How To Choose Koi Fish Food

It’s one of the best parts about keeping a Koi pond in your yard or (if you’re lucky enough) your indoor, walk-in terrarium. Feeding the fish! But what kind of Koi fish food should you feed your little friends? How does one pick the right kind of nourishment?

Feeding Time!

If you are a Koi fish in someone’s decorative pond, few things give you more joy than feeding time. Which is okay because it’s fun for the person feeding the fish as well. Fish figure out pretty quickly that, when they see you approaching the side of the pond, it’s time to chow down! They’re happy. They’re excited. And you will take great enjoyment in their frenzy.

Food Types

Manufacturers have designed fish foods for different purposes. Precise blends have been formulated depending on whether it is spring, fall, or summer. To enhance color, some have been vitamin enriched. If you want an eco-friendly pond, the manufacturers have even come up with organic meals.

Both protein and plant matter are contained in your fish food. Depending on the time of year, however, digestion is easier with certain types of food. When and what to feed your fish is a decision that you alone will make, so here’s some information to help you along.

Growth and Color Enhancing Foods

To bring out the color in your fish, use color enhancing foods. Throughout the summer months, this nutrient-filled, unique protein diet will make the oranges brighter, the blacks deeper, and the reds more vibrant. Within the food is extra protein, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, beta glucan, and various minerals.

Foods That Are Wheat Germ Based

When the weather turns colder, it’s time to change to a wheat germ-based diet. During spring and fall months, this easy to digest, plant matter packed food should be used because the metabolism of your Koi fish has slowed. The fish go into a type of hibernation as the water temperatures cool way down. So for winter, they pretty much stop eating.

This diet helps ease them into and out of the ice-cold temperatures. To fight off disease, it keeps their constitutions strong, yet is very gentle on their digestive system. When water temperatures are between 40 and 55°F, basically spring and fall, it’s time to use this kind of food.

Maintenance and Well-Balanced Foods

Use a food that is formulated for maintenance and growth as water temperatures warm to 55° or more. As winter temperatures begin to once again rise, you will change your Koi fishes’ diet to a well-balanced food containing vitamins, minerals, and protein to help the muscle development they will need as they start becoming more active for the warmer months. For growing or young fish, these foods are particularly crucial.

At Everything Koi, we carry Tetra, Complete Aquatics, and Microbe-Lift food products. Take a look at our current choices:

• Microbe-Lift Koi and Goldfish High Growth and Energy Fish Food
• Microbe-Lift Koi and Goldfish Summer Staple Fish Food
• Microbe-Lift Coin and Goldfish Cold-Weather Fish Food
• Complete Aquatics Staple Premium Pond Fish Food
• Complete Aquatics Spring and Fall Premium Pond Fish Food
• Complete Aquatics Growth and Color Premium Pond Fish Food
• Tetra Pond Flaked Fish Food
• Tetra Pond Variety Blend Food

And if you ever have trouble finding what you need on our site, feel free to contact us via email or call us at 908- 420- 9908.