Why Our Koi Food?

Iku Koi Kichi

Along with being a colorful addition to any outdoor pond, koi fish represent material and spiritual abundance in Japanese culture. They’re beautiful and can live for decades when cared for correctly. If you’re in the market for koi fish, here’s everything you need to know about koi food and how to feed them.

What do koi fish eat?

Koi fish are omnivores, which means they eat both plant-based and animal-based foods. When feeding koi that are in captivity, you should strive to provide them with a well-balanced diet consisting of carbohydrates, proteins, and a small amount of fat. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, cereal, bread, rice, shrimp or even small pieces of chicken will suffice. However, to make it easy, most koi owners will purchase a standardized koi food to ensure that they maintain the balance of their koi’s diet.

What should I keep in mind when selecting my koi’s food?

The right food for your koi will contain the right balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats as well as vitamins and nutrients. Because they’re omnivores, koi must have protein from plants and animals in order to thrive. Do your research and select a brand that offers this much. Keep in mind that less expensive brands often make their product cheaper by opting for a greater percentage of plant-based protein. Yet, the best way to feed your koi is by ensuring that they get enough of both types of protein.

Furthermore, for fat content the most important thing to remember is that higher fat contents can be more helpful for koi that are smaller and still growing. You can also utilize it during the winter time to help your koi pack on weight for winter while reducing their fat intake during the warmer summer months.

Other common additives to be aware of include spirulina and wheat germ oil. Spirulina is a type of algae that is high in protein and has a high level of carotenoid vitamins. Because of its high content of carotenoid, it can have an impact on your koi’s color (keeps reading below!). It’s a great addition to your koi’s diet for a healthy immune system. Next, wheat germ oil is rich in fats and oils that can help to give your koi a shiny appearance. Its high fat content means that it enables your koi to grow to their maximum size.

Can food impact my koi’s color?

Yes! Believe it or not, the food that you provide your food can have a large impact on the pigments in your koi’s scales. For the most part, commercial koi foods that help maintain a balanced diet will contain carotenoids which prompts red to become a more predominate color in their scales. The vitamins in this food will add orange, yellow, and red to your Koi. You may even notice white spots shifting to pink.

That said, this isn’t a change that will occur immediately. It may take days or weeks on a new food to make this change in your koi.

Final thoughts

And there you have it! A quick and easy version on how to feed your koi to keep them healthy and well. Iku Koi Kichi is a leading brand of commercial koi food that will help you maintain their balanced diet. It comes in three varieties — staple food, wheat germ, and color enhancer — for whichever best aligns with their needs.