Welcome to Koi Forum. Is this your first visit? Register
Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion 14crazychris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Surrey
    Posts
    2,112
    Thanks / Likes
    766

    Koi feed alternative idea?

    Hi guys
    Have been a member on here a long time and have always tried to think of new ways to improve the hobby. I am conducting a theoretical business plan for my last year university degree study and could really appreciate some help. I am basically designing and working out the viability of a black soldier fly farm as use for ornamental fish feed/ Koi treats. I just have a few questions below, if you would prefer not to answer on this thread then please pm me. Would really appreciate some help and advice.

    1. Have you heard of black soldier fly larvae before?
    2. How much do you spend on Koi food a year?
    3. How much do you spend on Koi treats a year/ what types?
    4. Would you consider trying out a new insect based alternative?

    Any further input or help/suggestions would be really helpful. Any further questions welcome!
    Cheers Chris


    YouTube- https://youtube.com/c/FancyGoldfishFanatics
    High end goldfish collector

  2. Thanks john1, JohnS, anne Thanked / Liked this Post
  3. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by 14crazychris View Post
    Hi guys
    Have been a member on here a long time and have always tried to think of new ways to improve the hobby. I am conducting a theoretical business plan for my last year university degree study and could really appreciate some help. I am basically designing and working out the viability of a black soldier fly farm as use for ornamental fish feed/ Koi treats. I just have a few questions below, if you would prefer not to answer on this thread then please pm me. Would really appreciate some help and advice.

    1. Have you heard of black soldier fly larvae before?
    2. How much do you spend on Koi food a year?
    3. How much do you spend on Koi treats a year/ what types?
    4. Would you consider trying out a new insect based alternative?

    Any further input or help/suggestions would be really helpful. Any further questions welcome!
    Cheers Chris
    Never heard of soldier blackfly larva, not sure how much I've spent on food, don't want to know lol, there would be lots to consider if a change was proposed.

    John

    Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

  4. Thanks john1, anne, 14crazychris Thanked / Liked this Post
  5. #3
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion john1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    N.Wales.
    Posts
    8,700
    Thanks / Likes
    15243
    Quote Originally Posted by 14crazychris View Post
    Hi guys
    Have been a member on here a long time and have always tried to think of new ways to improve the hobby. I am conducting a theoretical business plan for my last year university degree study and could really appreciate some help. I am basically designing and working out the viability of a black soldier fly farm as use for ornamental fish feed/ Koi treats. I just have a few questions below, if you would prefer not to answer on this thread then please pm me. Would really appreciate some help and advice.

    1. Have you heard of black soldier fly larvae before?
    2. How much do you spend on Koi food a year?
    3. How much do you spend on Koi treats a year/ what types?
    4. Would you consider trying out a new insect based alternative?

    Any further input or help/suggestions would be really helpful. Any further questions welcome!
    Cheers Chris
    Hi Chris,
    1. yes.
    2. £90.00.
    3.£60,brown bread,mealworm,mussels,shrimp,silkworm.
    4.Would consider it if high protein,but dont know much about the black soldier fly.

    Good luck in your venture Chris,i like to see someone ambitious.
    John

  6. Thanks JohnS, anne, 14crazychris Thanked / Liked this Post
  7. #4
    Hi Chris.
    1. never heard of them.
    2. This year about £120
    3. about £50
    4. As above if there were any additional benefits I would consider.

    And to echo John's sentiments. Good luck

  8. Thanks john1, 14crazychris Thanked / Liked this Post
  9. #5
    Member Rank = Nisai Jasec's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Wiltshire
    Posts
    52
    Thanks / Likes
    61
    Hi Chris
    Answer to your questions
    1 No
    2 £100 approx
    3 £30 mainly silkworm pupae also shrimps. Did try egg fly'd lice but found it very dusty, not sure what benefit it had on the koi. They did eat it though.
    4 depends on the nutritional aspect and what benefits you get out of them.

  10. Thanks 14crazychris, john1 Thanked / Liked this Post
  11. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion pip895's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Nr Farnham, Surrey
    Posts
    2,069
    Thanks / Likes
    831
    1 No unless they are the same as black fly larva
    2. £280
    3. £0
    4. Depends on cost
    6000g in ground koi pond
    +3000g lily/Anoxic pond attached
    29 koi (40 to 65cm)
    Bottom drain, Mid water & Skimmer to Drum
    JBR boichamber->Blue eco 500 pump ->below surface return.
    Blue Eco 240 -> Large MB -> Waterfall -> Planted Anoxic pond (25 baskets)

  12. Thanks 14crazychris, john1 Thanked / Liked this Post
  13. #7
    Member Rank = Sansai Mirza's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Tuzla,Bosnia and Herzegovina
    Posts
    94
    Thanks / Likes
    98
    1. No
    2. £100
    3.
    £0
    4.
    Depends on cost

  14. Thanks 14crazychris, john1 Thanked / Liked this Post
  15. #8
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Nanasai Fishplanetkoi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Suffolk
    Posts
    691
    Thanks / Likes
    858
    Have seen them before, they are a flat type of maggot, and I think very high protein so maybe not a complete substitute for pellet food, more a koi treat. They are available as a freeze dried fish and reptile food.

    2. Around £400 (too much)
    3. Probably £50-£70 on various treats ( only a guess)
    4 Would feed as an additional treat

  16. Thanks 14crazychris, john1 Thanked / Liked this Post
  17. #9
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    South East
    Posts
    5,935
    Thanks / Likes
    13161
    Here's an article about black soldier fly being used as food in uk fish farms.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environm...armed-creature


    Looking at the price of this, you'd need a hell of a lot to make a decent profit (I read it as 300 grams for £5.99 but hard to be certain because they've stolen the advert wording from Aquacadabra!

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-x-Fluva...YAAOSwmOZbiB3O


    1. Yes, but only through reading the Guardian article above. Not thought beyond that.

    2. First Year keeping Koi (April). Around £140 so far to feed 8 Tosai.

    3. Harvest live food for free. Frozen mussels, £2.20 per 500 gram bag from Asda....1 bag every 4 - 6 weeks. Also Dried mealworm - Spent £1 on 2x 90 gram bags. in June, have around 20 grams left.

    4. Would definitely consider buying if in the same price range as the treats mentioned above.

    4a) If its in really fancy packaging with lots of statements about how it will make my Koi amazing, and Koi Dealers swear by it and constantly recommend it as a health treat to enhance X,Y and Z I might stretch to £8 for 500 grams.

    4b)
    If its in quality sealed packaging with lots of statements about how it will make my Koi amazing, and Koi Dealers recommend it as a main daily food source for growth/colour/vitality (delete as appropriate) I might try out a bag at say £35 for 2kg.

    4c) If it was sold in a fine powder type format that didn't cloud water etc I'd definitely keep some handy for feeding fry when the brineshrimp "factory" is out of sync.

  18. Thanks 14crazychris, john1 Thanked / Liked this Post
  19. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Mature Champion 14crazychris's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Surrey
    Posts
    2,112
    Thanks / Likes
    766
    Hi everyone
    Thank you very much for the responses! This is really really helpful information and some great ideas! Any other answers to the above questions would be greatly appreciated.
    Cheers Chris


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    YouTube- https://youtube.com/c/FancyGoldfishFanatics
    High end goldfish collector

  20. Thanks john1 Thanked / Liked this Post
  21. #11
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    6,653
    Thanks / Likes
    5635
    1. Have you heard of black soldier fly larvae before? No.
    2. How much do you spend on Koi food a year? Approx £450
    3. How much do you spend on Koi treats a year/ what types? Probably around £35 for a few lettuces, water melon, and a few silk worm pupae and meal worms. Tend to buy these at show offer prices, and give them my organic veg box salad if I am not going to be able to eat it before its past it's best.
    4. Would you consider trying out a new insect based alternative? As a treat yes, but not as part of their balanced diet I am trying to feed most of the year. I restrict high protein feeds to the months where pond temps are over 22C, so mainly June-September.

 

 

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:32 AM. Online Koi Mag Forum
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3
Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

vBulletin Improved By vBFoster® (Lite Version), © UltimateScheme, Ltd.