The above picture is a picture of your typical "koi" fish. I used this picture as an example, being that a beginning hobbyist might not know what a koi looks like. I'll have more pictures of the fish I am using for this multipart blog. I could discuss history, anatomy, or how to raise a prize koi. But, I am sure you are just a home owner, who wants to keep things simple.
So, what is one thing you need to know about "koi"? Well, you need to know how to feed them. You think something like that would be very simple. But, it's a broad subject that needs to be thought out. Or else, you might have to do trial and error and find what helps your fish and what doesn't. To be honest, I would prefer you know "koi" fish food basics.
Biology of a "Fish"
All pond owners who have "koi" should know some basics about fish biology. Well, consider this "Fish Biology 101". If you know how the fish digestive system works and the nutritional needs of fish, you'll know what fish food is good for the fish and what is just a marketing ploy.
When a koi eats a pellet (the way fish food is produced, pretty self-explanatory), the food is first met by the fish's pharyngeal teeth (the fish's teeth, which is attached to the jaw). The teeth crush the food, and pass it from the esophagus right to the intestines. Koi fish don't have stomachs, unlike humans and many mammals. The intestines of a koi fish are four to fives times the length of the fish, and handle most of the food digestion.
Since koi are cold-blooded fish, their body temperature reflects their environment. When winter comes, all of the koi's body processes (circulation, digestion, and growth) slow down greatly. Keep this in mind when feeding koi fish in the winter.
Proper Fish Nutrition
In the wild, a koi fish eats plants, seeds, insects, and eggs. In a nutshell, whatever it can find that's beneficial, it eats. Well, unfortunately, your pond isn't comparable to the wild when it comes to nature's food. When keeping your homemade pond in tip-top shape, you have the challenge of finding fish food and supplements to replace all of these natural foods.
See what I mean? Wasn't as easy as you thought.
Well, thanks to science, humans have discovered what a koi needs to survive. In nutrition terms, kois need 10 essential amino acids (this makes up 25% to 50% of their diet). Fats should make up 12% of their diet. It's prefered to use unsaturated fats, because saturated fats (sucrose, lactose, starch, etc) are hard for koi fish to digest. Even though koi can naturally produce most of the fatty acids that they need, linolenic acids (they sell this as a supplement online, or in pet stores) that are necessary for growth, need to be provided in food (or in this case, pill) form.
20% of the koi diet should consists of carbohydrates. Even though this is a primary source of energy, too many carbs can cause fatal levels of blood sugar in koi fish. You can find carbohydrates in pellet form or in koi fish food. But, make sure you check the nutritional facts first on whatever food you see for koi.
As for fiber, it has been found not to be essential to most pond fish. But, many koi specialists say "wheat germ" supplements are great for koi fish in the winter. This is an added tip to keep in mind. Who knows? Maybe you'll build that prize fish without even realizing it.
Next time, we'll go more in-depth with food pellets, and what type of fish food to get from the pet store. I'll have the blog up within a few days, so if you are deciding to get koi or have koi...be patient. This information should be considered a stepping stone. It helps to do research and ask other experts in the koi field what type of koi fish food to get. But, consider this for your blue print.
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