Koi fish are beautiful, ornamental fish that make great pets.Feeding koi fish out of your hand is always a fun and delightful experience, as they are gentle eaters and will nibble softly on the food in your palms. Feeding time is also a great bonding experience between fish and owners, and they tend to remember the people who feed them the most.So, what exactly can you feed your pet koi? It’s important to properly plan out your koi’s diet, and include foods that are good for their health, as well as which are fun for them to eat. Koi eat fruits, vegetables, and even foods that people eat like shrimp and cereal with gusto, and seem to enjoy them as a tasty treat! To know what all you can feed your captivating koi fish, read on!If you enjoy reading this article, you can also check out our pages on what frogs eat and what iguanas eat.Best Homemade Koi Fish Food IdeasThough koi fish can be fed fish flakes and pellets, they are also fond of foods like vegetables, fruits, and grains.In the wild, koi eat worms, seeds, smaller fish, algae, plants, and insects. They are omnivorous in nature and feed both along the surface as well as the bottom of the koi pond. If you house your koi fish in an outside ecosystem pond, they may be able to follow their natural diet. However, for many koi fish, it is necessary to give them food as there is little to no natural food available for them in tanks and aquariums.These gold fish can be given many food items which we eat at feeding time as well. Though they can eat cereal, rice, and other carbs, these can be quite difficult for koi to digest, hence should only be fed to them in moderation or as a tasty treat. It is always better to feed them fresh, organic food which does not have any processed ingredients, to keep them in good health.Koi fish can be fed a large number of fruit and vegetables as a treat, like leafy greens (lettuce and spinach), cucumber, grapes, watermelon, citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, apples, and berries. Though they are not predators and will not target other fish in the wild, they will happily eat pieces of shrimp and sardines that are fed to them. It is very easy for them to overeat when fed these foods, so it’s always best to feed them only as much as they can eat in a five-minute period or they will overindulge! Growing fish need more protein, whereas older fish need not be fed a lot of it. They can also be fed wheat germ, which is a very healthy seed as it contains Vitamin E, which aids growth and improves their blood circulation.You can feed your koi either raw or cooked vegetables. They should be cut up into bite-sized pieces (according to your kois size), and firmer vegetables should be steamed or boiled to make them easier for them to nibble on. Fruits can be cut into similar pieces, or sliced thinly. There is no need to cook them as they are usually soft enough already.If you feed your koi grains like rice or pasta, be sure to cook them in unsalted water. Cooking them with salt can cause them to expand in the fish’s stomach when eaten, which can cause bloating and other problems.Tips For Feeding Koi FishFeeding your koi fish is always a good bonding experience. They are very gentle eaters and will come right up to your hand and take nibbles from the food, making it an enjoyable experience for both your fish and yourself.Koi fish have a very high metabolism, which is why it is essential to feed them at least four to five times daily. This also makes them very prone to overeating, which is why you should avoid feeding them more than what these fish can eat in five minutes. Wait until your koi have completely finished a handful of food before throwing them the next one. The temperature of the water also affects their metabolism, and you can find them eating more during their afternoon meal when the water is nice and warm.Koi need a lot of oxygen to digest food, hence keeping an eye on their surroundings while feeding them is important. Do not feed them a lot if the oxygen pump is broken, as well as before storms, as the level of oxygen will drop down and make it difficult for them to digest their meal properly. Make sure the water quality is always up to the mark, or it can cause your fish stress.Feed your koi fish according to their size. Smaller fish and baby koi can be fed fish flakes, brine shrimp, and tiny cut-up pieces of food, while larger koi can be given fish pellets and bigger chunks of cut-up fruits and vegetables. Some good live food for koi fish, which encourages them to swim around the tank or pond and get some exercise in the process, are mealworms, small crustaceans, crickets, and tadpoles. However, make sure these are sourced from a reputable pet source and not picked from the wild as they could contain parasites or diseases.You can feed your koi fish treats like juicy cut-up fruits or cheerios. This helps to improve their mood, as well as helps to relieve stress and strengthen their immune system. Watching them eat treats is also very fun, as they eat in a very adorable manner.Koi fish can change their eating habits according to the season. It was observed that they prefer more protein during the summer when the breeding season takes place and more carbohydrates during the early spring and fall. They also eat very little during the winter, as their magic metabolism slows down substantially during the colder months.The Best Food For Koi FishThe best food for koi fish is always fish flakes and pellets, as they contain almost all the important nutrients required for a healthy fish. Food like shrimp, worms, tadpoles, insect larvae, and worms are a good source of protein as well.Brine shrimp are good live food for koi fish as well. They are very nutritious, passing on the nutrients from everything they eat while in the water.Though grains aren’t usually considered healthy for koi fish, wheat germ, or wheat seed is considered the best among the foods you can feed your koi. They help to improve the fish’s blood circulation, as help aid growth, actually making them grow faster! They also help to keep them safe from disease by strengthening their immune system and increasing oxygen flow.Surprisingly, koi fish are very fond of garlic, which is nutritious a treat for them. In fact, they enjoy garlic so much that it can be used to acclimatize a new koi into unfamiliar surroundings and help it feel comfortable!As koi eat a lot of algae in the wild, giving them spirulina algae tablets is very good for them. Adding these to your tank can create the growth of blue-green algae, which is free-floating and self-sufficient in nature. Spirulina algae help keep your koi fish in top shape and provide a number of benefits like improving their digestion, increasing immunity, aiding growth, improving their metabolism, and as an added bonus brings out a brighter and more beautiful color to their scales.Of course, feeding them fresh fruits and vegetables is also very beneficial, though the foods listed above are always considered as the best for happy and healthy fish.What To Not Feed Koi FishThough koi eat just about anything, there are a few things to stay away from when feeding these cheery carp. It is always recommended to avoid items high in carbohydrates, like rice, pasta, and white bread. Peas and corn are also not a very good idea. Carbohydrates offer little to no nutritional value for your koi, and they are difficult to digest as well. Furthermore, items like rice and pasta may expand inside your fish if they are cooked with salt, and cause them to bloat.Though carbohydrates and grains are bad for your koi, you may feed them a small portion of carb-heavy items in their meal if they seem to be losing weight, as they are very fattening in nature. Otherwise, it is a good idea to not make them a regular part of your pet koi’s diet, instead, focus more on vitamins, minerals, and protein.Always make sure everything you feed your koi goldfish is fresh and bought from the pet store, or prepared at home. Avoid feeding them insects, small frogs, and fish caught from the wild, as they could have diseases or parasites which can harm your pet from the inside.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for what koi fish eat then why not take a look at what insects eat, or koi facts.
Koi fish are beautiful, ornamental fish that make great pets.
