On Wed, 25 May 2005 20:48:31 GMT, "George"
wrote:

snip
===Fish food bought at pet shops generally cost more per pound than a pound of
===Sirloin steak at a grocery store (especially marine fish food). This is
===especially obcene when you consider that much of the product that goes into
===it is by and large the leftovers from animal rendering plants and grain
===processing plants with a little bit of choline chloride thrown in for good
===measure (a product which the company my brother works for makes in huge
===quantities for pennies for animal feed). Having said that, some stores
===understand how obcenely expensive these products are. I frequent a garden
===pond shop that is located about 5 miles from my home. They sell a generic
===food that they buy in bulk and sell for about $1.99 for one pound bags, and
===they still make a profit from it. Many farmers supply stores sell pond
===fish food to farmers in bulk for far less than that per pound. Those who
===say that Koi have special nutritional needs might think about what they are
===paying for that little extra amount of nutition, which I have no doubt adds
===little value to their food. If you are concerned about what your fish eat,
===you can always suppliment their diet with inexpensive natural foods that
===are likely to be much better for them in the long fun. I have found that
===when I feed my catfish his generic food, the Koi prefer it to their own
===food (which is also generic), and will play a game of cat and mouse with
===the catfish just for the chance to get a morsel or two of the catfish food.
===I have yet to loose a single fish because of their diet.
===
Been feeding a local prepared POnd Fish food now for years that a
local mill here makes for under $10.00 for 50# sack and my koi, GF and
catfish are all grwoing just fine......I have them in a natural pond
so they are supplementing foods with what they find there, but if it
was for me having to pay for KOI food, I seriously doubt I would pay
the kind of money they ask for it. Kaytee makes a good premium feed,
which is about $18.00 for 10# and is available at Petsmart, which is
not too bad pricewise when you consider what other brands with equal
ingredients cost. Often times they have it on sale and then I pick up
a few bags but mine eat the local feed as readily as koi feed, so its
more just to satisfy my own self they are getting what they
"should-hopefully" be getting in regards to nourishment.


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Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!

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