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That is very interesting Wong. The advice of such a distinguished breeder cannot be ignored.
Those 60-70's cm koi must be about 6-7 kg each. A feed rate of 500 g/day would be less 0.6 to 0.9% of the body weight per day. We hear recommendations of 1.5 to 2% per day during the summer in temperate climates where there is a winter dormancy.
Kentaro-San is suggesting that you should not allow the fish enough food to build fat reserves because they can not retain body fat in warm water. I assume that "body fat" is fat stored within the muscle fibers. Does this mean that they would have to store fat in the alternate location - the liver? We all know about the threat of fatty liver disease.
Our climate is cooler than yours, but there is no dormant period. In fact, koi seem most hungry during winter here. I do not feed heavily and provide a lot of fresh vegetable matter - but only because I am poor and am trying to maintain water quality. I am now wondering if koi can store body fat at our temperatures of 20-25 C. Any insight - anybody?
-steve hopkins
Hawaii
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