Food for Koi Carp

🧠 How Koi Foods Work

Koi food has three main functions:

1️⃣ Energy (carbohydrates and fats)

Provides a caloric source for movement and development

Fats are especially important in colder seasons

2️⃣ Tissue building (protein)

Koi are omnivores, but they make good use of animal proteins

Proteins support growth, healing processes and immunity

3️⃣ Process regulation

Vitamins, minerals, trace elements

Support immunity and metabolism

🎯 What makes a good koi food?

✔️ high proportion of digestible proteins
✔️ suitable ratio of carbohydrates and fats
✔️ sufficient vitamins and minerals
✔️ balance of omega fatty acids
✔️ stimulation of natural fish behavior

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🐠 Koi food requirements
🍽️ Koi are not "omnivores"

You don't just need to give them what's at hand — quality is key.

Water temperature affects digestion

At temperatures <15°C, digestion slows down significantly → give less or special winter food

Above 20°C, koi are active and digest faster

The ratio of nutrients changes according to the season

Spring / summer → growth and activity → higher protein content

Autumn / winter → slower metabolism → lower protein content

Natural behavior

Koi like to graze on the bottom, looking for food

The food should also be good at the bottom, not just on the surface

🧬 The effect of food on the health of koi
💪 POSITIVE influence

✔️ proper growth and development
✔️ strong immunity
✔️ brighter colors
✔️ higher resistance to diseases
✔️ better reproduction

⚠️ NEGATIVE influence (with bad food or overfeeding)

❌ obesity and fat deposits
❌ liver problems
❌ slower digestion
❌ poor quality water
❌ increased algae (overfeeding = more waste)

🦠 Main health problems caused by food
1️⃣ Dietary imbalance

Too much protein → stress on the kidneys

Too much fat → digestion problem

2️⃣ Unsuitable ingredients

cheap low-quality flour

artificial dyes

excess of chemical additives

3️⃣ Overfeeding

a common reason for poor water quality and diseases

➡️ Solution: feed "as much as they eat in 30–60s" + regular water testing

🍱 Types of food for koi
🟠 1) Classic pellets (floater) – for regular feeding

A classic for most ponds

They float on the surface → you can see how much they eat

Different sizes for different sizes of koi

Advantages
✔️ easy quantity control
✔️ suitable for versatile use
✔️ different nutrient ratios according to season

Disadvantages
❌ can quickly clog the water if they crumble

🟢 2) Deep / sinking pellets

Suitable for bottom feeding

Koi naturally seek them

Advantages
✔️ active behavior
✔️ also used for fish that eat at the bottom

Disadvantages
❌ if neglected, they stay in the water longer → pollution

🔵 3) Seasonal and special feeds

Spring / summer

Autumn / winter

For rapid weight gain

For color support

Advantages
✔️ increase vitality during seasonal phases
✔️ support the immune system

Disadvantages
❌ more expensive
❌ must be rotated according to conditions

🟡 4) Coloring feeds

Contain ingredients such as astaxanthin, carotenoids

Advantages
✔️ enhance the colors of koi

Disadvantages
❌ do not improve health without a balanced composition

🔶 5) Frozen / live supplementary food

artemia, daphnia, nematodes

insect larvae

Advantages
✔️ fresh food
✔️ high acceptance of fish

Disadvantages
❌ necessary advice when growing / storing
❌ risk of parasites (use only trusted sources)

🧠 Advantages and disadvantages of different foods
Type of food Advantages Disadvantages
Classic pellets universal, controllable can quickly choose dust
Sinking pellets natural bottom behavior can stay in the water longer
Seasonal foods optimized for temperature and metabolism more expensive, must be rotated
Coloring foods intense color without balance less health friendly
Frozen / live high quality, natural more difficult to store
🔍 How to choose the right koi food?
1️⃣ By fish size

small koi → small pellets

large koi → larger pellets

2️⃣ By season

spring/summer → higher protein content

autumn/winter → lower protein content, higher fat for energy in cold weather

3️⃣ By goal

growth and size → higher protein feed (40–50%)

color → coloring ingredients

health → vitamins, omega fatty acids

4️⃣ By quality

the first ingredients should be meat/fish, animal protein

avoid cheap fillers (corn, wheat lectins)

🧶 How and when to feed koi
📆 Seasonal recommendations

Spring (10–18°C): smaller portions, high digestibility

Summer (18–28°C): regular feeding

Autumn (10–18°C): transition to winter feed

Winter (<10°C): minimize feeding

🍽️ Feeding principles

✔️ feed as much as they eat in 30–60 seconds
✔️ give smaller portions more often
✔️ do not overfeed - if there is food left, it will pollute the water

🩺 The impact of food on water parameters

Bad or excessive food →
📉 increased ammonia
📉 increased nitrites
📈 more waste
📈 algae blooms

➡️ solution: correct dosage + regular filter maintenance + water testing

🧠 The most common mistakes when feeding koi

❌ overfeeding
❌ low-quality cheap food
❌ ignoring seasonal changes
❌ partying "just because the fish want to"
❌ neglecting supplementary food (live / frozen)