Ultra Balance - Koi Food

Koi are so beautiful and refreshing to the eyes that the enjoyment they bring at the end of a stressful day cannot be equaled. However, when you opt to keep them as pets, there is more to feeding them than just throwing food into your pond. Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods are formulated to provide you the assurance your Koi will receive a complete, nutritious and balanced diet.

Koi are considered a cold water fish and are omnivores. They will do quite well grubbing around at the bottom of the pond looking for all types of foods stuffs. E.g. algae, worms, etc…. Koi being omnivorous fish will eat just about anything they can get their mouths onto, and then some. They will even eat your plants that are in the pond.

Although Koi are avid eaters, they are also discriminating. Koi have feelers around their mouths (barbels) similar to that of catfish, which are used to 'taste' their food. They will check out their food first to see if suits their taste; if not, they spit the food out. However, please keep in mind your Koi spitting out a pellet does not necessarily mean it is unpalatable. It could be that they are actually nibbling off little pieces of the pellet if the size is slightly too large for them.

For optimum health, koi require a balance of nutrients in their diet on a continual and regular basis. Quality nutrients are necessary for cell growth, energy, food utilization and organ function which are provided through the feeding of Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods.

5 Key Nutrients

PROTEINS – provide the amino acids that are necessary for good growth & overall health
Proteins are made up of a component of amino acids, of which 10 are most essential in Koi diets. Amino acids are needed for growth, maintenance, reproduction, and building of healthy tissues. Protein and type of protein is the most important component of fish diets and generally determines growth.

Excessive protein will result in higher ammonia excretion; waste from the metabolism of proteins creates an unhealthy environment for your Koi. Poor water quality is the main contributing factor to poor growth and discoloration of the whites (shiro) of your Koi. A balanced diet with the correct protein to energy ratio, such as Ultra Balance Premium Koi Food, will ensure a healthier fish.

There are several factors for determining the percentage of protein that is required by your Koi. These factors include, but are not limited to, the stage of development (i.e. size or age), genetics, water quality and water temperature.

The quality and source of protein is also an important consideration. Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods understands this and use only high quality White Fish Meal for the main protein source in the diets to provide the essential amino acids your Koi require for optimum health and growth.

LIPIDS (oil & fats) – the primary and best source of energy for fish
Lipids are the primary and best source of energy for fish. They are an important component of cell membranes, and essential for different metabolic processes. Certain unsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 fatty acids, are required by Koi for their optimum health.

Deficiency in essential fatty acids will generally result in a reduction of growth and will contribute to fin erosion and loss of pigment of color. Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods use marine fish oils as the source of the essential (n-3) fatty acids.

CARBOHYDRATES – required as an energy source (not to exceed 30% of diet)
The primary nutritional contribution of grains is carbohydrate. Carbohydrate is most commonly found in fish diets for a source of starch, a polymer of glucose. All carbohydrates are broken down in the digestive system into simple and complex sugar molecules and are a major source of energy.

Many aquatic species are limited in their ability to fully utilize carbohydrates and this may even hinder their overall growth and production. Koi carp, however, are better at utilizing than most species, as Koi possess high levels of special enzymes (amylases) that are used to break down carbohydrates.

Koi do have an immediate and just as important energy requirement for carbohydrates. Research has determined that Koi diets without carbohydrates produce less growth than diets with carbohydrates. Therefore, from a nutritional point of view, carbohydrates are considered essential in a balanced diet such as Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods.
A Koi’s very first energy requirement is the immediate need for energy to process what they have just been fed. Koi cannot obtain energy from protein or fats fast enough and require the sudden bursts of energy that carbohydrates provide to initiate the breakdown of nutrients in the diet.

The reason for the need of this immediate energy boost for digestion is this; Koi have no stomach, just a gut around 3.5 times the length of its body. So the through put of food is very swift in warmer water temperatures (usually the summer months) and slows as colder temperatures (late fall and winter months) set in.
So however minor, carbohydrate area a required source of energy in Koi diets. Carbohydrates = the Fuel for the start of the digestion process.

VITAMINS – essential for metabolic reactions
Vitamins are required and essential for most metabolic reactions. Deficiency will result in depressed appetite, poor growth, abnormal color, fatty livers, as well as decreased resistance to bacterial infections.

Vitamins are classed as water soluble (e.g. vitamin C and the B-group) and fat soluble (e.g. vitamins A, D, E, and K). Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) for example, aids in the development of bone matrix, blood vessels, wound repairs and other cartilaginous tissues of the body and to increase resistance to pathogenic organisms. Deficiency of Vitamin A in diets will result in, but not limited to, poor growth, light skin color, fin and skin erosions and deformed gill opercula.

Fish from the wild seldom show signs of nutritional diseases. This is due to natural foods are fairly nutritious, especially in the essential growth factors like vitamins and minerals, and the fish’s growth rate is limited to the amount of energy and protein in the natural foods. It is when fish are confined to unnatural conditions, such as Koi ponds and fed supplemental diets to promote fast growth that nutritional deficiency symptoms occur.

As the culture environment deviates from the conventional earthen pond system to more intensive or artificial conditions and the availability of natural food decreases, the nutritional adequacy of the prepared diets become more critical. Ultra Balance Premium Koi foods recognize these critical needs and include the proper balance of vitamins that are essential to maximize the growth and performance of your Koi.
Improper storage will affect the stability of the vitamin content of your Koi food. The stability of vitamins in the diet is affected by external factors such as light, oxidation, moisture, heat and storage time. For example, food which is incorrectly stored or exposed to light will lose its vitamin content more rapidly. In addition, vitamins may be chemically altered, rendering them unavailable to the fish.

Never freeze your Koi foods. This is definitely a no-no. Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods recommends you purchase an amount of food that will be readily used within 60-90 days after opening.

Those who purchase large quantities of food because of the perceived savings are only fooling themselves into thinking that their fish are receiving the full amount of nutrients they just spent good money on.

MINERALS – required for many metabolic processes
Minerals are inorganic substances that are required for many metabolic processes, as well as forming a key part of structural elements such as bone. Minerals are divided into two groups –

Mineral metabolism in fish is osmoregulation, or the maintenance of osmotic balance between body fluids in the fish and the water around the fish. Dietary requirements of minerals will vary from specie to species of fish. An incorrect balance or deficiency of minerals in fish diets will cause poor growth, bone mineralization, deformed vertebrae, deformed head (frontal bone), abnormal calcification of ribs and soft rays of the pectoral fins and curved or abnormal spine.

Ultra Balance Premium Koi foods recognize the different dietary requirements for each species of fish and formulate their diets for Koi to ensure they receive the correct balance of minerals for optimum health and growth.

Even though carotenoids may be considered non-essential in the overall health of your Koi, they are desirable in Koi diets to enhance and bring up their natural colors. However, when added to diets in high percentages, these natural color enhancers may cause discoloring of the whites (shiro) of your beautiful Koi.

High color or Quick color diets are designed for short term use or to be mixed with your Koi’s main staple diet. Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods alleviates the hassle of you having to mix coloring diets to your Koi’s staple foods. Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods include these natural color enhancers at the proper balance and you are able to feed continually year-round, thus maintaining or enhancing your Koi’s beautiful colors.

Bio-Moss® – Original natural solution to intestinal health
Bio-Moss® promotes good bacteria and builds a natural defense against pathogens, thereby maximizing animal performance. Derived from a specific strain of yeast, Bio-Moss feeds the gastrointestinal tract, optimizing your Koi’s performance. It optimizes the balance of digestive bacteria and increases immune function. Scientifically proven and supported by research trials and publications, Ultra Balance Premium Koi foods include Bio-Moss® to support gastrointestinal integrity, health and stability in your Koi.

SUMMARY – 5 Key Nutrients

Look at it this way - the “protein” is the mechanical metal lump of a car engine and all that is required to maintain it. The carbohydrate and lipids are the fuel it burns to make it function. Last but not least, vitamins and minerals are the spark plugs and injectors that make the whole process take place. Oh, and let us not forget, the Carotenoids are the paint that goes on that beautiful running car!

Ultra Balance Premium Koi foods have been available for over 25 years and continue to evolve as new data is obtained through scientific research and development.

Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods are carefully & thoughtfully formulated to provide your Koi with a well-balanced supply of quality protein, energy and other essential nutrients to ensure healthy growth, color and overall performance.

The use of high quality ingredients and the proper balance of the ingredients used to make Ultra Balance Premium Koi foods, along with the state of the art extrusion manufacturing process, means your Koi will receive the maximum quality nutrition that they require at an affordable price.

« HEALTH »« COLOR »« VALUE »

Ultra Balance Premium Koi Foods is manufactured by Star Milling Co., a Certified AFIA Safe Food/Safe Feed manufacturer and Certified BSEFree Facility.

Koi Health and Nutrition

5 Key Nutrients

SUMMARY – 5 Key Nutrients

« HEALTH »« COLOR »« VALUE »