Koi "Pellets", Nutrition and Balanced diet

[kevin]

Dear All

Cant say for sure I have it right but so far believe I am closer than most in providing my fish with a well balanced diet.

This includes 10 percent of my pellets incorporating a pelleted catfood in the summer when temps above 68 F, its available here in the Uk from Hills called Science Plan, the ingredients are based on meat proteins with 32 percent protein and 20 percent fat content(hence feeding in warmer temps).

One again, all about a balanced diet, I endeavoured to post a website with more info on my paste ingredients but this was blocked I think.

Anyway, glad this thread provoking more thought on what is generally an overlooked subject in my opinion.

Incidentally, has anyone asked any pellet manufacturers precisely whats in the food/amounts- I have and got no-where !!!!!!

Regards

Kev

[dick benbow]

Let's face it when it comes to making our own meals, it's pretty obvious that convenience has contributed to poorer nutritional choices. Many "first" world countries have obese citizens with health problems.

I really think we can see a similar thread in our koi. Yes it's convenient to feed pellets. Our choice was as easy as to feed wheatgerm or fishmeal based for this time of year ( winter).
Now we even have a choice for marine worms as a source of protein!But can it be more in the way of food choices?? Yes and it should be!

But if we have time doesn't it make sense to also put some effort into extra nutritional effort for the koi, just as we do for ourselves. If we're busy professionals we can buy our way into helpful organic foods at restaurants but the koi are totally dependant on us as suppliers.

Carp in the wild are opportunists. Snails, worms, little fish, various water plants, crayfish. They are always scrounging.

I think fruits and vegetables play a good role in healthy eating for our koi.
I have for years used cooked barley as a suppliment in the winter.

When it comes to feeding I have never fed only one kind of food, even the prepared stuff is a mixture.

Presently I am feeding EA one. The koi sure love it and I see white improvement. But when I finish I will go back to my winter routine of lower
% foods along with things like cooked peas and barley for variety.

Yesterday, as I was raking leaves from the lawn I ran across several juicy worms that made it into the pond as a treat.

As humans I think no one wants the same meal, day after day. We also see the value in eating better for health. It makes sense that we should carry this way of thinking over to all our pets, including the wet ones!

This may be sensitive to some but I have been to many a pond where the owner has overfed their koi and they are obese. You can see the double stomachs on the residents. I'm often accused of not feeding enough, as my
koi are fit but not obese.

I think for those who have time to invest it in food preparation and variety for your koi, it's worth the extra effort. For those that barely have time, you'll have to depend on pellets but they should be varied and augmented with fruits and vegetables. A slice of watermellow or romaine salad pieces can make a difference.

[Auntiesue]

I love preparing "home cooked" meals for the fish. Pearled Barley with a little garlic is a staple around here. I agree that the diet should be varied, but I would love to settle down to a few choices of the comercial feeds as well. I'm considering trying 2 out there. Blackwater and AE One. I'm not so sure the wheatgerm is all it's hyped up to be.

I've got my ponds where I want them finally so now Koi food is a topic I'm extremely interested in so any information added to this thread will be very welcome!!

[JasPR]

wooops! Way, way too much protein there in that formula. I'm not concerned about your fish as they will assimilate what they need and pass the rest. I would be way more concerned about your water condition and quality as the bulk transfer to the closed water system must be tremendous?!
I like pellets for the fact that are balanced. I don't like they they may be old and in storage/shipping for some time. Most manufactures date their product now. I was just talking to the Hikari rep this weekend and he remined me that all bags of their products are dated. What you want to do to assure time is not degrading your staple diet is to add some fresh meals in the form of homemade foods, live foods and fresh foods.

I just made the last batch of my homemade food for the year. Here is a shot of the food processor I use and you can see the gelatin packets that over to the left that I use to bind shrimp, salmon, romain, spinich, parsley, wheatgerm, stabilized vita C, orange juice and liquid vitamins. This is fed in addition to hikari and Ogata wheatgerm which I get from Eastern.

[aquitori]

I made my batch of paste the other night:

1 1/2 pounds (steamed mashed) of Japanese Sweet Potato
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons of Chitinal (Izeki from Eastern)
1 tablespoon of Super Clean C (Izeki from Eastern)
1/2 teaspoon of Manda Nishiki (from Champ or Eastern)
2 tablespoons of Dehydrated Milk
2 tablespoons of Natural Honey
1/4 (small)bag of Bonito Shavings

Pako (Japanese bread crumbs) to bind.

This is a twice a week feeding with Sweet Potato as the staple. Will cut of the paste in another 2 weeks and continue in early spring.

[kevin]

Jaspr

Have to disagree with you and remeber, the paste is a supplememt given once every other day in the summer.

Well known brand of paste here in the UK is 60 percent protein, thats too high in my opinion and further more lacking in balanced ingredients, packaged as a paste food for koi keepers who dont know any better, and pay far too much for it.

Further more, my method of feeding the paste oulined earlier(fridge drying) makes for easier feeding and less trashing of the water as most commercial pastes are fed soft and wet-not good in my book.

Regards

Kevin

[aquitori]

Quote: Originally Posted by kevin Jaspr Have to disagree with you and remeber, the paste is a supplememt given once every other day in the summer. Well known brand of paste here in the UK is 60 percent protein, thats too high in my opinion and further more lacking in balanced ingredients, packaged as a paste food for koi keepers who dont know any better, and pay far too much for it. Further more, my method of feeding the paste oulined earlier(fridge drying) makes for easier feeding and less trashing of the water as most commercial pastes are fed soft and wet-not good in my book. Regards Kevin

What is the bulk of the protein in the UK paste? Chicken Meal?

[kevin]

Aquitori

Bulk ingredient is fishmeal, itself approx 60 percent protein in the commercially available paste I was referring to.

And thats just it, I have endeavoured to use various sources of proteins, carbohydrates etc to provide a balanced diet in my paste.

If you guys do a search for ccmoore.net you will find a very useful website on the ingredients I refer to and worth taking some time to quantify the options available which, when added together in the right amounts/type, are not only less expensive per kilo than some koi pellets per kilo but a darn site better for our fish.

Regards

Kev

[MikeM]

Kevin: Whenever I begin to get comfortable with what I do, there are threads that make me re-think... a good thing. I am struck by your reference to 68F. For me, that is a low temp. The pond is around that point now, and I've reduced feedings to once per day sinking wheatgerm. The climate differences koikeepers deal with requires all to think about adaptations for what works for others.

[kevin]

Mike

I have the good fortune to enjoy your weather each May on my annual fishing trip for Tarpon in the Keys, trust me we dont enjoy the same climate!!!(Dont have hurricanes though)!!

This year my pond got to a max of 75 degrees for a short while, last year was better weather, I am heated and currently at 60 dropping to lower over the winter and not feeding for three months(well thats the plan and another subject).

So above 68 feel my paste will be utilised best by the fish, I am currently feeding a wheatgerm based pellet/pearl barley.

Regards

Kevin