Too Much Oil in the Food

[JohnnyReb]

Is wheat germ my only alternative to the oily koi food or could I use some other fishes food that does not have all the fish oil sprayed on it. I am wintering 35 4 to 6 inch koi in some 55 to 75 gallon tanks and the oil is too overwhelming for HOB filters. The canisters are doing a better job but I want a food alternative or should I presoak the food, drain off the oily water and feed it that way?

[Matt24]

While I have seen small amounts of oil from food before, it has not been a concern. So I'm unfamiliar with the problem. Have you tried various koi food brands?

[JohnnyReb]

No, I have not, but I believe from googling all or most all are sprayed with fish oil to bind them and keep the fines out of the bag. In an Aquarium the oil is not filterable through a HOB.

[fly4koi]

What brand of feed are you using

[coolwon]

Is wheat germ my only alternative to the oily koi food or could I use some other fishes food that does not have all the fish oil sprayed on it. I am wintering 35 4 to 6 inch koi in some 55 to 75 gallon tanks and the oil is too overwhelming for HOB filters. The canisters are doing a better job but I want a food alternative or should





I presoak the food, drain off the oily water and feed it that way?

You will be losing the valuable nutrients the food is designed to keep them healthy with.

The more nutrient the healthier your fish will be.

That is why some foods cost an arm and leg

Would it help to break up the food, to allow it to sink and become more available sooner.

Feed smaller amounts during the course of day.

Keep them interested in the food to minimize it floating and releasing the oil.

The oil is all part of the make up of the food.

Would it be possible to draw the return water, through a made weir type arrangements with a soluble type blanket, which can be exchanged.

[JohnnyReb]

Mazuri for 6 inch and less

[JohnnyReb]

yes, I can but it maxs out everyday with oily residue.

[Matt24]

I would not have expected the oil to be too much for the filters, but then 35 4-6" may be a lot of load depending on the number of tanks. How many 55-75 gallon tanks you are using?

[JohnnyReb]

15 per 55 gallon tank, 2 tanks. It is not the fish it is the FOOD that is the problem.

[Matt24]

15 per 55 gallon tank, 2 tanks. It is not the fish it is the FOOD that is the problem.

Sure. Just figuring the amount of food would be proportional to the mass of fish.

FWIW ... At that size, number, and gallons, the spacing sounds a little aggressive, but not unreasonable. And since substantial percentage water changes should be relatively easy, space should not be a problem for the winter.

Just brainstorming about the oil, I wonder if a small pump could be used to pump water over an absorbent cloth rag, and rinse it occasionally. Not sure if this is the concept coolwon was referring to in post #5. So perhaps a rag supported by something under where the filter water returns. Or an alternative would be to use a small power-head launch a small stream of water into the air (a couple of inches may be enough) and let it fall on the rag.

[coolwon]

If most of the Koi floating fish foods pellets suppliers are coated in fish oil,it is there fore a reason.

Even if it's only to attract flies.

Koi spells ridiculous prices.

I feed only 5 mm Tilapia maintenance fish food +- 30 % protein. Considered maintenance food.They do make 3 mm growth +- 36 to 38%

protein. Fish size up to +- 250 mm fish.

But,but,but,have you considered looking at the sinking Koi fish foods ????

To be served to your skittish feeders.

All your 4 and 6 " fish will probably be ravenous feeders.

[Orlando]

Just measure how much water it would take to remove the top 1/4" from the surface and make a skimmer that would remove that amount of water into a 5gal bucket and do a water change daily for that amount of water you won't need to treat the incoming water with chemicals hope this helps, water quality up and you can feed whatever food you want because the oils float and are removed daily recommend that during the process surface agitation is stopped so the water change is effective

[richtoybox]

If I remember correctly, the vitamins and added minerals are mixed into the oil and sprayed onto the food. Those vitamins and some minerals will not survive the heat process of baking the pellets to make the floating food, so are sprayed post heat processing. They are able to be mixed with oil, and survive, but not water. There may be other floating foods that have less oil, and shopping around may allow you to find them. For ponds, the small amount of food fed, with relation to water volumes, the oil is not noticeable. For a relatively small containment system, it could be quite distracting. Moving to a sinking food may solve your problem.

[JohnnyReb]

They are good eaters, now. I went straight canisters filters and the problem is much alleviated. Now that they eat quicker. I went to a more moderate feeding schedule the water has cleared, upon cleaning the cannister out, the problem maybe under control.

[JohnnyReb]

I am set on training them to the top.

[JohnnyReb]

Maybe I need to put a HOB along with the cannister. The HOB seems to catch a lot of oil. I could just clean the floss daily.

[stevek]

I switched to Mazuri large pellets a couple years ago when Blackwater prices went way up, and I haven't noticed any issues with " oil " . My koi are chowhounds and eat it up so fast it never hangs around. Haven't noticed any difference in filtration either.

[taxijim]

I’ve had the same issue with oily food clogging up my filters. I switched to a low-oil, cooler-temp pellet food for my koi and noticed a big difference. You might also want to try some veggie-based options, as they don’t tend to have as much oil. Pre-soaking the food helps too, but it can get a bit messy, especially when you’re dealing with a lot of fish. Canister filters definitely do a better job handling it, but just make sure to keep an eye on your water quality, especially with multiple tanks.