Thread: Is it really worth switching between saki hiakri products?

Well colour food does not suit all varieties.

So... with the Saki colour difference only being the spirulina, if colour food does not suit all varieties this must mean that it must be the spirulina which is the reason for this?


I'm not trying to be pedantic by the way, i'm just genuinely struggling to understand why there is so much thought about when/where/how much to switch between these products when the difference is actually hardly anything.

Some of the top dealers/growers in the country have explanations of when/how they switch between saki products and i'm struggling to believe they haven't taken 5 seconds to look and compare the labels so i'm sure there is something i'm missing but i'm struggling to work out what it is?

Originally Posted by deanpigg

So... with the Saki colour difference only being the spirulina, if colour food does not suit all varieties this must mean that it must be the spirulina which is the reason for this?


I'm not trying to be pedantic by the way, i'm just genuinely struggling to understand why there is so much thought about when/where/how much to switch between these products when the difference is actually hardly anything.

Some of the top dealers/growers in the country have explanations of when/how they switch between saki products and i'm struggling to believe they haven't taken 5 seconds to look and compare the labels so i'm sure there is something i'm missing but i'm struggling to work out what it is?

What temperature does your pond usually sit at? Are you heated?

I think of it as - if the environment/generics allow the fish to grow/colourise then I see it as the food is simply providing a source. Some fish will have the genetics to take more to grow or to enhance colour (or even overdose on colour).

What I was thinking is of blending next year with a set of feeds.

The biggest reason i've noticed is either water temperature, or growth in smaller koi.
I fed saki growth,balance and colour all last year, and the year before when the koi were nisai to sansai.
but the koi are all getting older now and i don't think growth is very well suited to koi's digestion as they get older.
and prefer to feed saki balance, colour, and hikari wheatgerm now.
though i alter the mix ratio dependant on water temperature
but balance can be fed sparingly down to 11C

the temperature gradient for feeding saki and hikari foods is in this chart from thier website.

I get the question as there is such little difference between the different versions.

Its quite easy to make your own colour food. Buy whatever food you want, whether that's staple, balance etc, then buy a pack of spirulina powder (I got mine from Holland and barrat - it's human grade stuff). Then just pour the powder over the pellets and give it a good shake.

When I did this I was concerned that the powder would wash off the pellets as soon as they hit the water. But it actually stays stuck to the pellets in the water for or at least 5 mins, by which time they should've all been gobbled

Try it. It works, and it's much cheaper than paying extra for colour food.

Sent from my Pixel 8 using Tapatalk

Is it worth adding white colourant food to a mix? Obviously normal colourant adds colour but often that's at a detriment of lighter colours.

Is there a food to enhance white? I thought colour food increased the yellow colour element on white skin (along with desirable effects like helping the red colour), and simply cutting out the colour food rectified that to bring the white back?
Or have I just misunderstood,?

other retailers are available - https://www.absolute-koi.com/saki-hi...hite-koi-food/

...yeah, so pretty much just cuts the colour food out, plus some good marketing with the Japanese pickled apricots. Lol

Originally Posted by Alburglar

...yeah, so pretty much just cuts the colour food out, plus some good marketing with the Japanese pickled apricots. Lol

grown on the flood plains of Fukushima, no less..

Got to be worth the £115 for 5kg!

Originally Posted by Alburglar

Is there a food to enhance white? I thought colour food increased the yellow colour element on white skin (along with desirable effects like helping the red colour), and simply cutting out the colour food rectified that to bring the white back?
Or have I just misunderstood,?

Relevant: A quote borrowed from Syd/Manky Sanke,
"Nitrate should be kept to the minimum possible value anyway; Takayuki Izeki, wrote about his research for the ZNA into the effect of nitrate on the shiroji (white) of kohaku. He found that the maximum acceptable level of nitrate for koi keeping should be 15 mg/L, saying: "anything more than this and the skin gradually begins to deteriorate but will improve again if the concentration is reduced."

.
Not wanting to show Koi or get any deeper into the hobby than being an enthusiast and looking to try and provide the best environment for my koi on my budget.
I used to feed Saki multi-season all year round, supplemented with treats such as prawns, crabsticks watermelon etc in the warmer months.
This seemed to work well, the koi loved the multi-season and treats and had generally good health and growth etc.
I'm not saying that adding/changing to different varieties through the season wouldn't have given extra benefits ie .improved colour and better growth rates etc,
but it made my keeping a little easier not having to changes things about through the different seasons.

Originally Posted by davethefish1

i know lots knock multi season...
but as a maintenance diet it's got a lot going for it.
good digestability, supports colouration, low waste, and has the pro biotic to aid assimilation of nutrients.
nice to hear from you again ruffers

Thanks, Dave,
We've had a lot on our plate since moving house 18 months ago. I'm finally getting around to thinking about another pond.
Mind you, it's still just in the thinking stage, not at the planning part yet.
2 years on from closing my last pond, I'm sure there are lots of new pond building and Koi keeping technologies to read up on before I even put a spade in the ground.

Sent from my SM-F946B using Tapatalk