Koi Foods

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Koi Foods To the Different Seasons
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There is a lot of discussion about koi food - how much to feed, how many times to feed and which sort to feed. Considerable time and energy is spent creating a man-made environment for Japanese koi. Some may make an effort to create a environment in a koi watergarden with plants and even a gravel bottom. The koi watergarden uses both mechanical and biological filtration as well as plants to keep the water quality high. A koi only pond relies totally on mechanical and biological filtration to maintain the water quality high. Precisely what does koi food have to do with water quality? Why feed an easy to digest food in cooler water temperatures and high protein during the warm months months? Why is it best never to feed koi in the event the water temperature is below 50°F? To reply to these questions we need to consider the surrounding of koi and where they originated.

Japanese Koi Environment
Koi are just colored carp that descends from mutated carp in the Niigata prefecture in Japan. This can be a mountainous region that receives substantial snow fall in winter months. In Niigata the carp were originally raised in earthen ponds like a food source until mutated colors were found in the early 1800s. Selective breeding has given way to the colorful varieties we have today. Koi are omnivorous, and therefore they eat vegetable and meat matter in the form of aquatic plants, algae, crustaceans, worms, larvae and silt. The protein content within their natural environment is significantly higher than the koi foods that people provide today. The whiskers on koi, like catfish, are similar to taste buds which help them forage for foods on the bottom. Since koi would not have stomachs, what they have to eat is not stored but rather digested when considering growth, color and. Whatever just isn't utilized is excreted as waste. Japanese koi are cold blooded and their metabolism will depend on the water temperature. This metabolism peaks just over 70°F when nearly all of their growth takes place. At this time almost all of the proteins are used for growth and there's little waste excreted. In the event the water temperature falls below 70°F they aren't using the proteins for growth and there's more waste excreted by means of ammonia. This matters little in their natural environment where population densities are much less than in a very modern koi pond or koi watergarden.

The Metabolism of a Koi Pond or Koi Watergarden

Just as the metabolism of koi is dependant on water temperature, do i think the the metabolism in the koi pond or koi watergarden. They both tend to peak and enter into a dormant state simultaneously. In the winter months every little thing seems to come to a stand still including biological activity. It is the biological activity of denitrifying bacteria that keeps water quality high. Plants that would utilize and take off waste will also be at a dormant state. Although the mechanical filtration is performing its job of removing debris before it possesses a chance to breakdown, there is little if anything to deal with ammonia or nitrates that can build up. This runs specifically true in the transition months in the year and fall. Inside fall season plants are dying back and instead gives off are blowing in the pond as mechanical filters find it difficult to keep up. Feeding a higher protein food right now could very easily cause water quality which was in balance to degrade with an ammonia soup in a really short time. Likewise in the year when the water temperature is below 70°F feeding an increased protein diet would wreak chaos on water quality. Leaves along with other debris that have been not caught by mechanical filtration are starting to break down since the water temperature warms. Denitrifying bacteria lags behind inside the metabolism peak which is why there is often an algae outbreak early in the year that tends to go away when water temperatures rise to over 70°F.

Different Koi Food For several Seasons

High quality koi foods that exist today are formulated on the needs of koi within an artificial environment. In a very totally natural koi pond we may not have to feed our koi whatsoever. However, on this environment the waters would be turbid and enjoying the attractiveness of the koi greatly diminished. Having really clear water permits us to enjoy and connect to the beauty of these fish. It is imperative to feed an exceptional koi food that is certainly correct for your season and temperature of water. A high quality all season koi food ought to be high in vegetable matter, reduced in protein and straightforward to digest. It should also include vital nutrients and minerals that koi dependence on color and health. This will create less waste to foul the water in the cooler months. The most effective koi foods meeting this criteria are Dainichi All-Season and Saki-Hikari Multiseason. An exceptional summer food should contain a minimum of 40% protein to provide for high growth. It must also have nutrients and minerals forever color and health. The top koi foods in this category are Dainichi Growth and Saki-Hikari Growth. The recommendations are listed below. Never feed koi when the water temperature is below 50°F. From 50°F - 60°F feed an exciting season koi food 2-3 times per week. From 60°F - 70°F feed a detailed season food 1 - 2 times a day. From 70°F - 85°F feed a summer koi food Three to five times a day. Slow the feeding when water temperature rises above 85°F to 1 - Two times per day. Koi tend to lose their appetite when the water gets this warm. In the fall, if the water temperature actually starts to fall and also the daylight hours are less, koi stop growing. Re-decorating the time when their colors become richer. Many koi keepers right now supplement the koi diet using a color intensifier. Koi naturally put on color right now and it is imperative that you provide a koi food with plenty of nutrients to assist this process. The main ingredients in koi food for color enhancement is spirulina algae and krill. Dainichi Premium has color enhancers as well as proteins for high growth. The Dainichi color Intensifier is set with krill and spirulina. Saki-Hikari Color Enhancer is loaded with Spirulina. Both Dainichi and Hikari koi foods have numerous years of research and development that are part of their koi food formulas. They also have a proven history of creating champion koi. Feeding an exceptional koi food may appear a little pricey, nevertheless the benefits wild weigh the charge, resulting in better growth and color with fewer outbreaks of disease and mortalities.