Koi Food: Pellet Diversity & Fresh Fish Food (Part 2)

Welcome back! We last left off discussing how a fish is made up biologically and what nutrition they need to stay healthy. Next, we go more in-depth with food pellets and why you should buy fresh, dry fish food.
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Pellet Diversity

Food pellets come in a variety of packages, sizes, and contain different ingredients. Well, which variety and brand is right for your specific "koi"? Is it really the right food, or just hype with pretty packaging? With so many types of pellets to choose from, a few guidelines can help you pick the right food for your "koi".

Pond owners don't agree on the percentage of protein content that is best for their specific fish. But, the one thing every serious pond owner does agree on is reading labels and buying fresh food. It's very important you do this, so you know what you are getting.

Federal regulations set standards for what can be used in animal feeds. If a package of feed is labeled as koi food, goldfish food or koi and goldfish food, it has to be a complete diet, and federal standards must be met.

But, even with this in mind, all pellets are diverse. Some foods are processed better and contain fewer fillers (chemicals, additives not necessary for nutrition). Make sure to read the ingredient label on any fish food you buy.

Even though food labels break down ingredients by a percentage of proteins, the types of proteins in fish food is very important. A balance of amino acids produces the necessary muscle growth fish need. The wrong combination of amino acids produces excess waste and high ammonia levels in ponds.

Even though packages don't usually show their amino acid composition, koi owners should look for two essential amino acids: methionine & cystine. Also look for Alaskan pollack, which is considered the highest-quality fish meal protein out there. Oily herring is another important protein, and considered the second-best fish meal protein out there. Herring, anchovy and menhaden fish food all contain a higher percentage of protein than white fish food because they come from whole fish. Herring fish food has 72% protein, the highest of all four.

Pond owners must also choose from foods that sink or float. Yes, even that is a factor in how you choose your fish food. There are pros to both. Sinking food is good because it naturally goes to the bottom-feeding fish. Floating food allows you to see your koi's state of health (you can look for ulcers and scale damage on their surface - just as long as you keep your pond clean! Refer to previous posts for more information on that).

Also, keep in mind that the price you pay for food, does not define how quality of a food it is. Rating the ingredients between fish foods is the best way of choosing the best quality food at the best money value. One ingredient to avoid in any fish food is corn. Corn might be good for humans, and is used in many animal feeds (chickens), but it's too high in starch and provides almost no nutritional value for fish. So, try to avoid corn unless you are raising chickens.

The purpose for buying fish food is also a factor. The reason for buying fish food (despite keeping your fish alive of course) is something to keep in mind when purchasing. There is food for maintaining your fish's current health, food for quicker growth, food for bulking up fish, or food for adding more color to the fish's skin. So, make sure you know "what" you are buying the food for specifically.

Buying Fresh, Dry Food

After you found the right fish food for your particular fish (whether it be koi or goldfish or whatever fish you have in your pond), making sure the food is kept fresh is your next step in proper fish nutrition. Try to keep your food supply around a 3 month cycle. Every 3 months, you buy the amount of fish food you need to last those 3 months.

Finding a distributor who does a lot of business, is a guarantee that the food they have isn't old , and close to expiration. Also, find out if your dealer stores their fish food in a refrigerated area. This will keep fish food fresh, for longer periods of time. If not, as long as the food is fresh, you are in the clear.

It's rare for fish food being sold to be expired, but check anyway (remember, it's your money). Try to go for vacuum-sealed packages and heat-processed foods. These packages will have food that degrades slower, and they usually contain the best vitamin and mineral values.

All pond owners should keep food in a cool, dry place. They should have their food placed in airtight containers, because fatty acids in food pellets can go bad if exposed to air.
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Our next blog will continue this multi-blog series, with information on how your filter can be an influence on food load. We will also discuss feeding procedures to follow during different seasons. Until next time.....

Koi Food: Proper Nutrition & The Biology Behind It (Part 1)

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.

Water Plant FAQ For Beginning Pond Enthusiasts

Question #1: I have put some water plants in my pond, but when am I supposed to fertilize them? What can I use to fertilize them? Help!

Answer #1: Your water plants should get their first dose of fertilizer in the spring. The exact time to start fertilization would be when your water plants start to sprout. A majority of water plants do well with consistent monthly feeding, with biweekly fertilizing in July and August (around the same time you are tanning in the sun). Stop Fertilization a month before winter in your area.

You can use any general plant fertilizer for water plants. The only problem you should be concerned about is how to get the fertilizer to the plant without turning your pond green. Algae feeds on fertilizer. How can you combat against this problem?

Easy!

Just use a fertilizer in tablet form. Be sure to push it into the soil and cover up whatever hole you create with more soil. This will prevent the fertilizer from dissolving and releasing its nutrients back into your pond.
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Question #2: What is the best waterlily to grow in a container pond? I need to know!

Answer #2: A container pond is small, only taking up about 3 or 4 feet of space. It also gets warm in the summer. So, to have waterlillies that will function properly in this type of pond, you need ones that will stay compact and can tolerate warmer water.

Miniature waterlilies are the most suitable candidate for these types of ponds. These waterlilies are very small, only being a few inches wide. Miniature waterlilies include 'Laydekeri Rosea', 'Joanne Pring', 'Helvola' and others.

Small hardies can grow real nicely in container ponds. These flowers can range from 4 to 5 inches in width. Hardies include 'Walter Pagels', 'Perry's Baby Red', 'Little Sue' and others.

Tropical lilies like 'Dauben' are great for container ponds as well.
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Question #3: Is it really necessary to have water plants in my pond?

Answer #3: The answer depends on what you want to get out of your pond. If it's a large fountain that is used for giving the birds a bath or splashing water, forget about water plants entirely. If you have a large koi pond, water plants might distract viewers from seeing your beautiful and expensive fish. If you want a pond that imitates ponds found in nature, water plants are a must.

Water plants add color to a pond. They also provide shade, keeping the pond cool in the summer and protect the fish you have in your pond (even the expensive prize koi). They also help reduce the amount of algae that can grow in your pond.

Some plants filter the water, such as water parsley. Certain grasses and sedges are good for fighting against pond algae (remember an earlier blog mentioning how plants can battle algae), like umbrella grass, cattails, soft rushes and others.
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Look out for more Water Plant FAQs in the future. Until next time....

The Fight against Pond Algae (Part 2: The Solution) - Aeration & Testing The Waters

Welcome back, it's been some time. This is the last part of our "Fight against Pond Algae" series. It's been a long road, with a lot of information, but our journey comes to a close with two final ways to kill pond scum.

AERATION

Since algae needs oxygen to survive, as well as fish, the fight for oxygen can give your fish more of a struggle surviving (aside from grabbing their fish food before the other fish does). But, increasing oxygen through aeration can give your fish that oxygen supply it needs.

Aeration allows the water to move continuously, which disrupts algae growth and dead spots that refuse to go through your filtration system. Also, when oxygen levels are down, your filtration goes down. Air pumps, water movement (like water falls), and diffusers (air domes) help give your pond optimum oxidization.

Another helpful way to increase oxygen levels is to replace 10% of your entire water supply in the pond on a weekly basis. This will get rid of pond bacteria and fish pheromones (which will reduce the growth of your koi - ouch!). The more pond bacteria and pheromones your fish are exposed to, the more likely they'll get sick. And they can't get well when they are sick and surrounded by pond waste. Imagine you get sick and instead of being brought to a hospital, you are left in an alley way that's filled with garbage and rats. Take these tips into consideration, and everyone will be calling you "Fish Doctor".

Testing The Waters

Our last part is one of the most important things to consider, and without doing this you are making your pond build up into that dirty alleyway I just mentioned. That is to test, test and test!! Test the water in your pond!

Your pond needs balance to be healthy. When a pond is out of balance, it helps pond algae grow and kills fish. Many pond enthusiasts test their water regularly (once a week at least) for nitrate, oxygen and pH levels. You should also test your pond temperature. Results of these tests can give you warnings of filter problems, overfeeding, or high ammonia (from fish waste - result of overfeeding).

You can also use herbicides and algaecides as a way of stabilizing your pond. But, you should know how these chemicals work and what effects they will have on your fish. Check out forums and fish community boards for information on what herbicides and algaecides are good to use. Also, do a google search and research products before buying them. Ask questions to the vendors, because the use of these chemicals does require some knowledge beforehand. Trial and error can cost you hundreds that could have been saved with a few minutes of reading.

Well, I hope this long guide has helped. If you follow these tips, you will eventually have a pond that never gets dirty and pond algae becomes a distant memory.

The Fight against Pond Algae (Part 2: The Solution) - Fish N' Plants

We left off our last blog discussing ways to get rid of pond algae. I mentioned two ways to get rid of pond algae, that you probably already have in your pond or should have. What could those two things be? This should be easy to guess (hint: It's in the title). Give up?

The answer: Fish & Plants

Now, you might be thinking, "Doesn't pond algae make fish sick and kill them?"

Yes, if pond algae builds up and isn't taken care of, it will kill your fish eventually. But, the formula works two ways. Fish can eat up algae. The best type of fish to get the job done would be koi fish. Having one or two of these bad boys can do your pond some good, just as long as they play nice with the other fish. Make sure you don't have fish too small with your bigger kois, or your koi fish might perform a disappearing act on your small fry.

The stocking rate for fish should be 250 gallons per fish. This can depend on the size of the fish. Our pond has a koi and two catfish, along with other cold water fish (maybe 10 altogether) and it's only 500 gallons. So, this figure can be broken and some people might break it to give their fish a fighting chance against algae. Ether that, or they just like to have a lot of fish in their pond despite the size. For bigger ponds, you might see a couple dozen koi in one pond. Algae will dare not infect your pond when your numbers are that high.

Another quick tip: Watch how you feed your fish. Overfeeding can be an issue when it comes to pond algae. The waste a fish produces from the food you feed it helps to fertilize pond algae. But, high quality fish food produces less fish waste. So, if you are looking to save a few dollars by getting cheap fish food, think again. If you buy a puppy, you want it to grow up good, so you buy it good dog food. Whatever will best accustom to your fish is the safest way to go. If you are a little short on cash, but a small supply of lower quality fish food, until you can afford the good stuff. Or, get the second best type of fish food.

We also brought in plants as a factor in eliminating pond algae. Plants can shade a pond to take up the space pond algae uses in order to grow. They can also provide shade for the fish. the only drawback with plants is that they produce oxygen during the day, but consume oxygen from your pond at night. The one positive thing about plants is that they balance nitrate levels.

Another small drawback is your plant will decay and drop leaves into your pond, which will put more workload on your pond filter. One thing to keep in mind with filtration is that it can't be overloaded with decayed plant matter or it will crash and burn on you down the road. If you design your pond well, plants can be a great help. But, plants shouldn't be put into a pond just for show. Do some research and decide what plants and how many you want in your pond. It could be your saving grace, or your worst enemy.

The last blog in this pond algae topic will cover the last two factors in fight against pond algae. Find out what they are by checking back soon.

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