much as they will eat within a few minutes. It is |
| incorporates bentonite clay in their koi foods. | | | | much better to feed 3 times a day in the |
| Bentonite clay contains over 60 minerals and | | | | summer months. At 50° - 55° feed 2 - 3 |
| trace elements that aid in enhancing digestion and | | | | times a week. When the water temperature goes |
| growth, as well as neutralizing metabolic toxins. Koi | | | | below 50° F do not feed the koi at all. If the |
| that have a poor diet will show up in the whites | | | | food is not digested due to the low metabolism it |
| looking dingy, especially in the face where it will | | | | can rot in the gut of the koi and cause death. |
| look more yellow than in the rest of the koi. You | | | | Cost Versus Quality |
| can also add bentonite clay directly to the pond | | | | If you consider the cost of a high quality food |
| water to help stabilize the water ph. Koi will ingest | | | | versus the "cheap" foods, there is not that much |
| significant quantities of silt and other indigestible | | | | difference. Keeping healthy koi using a high quality |
| detritus from their natural environment which will | | | | food means fewer outbreaks of disease and |
| act to bulk out the diet. Having gravel in the | | | | lower mortality rates. You are not spending |
| bottom of your pond gives a place for this silt | | | | money replacing koi or treating for disease with |
| and detritus to build up without having the turbid | | | | medications due to poor health because of a poor |
| water that you would in a mud pond. It will also | | | | diet. You also have to go by weight and not just |
| harbor worms and small crustaceans that the koi | | | | the physical size of the bag. Cheaper foods tend |
| will feed on. Water lilies can be taken out of the | | | | to be more airy while the premium foods tend to |
| pots and planted directly in the gravel adding to | | | | be more dense, so it looks like you are getting |
| the ecosystem of the pond. | | | | more food than you actually are with the cheap |
| High Protein | | | | food. Many times, if compared by weight, the |
| The metabolism of koi reaches a peak at water | | | | price is pretty close. In the long run it may |
| temperatures of 75° F. During this time it is | | | | actually be cheaper to buy the premium food. |
| essential that they receive a high protein diet to | | | | You will definitely notice the difference in the |
| aid in growth and color. They also need to be fed | | | | color, growth, and overall health of the koi over |
| at least twice a day, three times is better. Koi do | | | | just a short time. |
| not have stomachs, and when their metabolism is | | | | For more infromation visit KoiPondFever. |
| high they forage constantly. Fish meal and krill for | | | | |