A comparative study with candid information on the differences between some of the most popular Koi food brands commercially available to Koi keepers in the US.
One of the most frequently asked questions we get from Koi keepers is “which Koi food is the best?” At first glance, the answer to this question is very simple. It depends. But the real answer to this question involves asking a very different question of the pond owner. What are your goals? There are as many different types of people involved in the hobby of keeping Koi as there are varieties and levels of quality when it comes to Koi fish.
Many pond owners simply want to come home from a hard day’s work to see some inexpensive “pretty fish” swimming in their humble backyard water gardens, perhaps with a few lily pads or floating plants. While some hobbyists spend a great deal of their time and money raising championship-quality nishikigoi, the Japanese term for koi fish, to compete in koi shows in the US and abroad, proving that Koi it’s not for everyone. And determining which Koi food is the right choice for you and your Koi requires that you first decide what type of hobbyist you hope to become.
Many aquatic gardeners decide to add some inexpensive fish to their ponds after seeing them for sale at Wal-Mart or their local pet store. There is nothing inherently wrong with purchasing koi from these sources, but true koi hobbyists largely regard them as “sacrificial.” The term “cull” refers to the lower quality koi fish that koi farmers generally discard or sell cheaply to provide maximum tank space for the higher quality koi, which typically fetch significantly higher prices from koi farmers. pickers once they grow for a year or two.
Just as a human being could technically survive eating only cheeseburgers and fast food, a Koi fish can also technically survive eating a lower quality Koi fish food. In fact, koi are scavengers in the wild and can survive just fine eating algae and other debris naturally found in your pond or water garden. But there is a difference between surviving and thriving, and when it comes to Koi fish, the quality of the feed used is an important factor for the fish’s overall health, maximum growth, and color conformation.
There are over 100 commercial Koi food brands available in the US alone, with hundreds more available abroad. With so many options available, many Koi keepers are beginning to wonder if there really is a difference when it comes to the types of commercial foods on the market. Specifically, Koi keepers may wonder if a “premium” brand is really worth the premium price, or if a cheaper food offering can provide similar results at a much lower price.
There is definitely a difference when it comes to quality. The best Koi breeders will only feed their best fish quality food that they believe will give the best results. During our ongoing research and communications with literally dozens of the best minds in the Koi community, we have found only one established Koi importer who genuinely believes that all fish food brands are created equal. To put it mildly, this anonymous Koi dealer is largely viewed as “misinformed” by almost everyone in the pond and water garden industry.
Anyone who has owned a dog knows that there is a difference between the premium dog food sold at your pet specialty store and the cheap supermarket brand. Marketing aside, there is a quality difference between dog foods. And this same reality also applies to Koi foods. So, again, it all comes down to the same question as above: What are his goals as a Koi keeper? Knowing your goals is the key to choosing the best Koi food for your specific situation.
With so many Koi food brands on the market today, to help make sense of the seemingly endless sea of options, we generally classify Koi foods into one of three categories. The top tier of Koi food that we classify as premium fish food. These premium feeds include only the highest quality ingredients and are commonly used by hobbyists raising show quality Koi fish. The second level includes Koi foods that we would consider quality Koi foods. These Koi food offerings are definitely a notch below the premium foods in terms of ingredients used, but they also tend to be offered at a cheaper price.
The third and final level is what we commonly call Koi staple foods. Don’t be fooled by the fact that we rank these foods at the bottom. Staple Koi foods are not inherently of lower quality than some fish foods classified as mid-grade, or even premium. Perhaps a better term to describe staple foods is “value foods.” Staple or value foods are simply Koi food brands that are most often ground in bulk, commonly sitting in a warehouse for one, two, or sometimes three years before finally being sold to a retail customer. Value Koi food brands offer significant cost savings compared to top-tier premium brands, which explains their popularity.
It should be noted that the question of which fish feeds on the market are really worth being classified as “premium” brands is also a matter of debate. Many koi fish feeds on the market that we generally classify as staple or mid-grade feeds are actually referred to as “premium feeds” by their respective manufacturers. This is yet another reason why choosing the right Koi food for your fish can be challenging for even the most studious Koi keepers.
Based on our own extensive testing and feedback received from literally hundreds of Koi keepers, we would classify the following Koi foods as top tier, superior quality foods. These brands are recommended for those interested in breeding championship quality nishikigoi or displaying Koi in competitive events. These feeds are milled to order in many cases, ensuring freshness and contain only the highest quality ingredients to ensure fish health, vibrant colors and optimal growth.
Dainichi
Hi-Silk 21
Mizuho
Saki Hikari
TOMiGAi
Koi keepers interested in purchasing premium Koi food without the premium price tag may be interested in options categorized as quality Koi food varieties. These foods contain many of the same quality ingredients as higher-end foods, but are available at lower prices for a number of reasons. Medium grade quality Koi Foods are extremely popular with Koi keepers with lots of fish to feed.
aquatic master
· Blessed
black water
holistic choice
Koi SHO Impact
As mentioned above, inexpensive Koi foods are among the most popular Koi foods in terms of overall sales. Once again, these valuable foods are not low quality, far from it. These are good foods with quality ingredients available at affordable prices, making them a popular choice with today’s discerning Koi keepers.
Blue Summit
koi kichi
pond star
Koi SHO Impact
Ultra Balance
We hope you found this article useful and at least a little entertaining. If you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.