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Koi are omnivores by nature and will eat just about anything in the wild, including algae, plants, and insects. When keeping koi as pets, it’s important to keep their natural diet in mind.

They need a balanced mix of proteins and plants to get the right combination of vitamins and minerals they need to grow, stay healthy, and develop vibrant colors.

What you feed your koi is just as important as what you don’t. Here’s what you should feed them and what you should avoid to prevent any problems in the future.

What Kind of Food to Feed Koi Fish?

Before we get into specifics about what food koi should eat, there’s something else to consider: whether the food sinks or floats.

Each has pros and cons that should be considered before deciding which is best for your fish.

Floating Food

Most koi food available in pet stores is the floating type. It’s commonly used by hobbyists and is readily available. One reason that this food is so popular is that you can watch the fish as they eat, which is one of the most fun parts of keeping koi.

Another great thing about floating koi food is it lets you get a good look at your fish on a regular basis. This makes it really easy to do health checks and gives you a chance to get to know their behavior a little better so it’s easier to determine if something is wrong.

Koi have to come to the surface to eat floating food which gives you an opportunity to visibly check for any injuries and make sure all of your fish are eating. If you spot one that doesn’t have an appetite, it’s much easier to observe them for illness or injury this way.

The downside of floating food is that it can quickly get pulled into the filter or skimmer before your koi get to eat it. If this becomes a problem, you can always turn the pump off during feeding or use a floating feeder.

Sinking Food

The best thing about sinking food is that koi are better at eating food that’s fallen to the bottom of the pond. Their mouths actually face downward and, in nature, they eat worms and other things they find in the mud.

Because this is their preferred way of eating, it’s much more efficient and can have better results. There’s a lot less waste which means that you don’t have to use as much food and there isn’t as much left behind to affect the chemical balance of the water.

The downside, of course, if you don’t get to watch them eat which makes it more difficult to monitor their health and behavior. It’s easy to overlook injuries or miss identifying a fish that isn’t eating well.

What Kind of Food

Koi need a wide variety of nutrients to thrive. The following are the ingredients to look for when choosing food for your koi:

1. Spirulina algae

This blue-green algae naturally grows in hard water with high pH. It’s small and floats freely rather than growing on rocks of branches like other types of algae so it’s easy for koi to get to.

There are a lot of benefits for koi that eat spirulina algae. It improves digestion which helps prevent bloating, boosts the immune system, and results in a higher growth rate.

2. Wheat germ

The germ is essentially the seed of the wheat plant. Wheat germ helps koi grow faster and provides a healthy amount of vitamin E which has a lot of benefits, including improved oxygenation and circulation and a healthy immune system.

Koi need more wheat germ in the cooler months when their metabolism starts to slow down. The fat in wheat germ is easy to digest when and helps them prepare for hibernation.

3. Brine shrimp

We mentioned that koi are omnivores so it’s important that they get enough protein in their diet. Brine shrimp are a great choice because they’re rich in other important nutrients as well.

Brine shrimp is a great choice during periods of high activity. For example, freshly hatched koi need extra protein to fuel growth and adult koi need it in the summer when their metabolism gets faster and they’re very active.

Treats

Just like any pet, koi like treats. Some of their favorite snacks are watermelon, orange slices, broccoli, lettuce, garlic, shrimp, and worms. Keep in mind that these things should only be given as a special treat and in moderation.

What Not to Feed Koi Fish?

Stay away from low-quality koi food because it won’t have the delicate balance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that koi need to grow strong and healthy.

You should also avoid giving koi anything that’s very high in carbohydrates like peas, bread, or corn. Not only are these foods hard to digest, but they can also cause health problems if eaten in excess.

When is the Best Time to Feed Koi Fish?

Because most people keep koi in an outdoor pond, the temperature is a huge factor in when to feed them.

Like a lot of fish, koi are cold-blooded. The temperature of their environment directly affects their metabolism. So, their feeding schedule actually depends on the season and the type of climate you live in.

Koi eat very little or not at all when the temperature falls below 48 degrees F. It’s actually best not to try to feed them when the temperature is this cold because there’s a good chance they won’t eat. The food will rot and contaminate the water.

Believe it or not, the temperature also determines what type of food they should eat in order to facilitate easy digestion. For example, when it’s between 48 and 64 degrees F, the fatty foot is best, especially foods that contain wheat germ.

When the temperature rises above 64 degrees F, koi need more protein, though you should still mix it up with some vegetables and fruit.

Monitor water temperature in the summer months. If it goes higher than 88 degrees F, you really have to monitor feedings and the water chemistry. Temperatures this hot can be stressful for your koi.

When the water gets too hot, it loses some of its ability to carry oxygen, which makes it harder for koi to breathe. To compensate, they breathe faster which increases the ammonia in the water.

You should still feed your koi in the summer but try smaller meals more frequently when it’s at or above 88 degrees F. And pay close attention to the water chemistry.

How Often Should You Feed Koi Fish?

How often you should feed koi also depends on the season.

You might be tempted to start feeding your fish as soon as the coldest winter days have passed but you should never feed them when the temperature is below 48 degrees F. As temperatures start to warm, their metabolism speeds up and they’ll soon be ready to eat.

Start with one feeding per day until they become more active. As it gets warmer, they’ll get more and more active at which point you should feed them twice a day.

In the summer, koi get hungrier the higher the temperature gets. For temperatures between 73 and 77 degrees F, you should feed them four times a day. When it gets above 77 degrees F, feed them five times a day.

As we mentioned, when the temperature approaches 90 degrees F, it’s better to do smaller, more frequent feedings and remember to keep a close eye on water parameters.

As it moves toward fall and the temperature starts to cool, koi become less active and need less food. They’ll swim slowly and lose their interest in eating. Gradually transition from high protein summer foods to high-fat foods during this time.

When it falls below 64 degrees F, begin feeding your koi no more than twice a day. When it gets below 48 degrees, stop feeding them for the winter.

How Much to Feed Koi Fish?

How much food you should give to your koi depends on how many fish you have in your pond and what time of the year it is. To figure out what your koi need, follow the Five Minute Rule. Give your fish as much food as they can eat in five minutes.

After five minutes, any food in the water must be removed. Scoop up what’s left behind and give them a little less with the next feeding.

It’s important to get this balance right but remember that it’s always better to underfeed than overfeeding. Underfeeding can stunt their growth over time but overfeed causes a lot of issues, including accumulation of waste, bacteria, and algae in the water. This all leads to oxygen loss and unhealthy fish.

Conclusion

Koi require high protein foods for energy in the summer when their metabolism is fast and they’re very active. They should eat four or five times a day following the five-minute rule. As the temperature drops, feed them less and less. Below 48 degrees F, stop feeding them for the winter.

Remember, when the temperature approaches 90 degrees F, feed them less food more often and monitor the water parameters carefully. When it gets that hot, less oxygen is available in the water and ammonia levels rise.

There are a lot of things to consider when feeding koi. What you feed them is as important as when and how much.

Reduce Nitrate in a Fish Tank

Vedha Fish Farm

6 April 2020

High nitrate accumulation, sometimes referred to as old tank syndrome, can be a common problem for long-time aquarium hobbyists. It usually occurs when regular maintenance and water change routines are ignored. Nitrate is the end product of bacterial reduction of ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate. The nitrate will accumulate in the aquarium water until it is assimilated by plants or removed by water changes.

In freshwater, nitrate is relatively nontoxic even at high levels (200 mg/L or more), but in saltwater aquariums, it can be a problem for marine invertebrates, so it should be kept at lower levels (below 20 mg/L). Some marine aquarium keepers are reluctant to perform regular water changes to lower the nitrate as they would then need to add more salt into the aquarium, and so they only top off the evaporated water with freshwater (as salt does not evaporate). This does not remove the nitrate, but allows the nitrate to rise and can cause problems in the aquarium.

This nitrate reduction method is an instant nitrate reduction water change method. You can reduce nitrate quickly to zero with no ill or harmful effects to your established aquarium residents. In fact, the behavior of the tank inhabitants can improve greatly afterward. You may notice the fish will become more active, start eating better, and may display brighter colors within a few days.

Fish tank with bright blue fish. — Moto “Club4AG” Miwa/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Important Considerations

One important consideration before you start a massive (or any, for that matter) water change is to remember that you will also be changing the pH in your tank (probably upward). Before beginning this water change, it is wise to slowly adjust your tank water pH to where it will be when you are finished. You can adjust the pH upward with common baking soda or downward with one of the many products on the market to reduce the pH of aquarium water. This will prevent your tank critters from going through “pH shock,” which can be fatal to more sensitive tank critters.

This method was proven when an experiment was performed to test it. The test tank’s nitrate was allowed to rise to a dangerously high level, literally off the scale, to observe the transitions the tank would go through. The experiment was successful. It allowed the testers to observe the formation of different algae.

The established aquarium residents survived, too; a 15-inch snowflake eel, various types of hermit crabs and snails, a few crabs, two colonies of zoanthids, some non-living corals, and some live rock. The testers even added a newly mated pair of coral-banded shrimp the day after the completion of the water change procedure with no problems at all.

Rapid Nitrate Reduction Method

Many people try to reduce their nitrate levels by performing a series of partial, 20 percent water changes. This will reduce your nitrate (or any other chemical substance) levels, but it is rather inefficient if the object is to reduce the levels to near zero in the shortest period of time as possible, with the least amount of water.

For example, if you reduce the level of water in the tank to 20 percent of normal and then refill the tank to a 40 percent level, you have already reduced your nitrate levels by half. If you then refill the tank to the 100 percent level, your nitrate levels will be 20 percent of the original level that you started at.

If, on the other hand, you reduce the 40 percent water level once more to 20 percent and then refill the tank, you will end up with a nitrate level of 10 percent of what you started with. Perform the 40 percent to 20 percent reduction once more, and you will end up with a nitrate level of 5 percent of what you started with. So, if you started out with a nitrate level of 100 parts per million and used this method, your 100 ppm nitrates would be reduced, in a short period of time, to five ppm, which is considered to be an acceptable level even for corals.

Animated GIF of rapid nitrate reduction in an aquarium. — Stan Hauter

Why It Is Safe

Some people fear that the rapid reduction of nitrate would “shock” tank critters. This is an understandable concern, but under the circumstances, the rapid reduction of potentially harmful toxins in a tank is of the utmost importance.

For example, it would be like standing in a closed garage with a car engine running, filling the garage with carbon monoxide. Then imagine someone telling you not to open the garage door since the rapid reduction in carbon monoxide levels is more harmful than reducing the carbon monoxide levels by 20 percent. The scenario is the same. The fish and other tank inhabitants are swimming in a toxic substance that will kill based on exposure.

Of course, the best way to avoid the urgent need to have to reduce toxic nitrate levels is to follow a regular maintenance and water change routine. If you find you are in a position where everything you have tried does not seem to work and rising nitrate levels continue to be a problem, give this water change method a try.

You can be conservative while using this method, too. if you are concerned about “shocking” your tank inhabitants, you can always perform this process over a period of time (waiting a few days between each water change process) until the nitrate is reduced.

Gender of Your Fish

Vedha Fish Farm

6 April 2020

Depending on the species, determining the sex of a fish ranges from easy to nearly impossible. Knowing the sexual differences in aquarium fish is important when trying to breed fish and also for choosing the proper balance of fish for a community aquarium. Although not all fish can be easily identified by sex, these tips will help you recognize the sex of many of the common species of aquarium fish.

Determining Fish Gender

Here is how you can figure out the sex of common aquarium fish. This is by no means an exhaustive list but it does provide a general overview of the differences between the fish sexes.

Angelfish

Angelfish are extremely difficult to know accurately which is which sex, particularly when they are young. Occasionally fully mature males will show a modest nuchal hump, which is a bump on the head just above the eyes. Don’t count on it being there in every case, though. The best way to establish a mating pair is to purchase a half-dozen immature angelfish and raise them together. When they are mature enough, they will pair off, and you should have at least one breeding pair out of the group. Once they begin mating, it will be quite obvious which one is male and which is female as she will be the one with the ovipositor laying the eggs. The ovipositor is a short tube from the female’s vent that she uses to lay her eggs. It has a rounded tip. The male will use a pointed tube that extends from his vent to fertilize the eggs after they are laid by the female. Both parents will take turns hovering over the eggs, fanning them with their fins to oxygenate them and keep them clean.

Bettas

Bettas are a species of fish that is quite easy to identify their sexes. Males have the long flowing fins and brilliant colors that owners find attractive. Male bettas are the ones usually sold in shops. Females are not as vividly colored and have short, stubbier fins, but some male betta varieties can also have short fins. It is not always easy to find female bettas for sale in pet shops; if you can’t locate one, ask the shop owner or manager if they can order one for you. Male bettas must be kept separate from each other and from the female until she is ready to breed. The male builds a nest out of air bubbles on the surface of the water and then entices the female to lay her eggs under it, wrapping his body around hers to fertilize the eggs as she lays them. He then collects the eggs into his mouth and places them into his bubble nest. After breeding, the male chases the female away and takes care of the eggs and the babies. The female must be removed or she will be attacked by the male.

Catfish

Generally speaking, catfish sexes cannot be distinguished. Many species of catfish have not been breed in captivity. The notable exception is the Corydoras species, which has often been breed in captivity. In the Corydoras catfish, the female is usually a bigger-bodied fish than the males. The males will chase a gravid female (full of eggs) around the tank and then she will lay the eggs on a flat surface, such as a plant leaf, smooth rock, or even the aquarium glass. The males swim over the eggs and fertilize them, then the eggs are abandoned.

Cichlids

Cichlids are such a diverse group that it would take a small novel to give specifics for knowing the difference within each species. While many are not easily differentiated, there are a few rules of thumb that apply to quite a few cichlid species.

Males are often slimmer but larger-bodied than females and are more vibrantly colored. The dorsal and anal fins of the male are more pointed, larger and more flowing than in the female. In many species, the male will display egg-shaped markings on the anal fin known as egg spots. Some males have a bump on the head, referred to as a nuchal hump. Although females can also develop a nuchal hump when spawning, it is never as prominent as that of the male. Typically the dominant male will have a larger nuchal hump than other males.

Although the above general rules apply to many species of cichlids, if you are considering breeding them, do your homework on the specific species before seeking a breeding pair.

Cyprinids

Barbs and other members of the cyprinid family are rather difficult to tell apart. Differences will vary by species, but generally, males are more intensely colored and slimmer than females. Since most cyprinids are schooling fish, one way to obtain a breeding pair is to purchase a group of them. In some species of cyprinids, including goldfish, the males will get small white bumps (nuptial tubercles) on their head, operculum and possibly the spine of the pectoral fins during the mating season. The males will chase the female who will lay her eggs and the males fertilize them as she deposits them. After breeding, usually there is no care of the eggs, and the parents may even eat them if they are found.

Gourami

Gouramis are another species of fish that are not easily identified. Males and females often are similarly colored and shaped. There is, however, one fairly universal sexual difference seen in most gourami species. The dorsal fin is long and comes to a distinct point in males, while females have a shorter, rounded dorsal fin.

In addition, certain species of gourami show color variations between the sexes. The male pearl gourami has a deep red-orange coloration on the throat and breast. The male moonlight gourami has orange to red coloration of the pelvic fins. Like the betta, many gouramis will build a bubble nest, but both the male and female are involved in taking care of the eggs.

Livebearing Fish

Among the easiest of all fish to tell apart are the livebearing fish, such as the guppies, platys, mollies, and swordtails. Males are usually smaller and more colorful than females. They also possess an external sexual organ, the gonopodium, which makes it easy to differentiate males from the females: In the male, the anal fin is rod-shaped, while the female has a traditional fan-shaped anal fin. The gonopodium is used to fertilize eggs inside of the female fish as the male swims alongside the female. The internally fertilized eggs will hatch inside the female and then she will “give birth” to the babies.

Tetras

Tetras do have some differences between sexes, which vary based on the species. The females are a bit larger and plumper than males. Males are often more vibrantly colored and may have longer fins than their female counterparts. Tetras are schooling fish, so breeding pairs can be obtained simply by purchasing a small school of them at one time. Generally, they breed by the males chasing the females and fertilizing the eggs as she lays them in the plants or scattered among the rocks. There is no parental care to the eggs, which may be eaten if discovered by the fish.If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your pet, know the pet’s health history, and can make the best recommendations for your pet.

5 Best Live Plants for Angelfish

Vedha Fish Farm

6 April 2020

Angelfish are one of the most beautiful fish around. Their narrow, slender bodies look amazing darting in and out of long thin plants such as the Amazon Sword and Jungle Vallisneria plants.

In the wild, angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) are usually found in flooded forests and slow-flowing streams in South America. Their body shape and patterns have evolved to allow them to blend in and camouflage themselves among the plants in their natural environment, which is the main reason they pair so well with live grass-like plants.

It’s important to make them feel comfortable and give them the necessary plants for hiding in an aquarium setting. You can do this by replicating their natural environment and including a selection of live plants for them to swim in and out of.

Any of the below plants can be kept with freshwater angelfish. To create the ideal setup, choose a selection of larger and smaller plants, and plant them so that the fish have plenty of open swimming space towards the middle and front section of the aquarium. Also be sure to surround the back and side sections of the tank with tall plants.

Amazon Sword

The Amazon Sword plant makes an excellent background plant, or if planted alone it can make a great eye-catching central plant. This plant is easy to care for, and usually grows to around 12 inches in height. They have been known to grow up to 20 inches in the right conditions though, so depending on the size of your tank and the strength of your lighting, you may need to trim it regularly. In a low light tank, this plant will grow slowly, whereas in a medium to high light tank, it will grow rapidly.
If you’re planning on breeding angelfish, this is a perfect choice of plant for them because they like to lay their eggs on blades of long leaf plants. If breeding is your main objective, plant an Amazon Sword just behind the middle of the tank, and then plant a taller species behind it to keep the eggs protected and under cover. To plant an Amazon Sword, make sure the roots are anchored well, but leave the crown of the plant above the substrate. The roots of this plant will grow wide and large, so make sure the substrate is 2-3 inches deep. The optimal temperature range for Amazon sword plants is 68-75°F.

Java Fern

Considering angelfish feel at home in waters where there is plenty of cover from driftwood and leaves, Java Fern is an ideal plant to pair with both driftwood and angelfish. This slow growing plant can be attached to pieces of driftwood around the sides and towards the front of the tank. They can grow in a wide range of lighting and typically the brighter the lighting is, the darker green the leaves will turn.

The leaves are hardy and have a leathery appearance to them. They grow to around 13 inches tall and come in a few different varieties, such as narrow leaf and needle leaf. Both of these variants are ideal for keeping with angelfish due to their thin leaves, which this species of fish loves to swim in between. This plant shouldn’t be buried into the substrate; you’ll need to attach it to something else such as an ornament, decoration, or piece of driftwood. Secure the roots using black cotton thread, and after a few weeks the roots should have attached themselves to the object.

Vallisneria

This is one of the most natural plants to place in an aquarium containing angelfish. It’s low maintenance and very cheap to buy. You simply need to plant a small bunch in one corner and it will quickly create a luscious jungle look in the aquarium. This classic aquarium plant will do well in wide and long tanks, which are also perfect for angelfish. Vallisneria prefers an intense light, however it will still grow even under low light, just at a slower rate.

There are a few different species of this plant available. Vallisneria spiralis, also known as straight vallisneria or tape grass, is the most ideal live plant for angelfish due to its luscious green straight leaves, which look just like tall blades of grass. Other popular species are Vallisneria americana, also known as jungle val and Vallisneria asiatica, twisted jungle val, which has spiral twisted leaves. They grow quickly, and leaves can reach 7-15 inches long.

Anubias Nana

Anubias nana is slightly different from the other plants listed here. Its leaves are shaped differently, more like leaves of a terrestrial plant, and it grows lower in the tank compared to other plants. While this specimen can be planted directly into the substrate, it can also float in the aquarium. This will complement the other taller varieties of plants well. The other species will grow tall and grass-like, providing plenty of cover for angelfish to swim through, while this one makes a great covering for the front of your aquarium.

This species grows quickly, and each specimen should be planted at least two inches apart. Be sure they are not planted in a shaded area as they need light. If you plant any of the other suggested plants, keep those towards the back, and this one towards the front of the aquarium.

Hornwort

A popular aquarium plant - Ceratophyllum demersum

Hornwort can be planted as a background plant, and due to how tall it grows it would make an ideal plant to pair with the Amazon Sword. If you’re planning on breeding angelfish, they’ll need a plant such as the Amazon Sword to lay their eggs on, and you’ll need another taller plant to provide shelter and cover for the eggs. Hornwort is perfect for this. Due to the rapid speed at which this plant grows, you will need to regularly trim it to make sure it doesn’t take over the tank. Plant it in the back and along the sides of the aquarium to make a great background for the other plants.

Written by Robert Woods

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What to Feed Koi Fish and What to Avoid?

What Kind of Food to Feed Koi Fish?

Floating Food

Sinking Food

What Kind of Food

Treats

What Not to Feed Koi Fish?

When is the Best Time to Feed Koi Fish?

How Often Should You Feed Koi Fish?

How Much to Feed Koi Fish?

Conclusion

Important Considerations

Rapid Nitrate Reduction Method

Why It Is Safe

Determining Fish Gender

Angelfish

Bettas

Catfish

Cichlids

Cyprinids

Gourami

Livebearing Fish

Tetras

Amazon Sword

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