Hello all, im going to monitor this year my food buys, see how much in weight and cost my Koi are munching !

Do you know what your Koi are eating each year in weight and how much they are costing you?

Graham

Hi Graham,

Its surprising how much we can end up feeding our fish and it was only the other year i decided to measure what i was feeding as i kept running out of food and then found out i was feeding 1 kilo a day......no wonder i was running out so fast

I think my 20 mutts ( one small, the rest medium and one large ish) munched their way through around the best part of 200Kg last year.

Even then, they arent fat (apart from the shiro. It's a shiro, nuff said).

Limiting factors seem to be water quality and pellet size ie: too much effort expended to hunt down a piddly little 6mm pellet.

I would like to try a 10mm pellet if one exists.

Last year it was 2 large ish feeds per day, this year it will have to be back to the auto feeders and multiple smaller feeds. I may even have to thin out the numbers a bit.

Paul

Hi G

Must say that it's only when you find the monthly order has only lasted 3 weeks that you realise just how much is going in and just how much it costs!!

When the temps are up they do tend to get a fair bit, but there are far too many mouths to feed.

This year its gonna be trying the main pond on mini pellets to see if the apparent improvement in food to growth ratio with minimal waste Ive seen in the growing on systems happens with the bigger guys and girls.

Pity they dont do small pellets of SH growth in 15kg sacks!!

Dave

Paul,

Knowing your success with growth, but with 'small pellet' thinking ref. increased digestion, do you think having the water moving so much is maybe causing the difficulties for the koi getting to the food?

Having never had a growing on set up, I dont know a thing about the subject of 'best food for small koi' but knowing our thoughts will align this year on the best food to buy for the 2010 growing season of 'medium sized koi', just wondering if this 'small pellet' argument will hold any water for most of us?

I have had c**p water, but always manic feeding, with certain individuals growing like stink, but the majority under performing, but you know the confusing progress of my filtration alterations to deal with poor filtration, so i have some excuses, but this means I have not a clue on whats best for this seasons feeding.....

Hoping the water might be a bit better this year though....

On the subject of 'fatties' I have been criticised for under feeding, but this is more to do with years of inadequate filtration.

This year I have one partucular tubby though, but this is looking like a fulsome wench bearing a spring load...... another problem in the offing.....

Hello Graham
my personal koi ..were costing me about £60 a month during the peak of the summer ..
This was medikoi health, plus fresh oranges and prawns.
The rescue fish about £120 per month and they get oranges and prawns too
All of the fish were getting 2 to 3 handfulls 3 to 4 times a day in the peak of the summer.
Thanks to some of the sponsorship i have ..i should only have to buy for my own koi this year plus prawns and oranges for all.
Out of curiosity i will start and weigh how much food they are getting each day.
Max

i roughly feed one autofeeders worth of food a week at the moment. and yes my koi are fatties...... but then who am i to say anything?

Hello Pondy ..
i am afraid i like the male koi shape so most of mine are boys, but i do have a gin rin chagoi that started with the name "zigg" now called "fat chag" or "tubber" depending on how much food she manages to get out of the other koi's mouth LOL ..eats like a horse.
Max

dont know and dont want to know (ignorance is bliss)