Maybe KGH in it (Koi Growth Hormone) kinda like HGH (Human Growth Hormones) for people.................just kidding :lol:
Quality is in the Ingredients
Koi and goldfish food is no different from any other pet food except that it may be a little harder to find. There are some brands that provide the necessary nutrition for healthy pets while others are basically junk food. One cannot depend on the fact that the brand name is well known or that it's higher priced to determine its quality. One must read the label. The label should clearly state the ingredients and nutrition analysis. This information should be readily available online if purchasing over the internet. If you can't find the ingredients and analysis online (perhaps purposely left out to hide the fact that it's lower quality) my advice is to NOT purchase the food.
The two most important pieces of information on the label is the very first ingredient listed and the "Crude Protein" percentage. As with packaged food for people, koi and goldfish food will contain more of the first ingredient than the others listed on the label. If the first ingredient listed is fish meal, that's great. If it's a type of cereal or meal (such as soybean meal or corn) it is what we refer to as "junk food" so run as fast as you can away from it. Wheat germ is okay in certain kinds of food which we'll cover later in the article. The protein in the food is what makes the fish grow. The crude protein percentage should be 36% to 38% in regular staple foods. There are special growth foods that may have higher percentages of crude protein. A good high-growth food will have a protein percentage of about 40% to 42%. Anything over that would be a waste because the koi cannot absorb all the protein. Lower protein levels are okay in seasonal wheat germ foods when growth takes a back seat to digestion.
