When it comes to koi food, I want to see the list of ingredients, expiration date and percentage of protein. I select my food for the koi I'm in charge of
initially by what I have read or talked to others that I respect who have some knowledge of results. I buy in bulk with a friend and repackage the food into smaller 2 lb bags to insure freshness and lowest cost. I do this with three basic % of foods that I feed based according to temperature and what needs to be accomplished. Growth,maintenance, lower temperature.
All foods are not created equal. Neither are all ponds, quality of koi or purpose for keeping them. YOU are responsible for your koi's health and for providing them with what they need to accomplish that purpose. I store my
food in the dark in cool places that neither heat up or freeze.
I also read the maufacturer's instruction as to amounts of food to feed under what temperature and adjust to my local knowledge.
Breeders and dealers feed a different food based on what they wish to accomplish. Cost is a consideration for both, and most dealers are interested in a maintenance food and quick turn over of stocks. Breeders want that in certain cases and also food that will grow their charges in the mud or winter green houses.
Hobbyists like ourselves with less koi to feed and perhaps less of a restricted budget to work with can feed high end foods to accomplish their purpose with show koi.
Many High end hobbyists refuse to use color enhancing additives believing that the breeder has put the genetics into the koi and it's their job to bring it out naturally.
finally as my thoughts wind down, I want to thank Jim North for his maintenance of this board. It's not an easy job, he has criteria to enforce, and i think he cares and is the right person to be doing what he does.Thank-you Jim.
Cooter, please don't give up on this board or be discouraged. You can learn so much here. When you told me the size of your pond and the numbers of stocking, I was there 30 years ago. While I enjoy your "pluck", in the years to come you'll begin to see there was some wisdom in what Don had to share with you. People learn by being around people who have "arrived" at the pinnacle of their sport, and many of the posters here are there and better yet ready to lend a helping hand to someone else who wants to learn.
Finally let me say, the more I learn of this hobby, the more I need to learn.
In food alone there is controversy over wheatgerm and fishmeal and now you have a new product out with earthworm. I will be getting some of that product and seeing how it works into to what I know already. With knowledge nothing stays the same, the parameters are always changing, new bloodlines, new water maintenance techniques, new chemicals....We're all very fortunate to have KB as a medium of knowledge exchange, thanks Brian
