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Perry, this all looks really good and is commonly practiced in Minnesota.
I can't fault it at all. I do have a few suggestions that you might consider changing,
adding, or ignoring, whichever you prefer.
Here are a few comments:
Cheerios are no longer accepted as an alternative for late fall/winter feeding.
Suggest a cooked Pearl Barley with garlic added instead. Pearl barely can be found in the
soup section of most grocery stores. Cook as directed on the box and add about a Tsp of
powdered garlic (not garlic salt). This is also an excellent food for fish that have gone
off their feed from illness. Garlic is also known to help build up the immune system.
Ammonia builds up in the winter pond also because the filter has lost its ability to
function as the bacteria has shut down (cold water). Even if you leave your filter
running, it cannot transform ammonia because bacteria needs warmth to function.
Consider adding the same comment about this being a 'guideline' when you speak of a 24"
fish needing 1,000 gallons of water. Actually it is commonly accepted that a full sized
fish (30"+++) is comfortable in 1,000 gallons of water each. Again, it’s just a guideline.
All in all, this is a great summary!!
Sue
In a message dated 12/13/2006 4:29:03 P.M. Central Standard Time, info at plantkingdom.com writes:
Hey Sue,
Is it an issue of the pearl barley being better than Cheerios, or are
Cheerios actually bad for the fish? And 'who' is recommending this?
(Like to have my facts straight!)
Thanks again,
Perry
It's common knowledge among high end keepers PLUS take a look at the ingredients on the box
of cheerios!! A lot of sugars and oak grains. Not very good for koi. They can't digest
sugars well at all. Barley is recommended as a fall/spring food by Duncan, who is very
highly respected for his research and care of koi. He's an English gentleman
(the other side of the pond). I have his book if you would like to check it out at the
next meeting. Some information is what they do and use in England and not available here,
but his recommendations are still referenced today along with his book being required
reading in the KHA program I believe.
Garlic has long been used in the aquarium industry to aid in immune building for new fish
after transport along with enhancing color (whites) plus the fish absolutely love it.
That is why this combination is excellent if you have a sick fish off its food. I've
seen very ill fish that refuse to eat anything "crawl" over to the garlic/Barley nuggets.
Good stuff. I feed it several times a week.
Member
Sue
Clickable
Taxonomic Tree of the Plant Kingdom.
PerryPost@plantkingdom.com