Koi Fish Food: Everything You Need To Know

Koi fish are often the most rewarding element to your personalized backyard pond but there’s a ton to know before diving in. One of the top things to consider is just what you are going to feed your new family of fish once they’re acclimated to your pond. With options to go with like pellets, flakes, and even freeze-dried food, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to narrow them down but not any more.

While your koi will naturally feed on algae, bugs, and plants from your pond they will grow faster and pop with more color if you give them specially crafted food designed to bring out the best of your fish. Even better, as you feed your koi more and more they’ll recognize you when it's time for dinner and come to the surface of the water to eat right out of the palm of your hand.

Keeping your koi happy and healthy takes a lot of work but with these food recommendations, you can’t go wrong.

Picking The Right Food For Your Koi Fish

There are a lot of factors that go into picking a consistent food for your koi fish. Everything from age, color, size, and season can influence your choice of food, but there’s one good thing to keep in mind when making a choice. A koi fish can generally be fed anything you would feed a regular gold fish. 

Both species are types of carp and as such, will eat practically anything you throw in front of them. Fruits, pellets, vegetables, worms, and even cereal are options, though keeping a more stable diet is recommended. The main factors you will want to consider when picking are:

• Protein: Your koi is going to need plenty of protein to grow and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Younger koi that are still growing will need a food that consists of 40% protein which can come from sources like fish and shrimp meal or from plant-based sources like corn and wheat germ. Older koi will only need around 30-35% of their diet to be protein-based but going lower than than can cause health issues. 
• Carbs: Much like proteins, your koi will need a healthy amount of carbs to keep their energy up though too much can be harmful to their long term health. Keeping your koi fish’s diet to around 30-40% carbs is essential to helping them enjoy a healthy life. Fruit and vegetable sources are great for your fish, though you’ll want to avoid feeding them grain-based foods like bread and rice.
• Fiber: You’ll want to ensure your koi food consists of at least 5% fiber, but not more than that. Too much fiber can cause your pond to build up waste and harm their environment. 
• Fats: Koi will need a little bit of fat in their diet, around 5%, to help with a few things including buoyancy, extra energy, and absorption of other vitamins like A, D, E, and K.

For some fantastic all purpose koi food, you can’t go wrong with Iku Koi Kichi Staple Koi Food. The Iku Koi Kichi blend is a great staple food for warmer months and climates, typically above 56 degrees Fahrenheit, this pellet food promotes healthy growth from your older fish while giving them all the fundamental nutrients they need. 

How Does Food Affect Your Koi Fish Color?

It might surprise you to learn that your koi fish’s color is heavily dependent on the food they eat. Everything from the ingredients, protein sources, and vitamins can influence the color of your koi. If you pick the right food, you can really make the reds, oranges, and blues get deeper and look more intense after only a short while.

If you’re looking for a budget friendly option for bringing out the most of your koi’s color, we recommend picking up the PondMAX Color Enhancer Fish Food. This food works well in lower temperatures too, as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and has been worked to draw out the most vibrant reds, blues, and yellows from your koi.

One of the key ingredients to look for from the PondMAX Color Enhancer Fish Food and other similar brands is spirulina. This blue and green algae is loaded with carotenoids, astaxanthin, and other similar pigments to draw out the most out of your koi. Other ingredients like Marigold and Paprika also work to pull out those yellow and orange tones, helping to really make your fish stand out.

How Much Food Should I Feed My Koi?

The golden rule for how much food you should feed your koi is to generally give them only the amount of food they can eat within three to five minutes. You’ll know you’ve fed them too much if there is food left over after the time has passed. It’s generally good to remove the uneaten food from the pond at this point since as the food starts to break down it will release ammonia and nitrates which can stress your koi out and increase algae growth unintentionally. 

Depending on the season, your koi may need a fair amount of food. If you’re trying to grow your koi you might want to feed them upwards of five to seven times a day. If that seems like a bit of a hassle, and honestly, it can be a pain, picking up an auto feeder can cut down on the amount of work you have to do to keep them healthy. We like:

• Sweeney Koi Cafe Automatic Feeder
• Holds around four to six pounds of food
• Distributes food up to 5 times a day based on a timer. 
• Can add a solar charger so you don’t have to worry about watching the battery level.
• Evolution Aqua EvoFeed Automatic Fish Feeder
• Better for medium to larger ponds.
• Lasts up to three months on a single charge.
• Has options to distribute food further away.

Koi Food FAQ

Can I give my koi treats, or just commercial pellets?

Yes, in moderation! Koi can enjoy a variety of healthy treats like blanched peas (shelled), orange segments, watermelon (seedless), or even lettuce. These can add variety and enrichment. However, treats should be given sparingly (e.g., once or twice a week) and only make up a small portion of their overall diet, ensuring their primary nutrition comes from their high-quality staple food. Avoid processed human foods, bread, or anything high in carbohydrates.

Does food quality really matter, or is it just marketing?

Food quality absolutely matters. Higher-quality foods like the IKU Koi Kichi Staple use more digestible ingredients, leading to better nutrient absorption by your fish and less waste in your pond. This translates to healthier, more vibrant fish and cleaner water, reducing the burden on your filtration system and your maintenance efforts. Cheap, low-quality foods often contain fillers that offer little nutritional value and create more waste.

How much food should I give my koi at each feeding?

The "3-5 minute rule" is key. Only offer as much food as your koi can completely consume within 3 to 5 minutes. Any uneaten food should be netted out immediately to prevent it from decomposing and harming water quality. It's always better to underfeed slightly than to overfeed.