Recently, a customer selected one food over another based on the Ash Content (calcium / minerals). The customer indicated after doing some searching on the internet, he selected the other brand because the food had 2% lower ash content. That got me thinking–what exactly is in the Ash Content in the food we feed our healthy and vibrant koi and are there other ingredients that are better for the fish and lower in fat?
I did very little internet searching, basically, I went to the University of Florida’s website and found an article about preparing your own fish food. This excerpt is from the University of Florida (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa097): “Other Feedstuffs. Fiber and ash (minerals) are a group of mixed materials found in most feedstuffs. In experimental diets, fiber is used as a filler, and ash as a source of calcium and phosphorus. In practical diets, both should be no higher than 8-12% of the formulation. A high fiber and ash content reduces the digestibility of other ingredients in the diet resulting in poor growth of the fish.”
High Fiber and Ash which reduces digestibility may indicate there will be more fish waste in the water, so keep that in mind when you read the product labels on the fish food you purchase.
To add to this topic: In the heat of the summer, it is best to reduce protein content and that may mean changing to ‘cold weather formula’ to make it easier to digest.
The list of ingredients for Shinju Koi food, uses fresh wheat germ and is lower in fat and fiber content than one of other food we sell:
| Crude Protein (min) | Calcium (min) | Fat (min) | Phosphorus (min) | Ash (max) | Fiber (max) | |
| White Pearl – Premium All Season | 38% | 1.5% | 3% | 1.5% | 11% | 3% |
| Color Pearl – Color Enhancer | 38% | 1.5% | 3% | 1.5% | 11% | 3% |
White Pearl – Premium All Season Ingredients:
White Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Defatted Soybean Meal, Defatted Wheat Germ Meal, Dried Brewers Yeast, Mono Dicalcium Phosphate, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Niacin, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin C, Inositol, Folic Acid, Calcium Pantothenat e, Cyanocobalamine, P-Aminobenonic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Magnesium Sulfate, Disodium Hydrogen Phosphate, Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate.
Color Pearl – Color Enhancer Ingredients:
White Fish Meal, Wheat Flour, Defatted Soybean Meal, Fresh Wheat Germ Meal, Spirulina, Dried Brewers Yeast, Mono Dicalcium Phosphate, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Niacin, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Vitamin C, Inositol, Folic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Cyanocobalamine, P-Aminobenonic Acid, Manganese Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Magnesium Sulfate, Disodium Hydrogen Phosphate, Potassium Dihydrogen Phosphate.
versus
Ecological Laboratories Growth and Energy Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (Min.) 40%
Crude Fat (Min.) 7 %
Crude Fiber (Max.) 4%
Moisture (Max.) 8%
Ash (Max) 8%
Phosphorus (Min.) 1.3%
Copper (Min.) 7mg/kg
Vitamin A (Min.) 11,000 IU/kg
Vitamin C (Min.) 400 IU/kg
Vitamin D3 (Min.) 4,500 IU/kg
Vitamin E (Min.) 250 IU/kg
B. licheniformis (Min.) 60 million CFU per lb.
B. subtilis (Min.) 60 million CFU per lb.
Ingredients Growth & Energy Food
Fish meal, wheat, dehulled soybean meal, corn gluten meal, wheat middlings, Brewers Dried Yeast, Fish Oil, Krill Meal, Iron oxide, Dicalcium Phosphate, DL-methioninie, salt, spirulina, betaine anhydrous, L-absorbyl-2-phosphate, Astaxanthin (color), Ethoxyquin (preservative), Bacillus licheniformis fermentation product, Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Vitamin E supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin, Folic Acid, Riboflavin, Menadione Sodium Bisulfate Complex, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Manganese Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Ethylenediamine, Dihydriodide, Ferrous Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Vitamin A supplement, Vitamin B12 supplement.