Feeding koi prior to taking to a show?

[Dale Torok]

I have heard differing opinions on when to stop feeding prior to taking koi to a show. I've seen some advocate 4 days, 5 days and as much as a week.

I've also read that the food eaten by a koi makes it completely through the digestive tract in less than 24 hours.

If that is true, then the koi's digestive system is empty one day after feeding. Do koi continue to give off ammonia and/or other waste in declining amounts the 2nd, 3rd, 4th day, etc.?

I will be taking fish to the Lousiville Koi Show this coming Friday, six days away. When would you stop feeding if you were me and why?

What about the koi vendors who post here that will have a booth at the show to sell fish? When do you stop feeding your koi before transporting them to your booth at a show?

Thanks for any and all input. I'd love to know your thoughts.

Dale

[junglegeorge12]

I have heard to stop feeding anything with color enhancers 2-3 weeks b 4 the show so the shiro looks as white as possible.

[dick benbow]

If your feeding color food, I would recommend you stop 6 weeks before the show and switch over to something that contains no shrimp meal or spirulina.

From heading a few benching teams over the years you'd be shocked at what comes in with the fish at show time. probably the most fun one is a bag full of pooped algea. " but I stopped feeding a day before"....LOL...feeding what commercially made food or mother naturer's.....Your fish are not hurt by not feeding 24-48 hours prior...it helps to get most out of their systems. just the act of respiration they are ridding themselves of waste! That's why at the airport i always switch the koi out of the transport bags and into clean home water for the trip back!

other comments that may help is when netting the koi in the home pond start boxing the smaller ones first. they are harder to catch and often get stressed
if they experience the entire trama of seeing running fearing the net. To help them get over the stress get them in to the show friday morning as soon as the water quality folks clear the show ponds. It gives them time to "settle" in.
I have seen nice koi brought in minutes before cut off that should have done much better but there colors were really off from stress. probably goes without saying for someone like you Dale but for the sake of others when boxing your koi for travel make sure the nose and tail is not pointed in the direction the car or vehicle is going. If you have to brake suddenly you can
bump a nose or break a tail. When the nose faces the side of the vehicle, a hard brake has them rolling sideways which is much more easier for them to cope with.

I'm taking too much space here but maybe a few others can comment on the QT treatment after the show....to use salt? when to feed, what temp etc?

[KoiCop]

don't get hung up on a specific number, it's all part of your total going-to-the-show system.

My routine involves setting up one of my show tanks and fasting them for 5-7 days; the bigger the koi the longer the fast. Even so, I fully expect to see some excreted waste in the tank by the end of the show. Amazing but true.

Since koi shed ammonia 75% by respiration, and only 25% by excretion, it's just as important to remember that:

The longer koi are bagged for the trip to the show the more ammonia builds up in the koi -- which will be immediately dumped when placed into the show tank.

The longer the koi are in the tank -- the more ammonia will build up in the tank.

The more koi by volume (size or # of koi) -- the more ammonia will build up in the tank.

So, if they're going to be bagged for hours enroute to the show, and/or they're going to arrive on Friday, and/or there's lots of 'em, then reducing the fish load per tank is both common sense and inexpensive insurance.

Maybe even more important than the length of the fast? Just my thoughts.

[Dale Torok]

Dick & Don,

Thank you both very much for your comments. Very enlightening.

I think I will give a light feeding tomorrow (Sunday) and not feed again until they return from the show. I will be transporting them on Friday afternoon.

I will be delivering fish along with Lee and Shelia Aronfeld to the show. I think the members will want to see the famous Lee from Grand Cayman more than my fish!

Dale

[KoiCop]

good luck and have fun at the show. Take lots of pix, OK?

Too bad some other folk who show koi haven't posted on their routines -- we could all benefit from picking up a few new tricks and wrinkles.

[gofish]

Dale, I stop feeding 6-7 days before show. I also do 10% water changes every day at same time fish are off feed. Will be at this show next weekend but not bringing fish. Marc