Power supply

In previous articles, we've seen that poor water quality, stress, and contamination are common causes of disease in ponds. A fourth potential pathogen is disease resulting from poor or insufficient nutrition. Nutrition is, of course, an essential part of keeping koi healthy. This applies to every human and animal, for that matter. Good nutrition provides the right building blocks and energy for an organism to function properly and stay healthy.

Ingredients

Good nutrition contains the following essential components

1. Proteins

• Purpose: Muscle and tissue building (growth), wound repair and energy supplier.
• Preference: Animal (natural to the body, so whatever proteins the fish encounters in nature, think of fishmeal) and vegetable.

2. Carbohydrates

• Purpose: Energy supplier.
• Preference: Slow carbohydrates (low sugar).

3. Fats

• Purpose: Energy supplier, vitamin carrier, building material.
• Preference: Cold-pressed (with Omega 3 and 6).

4. Fibers

• Purpose: To promote digestion.
• Preference: Vegetable.

5. Vitamins

• Purpose: resistance, nervous system, defense, metabolism.
• Preference: Tailored to specific fish species.

Preference

Make sure you use food from a reputable brand. The more information on the packaging regarding composition, the better the food generally is. The manufacturer is proud of its food and wants to convey that. We look for terms like "proteins from the aquatic environment" (fishmeal). Another indication is adding up the percentages of ingredients. The closer this is to 100%, the "richer" the food. Do not include "ash" and "moisture," as these byproducts have no nutritional value. Ash is what remains after the combustion (digestion) of the food. It is comparable to the ash in a fireplace, although ash actually refers to inorganic matter.

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Store food in a cool, dark place (not in the refrigerator). Do not use after the expiration date. Ensure the food is airtight (preferably vacuum-sealed) and that the bag has a (silver) foil seal to protect against UVC light. Divide bulk packages into portions so that the entire contents are not exposed to the outside air during feeding, which will spoil faster.