i want to enrich my butterfly koi's diet?

Question

right now she is eating basic koi pond pellets, but i've always wondered if she can eat things such as dried shrimp. i fear that because she is fresh water, and the shrimp and such are salt water, that there may be a conflict.

she is about 6-7inches

or can i feed her meal worms or crickets?

Answer 1

You can feed your koi freeze-dried or frozen krill or shrimp with no ill effects. However, I would do it as an occasional treat, only. My koi prefer the frozen to the freeze-dried, but every fish has its own preferences. I have never tried meal worms or crickets, but you could try it - it shouldn't hurt anything. I occasionally see mine try to snap at the wasps that visit the pond and get too close to the edge of a lily pad, but I haven't seen one get one yet.

You can also try things like blood worms, orange slices, watermelon, zuchini, spinach, or even wheat bread, pizza crust and cheerios. I feed my koi all of these things on occasion, though only as treats. The best thing to feed them is a really high quality koi food, just like you have been doing. I like Hikari brand, and also Pond Rx. But, in a pinch, I have fed mine Purina trout chow from our local IFA, too! I have found that foods containing a higher protein amount produce the best color in my koi, when fed during the warmer months. When the weather is cooler, but not cold enough to stop feeding yet, the low-protein, higher carb foods are better and easier for them to digest.

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Koi are primarily plant eating fish and as such you would be better off enriching it's diet with plant materials. Odds are very good it gets all the protein and fat it needs from the pellets, so add vitamins from fresh vegetable sources. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach or turnip greens are excellent. You can also feed it peas, slightly softened carrots, cucumber, squash or other vegetables. I would avoid vegetables such as tomato that have a high acid content as well as a very soft jelly like consistency in the center. You could feed the outer flesh of a tomato with the skin removed however. Also, it's a good idea to avoid very sweet fruits as sugar has no real value to your fish and the juices will only serve to foul the water.

MM

Answer 3

You could give your koi either of those items. Also, you can give it a number of vegetables (sliced zucchini or cucumbers, shredded carrot, dark leafy greens [romaine, collard, kale, dandelion, mustard, beet tops, or spinach], peas, lima beans, peppers, orange slices (broken up to be bite sized).

I'm sure she'd also like bloodworms, and red or earth worms if she's large enough to eat them. The only things I would advise to stay away from are land-based animals (beef, chicken, pork).

The more variety you can get in her diet the better, as it gives them a broader range of vitamins and minerals. Just be careful if you live where it gets cold enough over the winter (below 50-55o) that you give her proper fall feedings before the point where she would stop eating for the winter.

Answer 4

I have a betta, and I realize that they are a lot different than koi, but I supplement her betta food with freeze-dried bloodworm larvae. My fish really likes them.