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How does the food I feed affect water quality?
The food you feed your koi has an influence on many water quality parameters, including ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, clarity, and oxygen levels.
Ammonia is produced when proteins are broken down and used for energy. It is excreted across the gills into the water where it is then converted into nitrite, and finally nitrate, by the biological filter. The amount of ammonia produced is affected by the quality of proteins in the diet, and the balance of protein and energy. Poor quality foods are likely to result in more ammonia production than good quality ones. Therefore there will be a faster accumulation of nitrate.
Phosphate is an important nutrient for koi, but at the same time it is an algae nutrient. Too little phosphate will result in poor condition, but an excess will result in more being excreted. In addition, the use of poor quality ingredients and manufacturing processes will reduce the overall amount of phosphate absorbed and utilised by the fish. Phosphate will therefore accumulate more rapidly when poor quality foods are used.
Water clarity depends on many factors, including the amount of solid waste in the pond. The amount of solid waste produced by your koi depends on the digestibility of the diet they receive. Poor quality foods are less digestible, resulting in increased waste production. Solid waste also places an additional demand on oxygen levels in the pond, as it is broken down by micro-organisms. More solid waste can therefore mean less oxygen for your fish.
Because food quality has such an impact on water quality, KoiExcellence has been formulated to be used very efficiently by koi, resulting in less total waste production. |
