Question about Koi food

[Cinnamon]

The food I bought from the pond guy is Sho Koi. It has bugs all in it. I poured it into a bowl yesterday trying to get them out. I probably smashed about 100 of them and there were twice that many more. Should I throw this food away? It had them not long after I bought it and I got rid of them. They remind me of meal bugs that get into flour and cornmeal.

Also what other food is good for Koi? I am feeding the Hai Feng also. They seem to like that really well.

[Terri]

Chuck the ShoKoi.. (eww at the bugs LOL)

Hai Feng is a good food. Hikari is what we use primarily as a staple food. Azoo is also a good food, so I read.

[Terri]

Just one other thing, if you've just bought that food from your dealer take it back(should have kept those bugs) and get your money back.

One or two bugs visably DEAD would be ok as they would have gotten in during packaging but full of bugs.. it's junk imho

[Jackie Ramo]

I agree with Terri. Even if you bought it last year I'd still call them and complain at least... Not yell, just tell them. It maybe they were shipped old food and may lose customers because of this.

Dainichi is good, my fish love it. Also I like to feed more than one kind of pellet. Each has ingredients the others don't have so this way I figure they are truly getting everything they need.

[Cinnamon]

Jackie I have read many posts about feeding different pellets. That is why I ordered the Hai Feng. This food had bugs in it just a couple months after I bought it. I doubt it would do any good to call. Last time I talked to them over there they were very cool acting. Not friendly at all. Oh well. They treated me a LOT different than when I first bought ALL our stuff there! :frisbee: I will chalk it up to experience and order me some more of a different kind of pellet. Thanks for the input to you and Terri. I KNEW I could count on ya'll! :smile:

[ozzyrockman]

I gotta get my two cents in. What the heck really spoil em and I say feed them the Dainichi all season then go to the premium. It's expensive but ya don't have to worry about the I WONDER WHAT IT IS food. Allen

[Jackie Ramo]

For me, no matter how good the food a variety diet is still the best one. Supplimenting even an inexpensive food with fruit veggies and shrimp etc will help give the fish what then need. If one has the pockets for the premium blend even better but still fresh food needs to be added.

Keep an eye out for those shrimp rings, often here you can get them for $2.97, cheaper than koi food!! And you can eat some and just save the tails for the fish!!

[Cinnamon]

Jackie I LIKE the way you think! :lol: An even cheaper shrimp is bait shrimp that comes frozen. Heiko went to the little store down the road last night to get some earth worms for the fish. My MIL says I should just dig for me as we have plenty! !bonk I asked Heiko to get some bait shrimp also. They didn't have any :( Raply Bates told me that he feeds his show koi crawfish tales. His wife Diane said that even when crawfish is not in season he buys the frozen ones. He puts them in a blender, shell and all and grinds them up! He said she loves it when he does that! :lol: He said they love it! I may try it. My meat market sells them $.79 lb. Of course they expect you to buy 50 lb sack!

I am going to order some Dianachi today. Hey only the best for my babies

[Busy B]

Too much fun to spoil them :grin:

I bought a bag of Satori...now I'm getting to the bottom of the bag and think I'm going to have to strain it...so much broken up pieces it makes a mess in the water.

The bugs would drive me crazy...think it has to do with your temps? A way to get rid of the eggs would be to freeze it first...it works for us with flour.

[ozzyrockman]

Don't forget about those big fat juicy night crawlers, they seem to be the universal food of choice for everything from trout to catfish and what amazes me is how they can eat a worm that’s as long as itself and still go searching for more. Allen PS Our rabbits Daisey a holland lop and Thumper a dutch LOVE Dainichi to.

[Jackie Ramo]

They like slugs as well... ugh!!! mine refuse to eat earwigs though... and boy can those nasties swim!!!

Skipper likes all fish food. :grin:

[Tom C]

I think you will find bugs in just about ever brand of food if it sits around long enough. I would take it back to the dealer and get some more. ShoKoi now puts dates on the food. Did your come with this sticker on it? If it did, was it out of date?

A rule of thumb is not buying more food than you can use in 6 months. I think that's even a little long once it has been opened. It might cost you a little more to buy it in smaller amounts, but it will be fresher.

One other thing is "NEVER FREEZE KOI FOOD".

Tom

[Busy B]

Now you've made me curious Tom...why?

[Cinnamon]

I received my Hikari Gold and my Dainichi Premium yesterday. The fish seem to love it! Jackie you said you liked the Dianichi and Terri you said Hikari, so I bought both! :lol: I must be doing something right as fast as they are growing.

Tom I don't think the dealer would do anything about the food. Long story there. I just threw it away.

I did feed them their first shrimp last night! They are so use to top feeding they kept missing it. Of course Hercules stays on bottom so he ate a lot. I fed some of them out of my hand. They love the Shrimp. Oh Jackie they had it on sale too! !rofl

[Jackie Ramo]

I always move my food into a big plastic pail with an airtight lid. This keeps it fresher than the bags. For some reason I seem to be unable to get those stupid zipper thingys closed tight as they pop open when least expected, making a mess and the dog (Skipper) sick as he loves to eat the pellets.

I also use a smaller container with a mix of pellets for feeding from. That way if I forget and leave it out in the sun or the racoons visit the entire pail isn't spread all over the place. Its also a good way to keep track of how much you have fed in a day.

Pam, try the fake crab meat as well, they love it.

[Rembrandt]

:smile:
Just wanted to add that the shrimp WAS good too. Cinn shared a few pieces of it with me. !rofl
I felt priviledged for Cinn to share her KOI's food with me.
....sounds pathetic, doesn't it.
I laughed with her about it and made more jokes about the "good oranges" being for the fish.
Now, if we get Alaskan King Crab................. well Pam, you know I Love you but... :-P
Rembrandt

[Jackie Ramo]

Smith, my hubby claims the fish and the dogs eat better than he does. !rofl

[ozzyrockman]

Cinn, just make sure and remember when it comes closer to fall that you switch to an all season food around 60F. Allen

[Tom C]

Busy B I guess your asking about why don't you freeze koi food.

Freezing koi food can cause mold. When you freeze it, it gets moisture in it. Then when you defrost it, this moisture will cause mold to start growing on the food. If you are going to ever freeze koi food only defrost what you can feed them within a day or two. This will keep it from getting mold on it. I think I have also heard that it can break down the food a little.

Cinnamon, it sound like it's time for a new dealer. If he's not going to back the product he sold you, you need to find another one. Always try to support your local dealers. How old was this food? If you let koi food sit around long enough you will find a lot of the foods will get bugs in them. But if you just got the food from him, you should have never seen bugs in it. I would have still fed the food to the koi. Those bugs are very high in protein. If by chance your dealer wasn't willing to back you, I'm sure Sho Koi would have if the food wasn't old. Sho Koi is a great company to deal with.

Tom

[Jackie Ramo]

I've read that frezing also breaks down the vitamin C or perhaps it was just the vitamins in general, The packages all say to store in a cool dry place.