by Ray Jordan, Texas Koi & Fancy Goldfish Society based on seminars and conversations with Futoshi Maruyama in San Antonio, Texas April 5, 2004
One
of the goals of the annual Texas Koi & Fancy Goldfish Societies annual
spring fish sale and seminars was to bring some high quality but affordable baby
koi to Texas along with an english speaking Japanese koi dealer, Mr. Megumi
Yoshida and a guest Japanese koi breeder. If you were able to attend our
club’s 10th annual spring fish sale and seminars (the first weekend
in April) you could have met and talked koi with Futoshi Maruyama the current
second generation owner/operator of Maruyama koi farms located in Isawa,
Yamanashi, Japan.
We asked Futo for
advice about feeding and growing adult female Koi to get best body shape and
color development results. Futo gave us the following advice.
Futo emphasized that there
were many extremely important basics to remember when growing and feeding koi in
a hobbyist koi pond.
1)
Best results will be from ponds containing similar sized koi. Either keep
all small koi (less than 14 inches), or medium
sized koi (15 inches to 24 inches) or larger koi (over 24 inches) together in
same pond. Mixed sized koi ponds limit larger koi from developing to their full
potential. Smaller koi feed more aggressively and will get too much food while
larger koi will get less.
2)
Water quality and highest possible levels of aeration are a must. You
must not feed more food to your koi than your filter system can handle and still
maintain high water quality.
3)
Natural sunlight is very important. If you cover your pond be aware that
if you filter too much sun the koi’s ability to develop color, especially
it’s shiny quality, and full depth will be prevented.
4)
Feed fresh high quality koi food. Vitamins lose potency in a few weeks.
Store in air tight containers in cool, dry area.
5)
Never feed color food. Color food harms color layer and dulls the skin
sheen. This will confuse owner as to proper condition.
6)
Always better to feed too little than too much. Most hobbyists feed too
much and feed incorrectly based on season and food type.
7)
Koi are a four season fish. To develop best body shape it is important
that two year old koi and older fast (not be fed) for 4-8 weeks each winter.
Should be kept at about 55F during this time and allowed to rest and develop
color depth and shininess. Larger and older fish need longer fast. (8 weeks)
Medium sized and younger koi can have shorter fast (4 weeks)
8)
Feed high quality low protein food almost all year. Low protein food is
between 30% to 34% protein. Try different high quality koi food brands. Some are
better than others. Futo said brand is not important but thinks Japanese koi
foods are best. Watch white color as well as red. Your want both colors to
develop together and be bright, clean and deep.
9)
Feed high quality high protein food for period 4-8 weeks (maximum) after
water temperature starts coming down (early fall) when you should feed high
protein food. High protein food is between 36% to 40% protein. Stop feeding high
protein food when water temperatures drops below 74-75F. Increase aeration and
filtration to maximum when feeding high protein food. Watch water quality very
carefully when feeding high protein food. Many filter systems cannot handle.
10)
Estimate total koi body
weight in pond and feed recommended % of food daily based on season and water
temperature divided into intervals of about 2-2-1/2 hours. Takes koi about 2-
2-1/2 to digest food in warmer water and 4-8 hrs in colder water when feeding is
begun. So in warmer ideal water temperatures feed 5-8 times daily the individual
portions totaling daily amount needed. In cooler temperatures feed 1-3 times
daily.
11)
If you want you can continue
feeding after dark but only once in evening and again once before sunrise. Koi
need to rest most of night.
12)
Watch carefully for any sign
of floating koi feces. If seen you are feeding too much or too often or both.
Reduce feeding or switch to better quality food.
13)
Watch water conditions
carefully. If foam is seen on surface in morning this indicates more organics
than your filter can handle. You need to reduce feeding, or increase filter
maintenance or increase filter size, increase aeration, or try different koi
food with less protein. Turn off pond skimmer occasionally at night to better
determine foam production in mornings which indicates more organics than your
system can process.
ü
Highest Possible Water Quality