quality refers to both protein, fat and source of food (water based) and that the
overall balance of nutrients are specific for fish (not cats, dogs, birds, etc).
that digestibility is specific for fish, not other animals.
Ahhhh... that is the other part of the equation. Feed only as much as can be
digested and USED by the fish.. that is the nitrogen is used to make proteins in the
fish.. not pooped out because it was so embedded in a huge quantity, or in so much
roughage and undigestible matter that it cannot be extracted in that "short trip"
down the koi gut. you are right, they have short intestines... but, in the wild they
have one of the highest food to mass conversions of all animals.. something like 2
lbs food to 1 lb muscle. one reason they dont NEED so much food, and definitely not
much food at a time. cycle bacteria cycle thru to nitrates, which they cannot use.
it is only anaerobic bacteria that can take nitrates and release as free nitrogen.
altho plants use nitrates very well. Ingrid

Offbreed wrote:
I'm confused. Doesn't "high quality" usually mean "high protein"?
Isn't protein high in nitrogen?
Seems to me that
feeding better food would actually increase the pollution problem,
even if the quantity was reduced, due to the fish having such a short
intestine (low food conversion efficiency).

Of course, a "lower" quality food would have a higher roughage content
and produce a different problem to be cleaned up. OTOH, bacteria
attacking the undigested roughage should bind nitrogen, and reduce the
nitrate problem, wouldn't it?



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