Budget Koi Food or not to Budget koi Food......... that is the question!!!

As koi hobbyists, we all draw the line on what we feel is an acceptable level/quality/price to feed our koi. Koi dealers are no different.

Some of us feel the only option is a premium brand, such as Saki Hikari or FD Foods; others feel a not-so-expensive food, such as a Coppens brand, is quite sufficient, and all of the hundreds of other brands in and around the aforementioned brands.

Last season, 2024, I was discussing, aka moaning, with Mark Stirzaker of Mujimono Koi (Mujimono Koi Pond Supplies | Mujimono Koi) about the ever-increasing costs of koi food, predominantly Saki Hikari. At the time, I had around 20 Maruhiro Chagoi and Karashigoi, amongst a few other koi, in a pond that was eating me out of house and home. Mark suggested that I take a look at a brand called Pro-Line Aqua.

At this point, I could bore you all with the ingredients and the pros and cons. However, that is not me. I had a brief look at the ingredients vs. the cost, and I was happy to give Pro-Line Aqua a whirl.

I used a 50/50 mix of Growth Pro-Line Aqua - Growth Koi Food 15kg (6mm) | Niwa Nishikigoi and Staple Pro-Line Aqua - Staple Koi Food 15kg (3mm) | Niwa Nishikigoi and achieved excellent growth and body confirmation.

The only issue that I faced was one that, upon reflection, I expected with a lesser quality food. Please bear in mind, up until this point, I had always fed Saki Hikari and FD Foods throughout Spring, Summer, and Autumn, and JPD Shogun JPD Shogun | Niwa Nishikigoi in the Winter months, was a higher amount of waste and water discoloration per kg compared to Saki Hikari and FD Foods. I also found that I had to jet wash off the drum filter screen on a fortnightly basis because I found the waste was kind of "claggy" and stuck to the drum screen. However, again when you weigh up the cost vs. benefit, I was happy.

It is worth noting that I was growing said koi at a rapid rate, with heat and lots of food. At the height of the season, I was feeding around 1.3 kg per day, in a 2,000-gallon pond.

To summarize, I was more than happy with the results when the cost factor was weighed up. 2024 was the second year running with growing mainly Japanese Chagoi and Karashigoi in the same pond. Could I see a difference in the koi growth and quality between 2023 - Saki feeding and 2024 - Pro-Line feeding? Absolutely not.

Will I continue to use Pro-Line?............... Yes, on certain ponds and certain koi. Even though I have had good results for one year, would I want to raise high-level koi, especially go-sanke from Tosai/Nisai through to Gosai.............. No, not at the moment. But who knows, maybe one day, I will have a "spare" pond and experiment for a longer amount of time.

As I touched on earlier, I looked at the ingredients to ensure I was happy, but for me, I wanted to find out if the koi were happy and the results that I could achieve, not sit putting the ingredients into an Excel spreadsheet and summarising against other foods!

2025 will see me trying the Pro-Line colour food range, Pro-Line Aqua - Top Colour Koi Food 15kg (6mm). However, I must admit I am dubious that anything can compete with Saki Hikari Colour; for me, that is the flagship product of the Saki Hikari food range. Stay tuned to find out if I change my mind on The colour food!

Koi Food | Niwa Nishikigoi

Cheers,

Craig.

21/02/2025