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No Mike is correct, it has to be listed according to percentage with the bulk percentage first and then descending from there.
And I think it needs to be said, quality ingredients are fine, but at the end of the day, it is the 'consumers' ability to digest and assimilate that is important. As is the combination of dietary mix. As an example, there isn't anything much higher in protein and fatty acids than beef. But koi have no access to that protein so it would pass thru undigested. In another example, the essential amino acids needed are gotten from diet, but koi can make other amino acids- but first they must have the building blocks to do that.
Balanced diet from pellets is an insurance policy while freshfoods give fresh ingredient and make for fun for the owner to make- that nurturing thing we all like to do.
I don't see koi food makers as rip offs. And I'm a pretty cynical guy most of the time! They provide a product that fills a need and it's up to the consumer to do a little homework to sort out the over priced and under nutritious foods. It would be a big mistake to allow or encourage koi hobbyists to make only their own food. I remember when that caught on here and people were only feeding fresh frozen meat parts to their bones. It was all the rage for a while. Then dogs started getting sick as the they are more than carnivores and need other ingredients. Those ingredients were taken for granted when feeding kebble.
The orginal value of the first pelleted koi foods was they contained all the essentials and were digestible and absorbable. And it's true that some manufacturese started to cheapen ingredients in the pursuit of profit. But others started to move to excess protein for marketing purposes. This was even more dangerous as koi live in closed systems and what the fish could not absorb was being dumped into the water column. So younger guys, on a quest to make their fish big at all costs, would routinely trash their pond environment and blame their filters.
Japanese farmers will use pellets as low as 16-18% protein. It is hard to find a pet trade pellet that low in protein. In recent times, the hobbyist view has been- all protein, no carbs and marginal fatty acids. The image is that all carbs are filler and non -digestible ( not true) and that protein is all digested to amino acids and that is all that is needed. This works for growing food carp to 2 pounds for slaughter. It is not wise for long term charges. A balanced diet, varied by season in mix and amount, is more enlightened.
Personally, I use homemade recepes in summer and early fall for fresh protein, vitamin and mineral considerations. Where pellets may be old, homemade recepes are mostly moisture content. I just think there is a place for both- pellets for full coverage of a balanced diet and homemade foods for freshness ( fresh forms of all amino acids and fatty chains) and vitamins
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