koi foods

[carlejo]

I'm quickly running out of food and wondered what you guys feed.

After a post about food last year I think I''m going o change from what I'm currently using to something a little more expensive.
I'd like to try but can't afford(well I can, but I can't justify it to her indoors) saki hikari multiseason.
I'm not going to tell you what I'm going for yet, but I will after.........maybe you could even change my mind

[carlejo]

ps.... if your selection is "something else" could you kindly name the food
thanks
Carl

[boogatee]

Coppens top koi ....

[eds]

Almost the same as Chris! I use the same feed as Maurice at Koi UK which is a Coppens brand - not fancy but if it's good enough for his livelihood (and even his best fish in the concrete ponds) then it's good enough for me!

Edit: Should have said he doesn't sell this stuff so please don't ask him at the next Open Weekend or I'll get in trouble! I'm only saying it here as there are so few of us and you are all trusted by Duncan! He only lets me buy it off him in return for helping out. He won't sell it as he feels it's not the same quality as the other stuff he used to sell and he says it produce more waste (I don't notice this though!). He can't get the stuff he used to sell now as the mill won't make that recipe unless he buys a whole pallet at one go and that would be too much to sell!

[carlejo]

Interesting so far.... thanks

[greg]

Carl,

I voted "something else" as last season i used a combination of two foods.....

Coppens Health EF

Coppens Growth EF

Honest assessment is that waste wise and cost wise it was OK and certainly in line with the foods of this level and price bracket and IMO out performed / equalled some others of a higher value.

BUT.....

There were issues and these were in particular that i felt the "Health EF" was a little to high in bulking agents and carbohydrates and this led to my koi getting a little bulky early in the season. I stopped feeding this fairly early on and saw an improvement in the bodyline of my koi when i ceased using it.

I continued feeding the "growth EF" all year with good results - except ONE aspect - the colours on my koi were a little "off" and i ended up blending in about 10% od Saki Hikari Colour Up from about September onwards and upon Mike Snaden's advice after him seeing my koi in the flesh actually pushed this up to about 25% for the final run into stopping feeding around xmas time.

Now i think the food did a "good enough" job especially considering the £30 for 15kg price tag - but given i stopped feeding one of the two and then had to add a high quality colour food to the other i negated some of the cost savings in made with the initial purchase. Not so sure i'd choose the same option again for 2011. Getting close to making a decision on this myself so will follow with interest.

[carlejo]

Thanks guys.
Greg, what are you thinking of going for ?

I'll be honest, it's one of two for me ........ nobori or medicarp, edging toward nobori because of the price.
I was using yamato but being as I have nicer koi and they are growing very good, I wanted to try something with more quality to match to quality of the koi

[carlejo]

Greg, where do you the coppens from ?

[greg]

Carl,

We bought the Coppens as a group buy direct from them. We between our group had over 50 x 15kg sacks last year. It is a minimum order of 1000 euros i believe.

Our choices this year are still very much up in the air - but again we will be looking to source a "group buy discount".

Hikari
JPD (Nobori, Yamato, Medicarp, Sakura)
Takazumi

Then of course there might be a return to Coppens if that is what the group decide on.

[Gazza]

Hi Carl,

JPD foods for me as have been using them a few years now and find them very good

[oldgit]

hi
For the last 3 years ive been mostly using Hikari mutliseason.Dosen't seem to produce a lot of waste,fish seem happy. When a cheaper brand(from japan) was offered i thought time to try something new.After being told Hikari food ofcourse is a good food but its like having steak every night the new food is a more basic food.The label is all in japenese and by chance we have some japenese students and teachers visiting the school i work at.One of the teachers is going to translate it so i can see what the ingredients are, and whether there is any benefit in using it .
So im doing a 60/40 mix for a month to see how it goes with waste activity etc

Darren

[carlejo]

Cheers again guys......

Gazza, when you say JPD, do you mean any of these Nobori, Yamato, Medicarp, Sakura and which one do you use ?....... what is JPD ?

What's the chances of group buy on Saki hikari, and does anyone rate Yamato Nishiki ?

[greg]

Carl,

JPD - Is the abbreviation for "Japan Pet Drug company Ltd" and yes as far as i'm aware they only make the 4 brands of food at present.

[Gazza]

Hi Carl,

I use Nobori, Medicarp, Sakura and will continue to use these

[Geoff9]

Hi All
I ticked Kusuri,but for the last 5 years I have used the Nutrikoi Performance(same As Kusuri mulitseason but cheaper)..this year his prices for the food has gone to £106 for 15kg so I'm reading this wiith interest as I'm going to change..not sure what to get yet.

Regards Geoff