On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:43:14 -0600, Zëbulon
wrote:
"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Zëbulon wrote:
No Jan. I will *not* take offense if a food your fish thrived on left me
with several hundred undersized fry. It just proves to me one more time
how
unreliable (and sometimes deadly) *research* can be and often is.
Undersized by what standard?
The standard of the usual size of my young koi in the fall. These are at
least 1 to 1 1/2" (or more) shorter in length and much thinner then they
should be. One already died this morning. We just had a deep freeze here
for a few days. Today it's in the 60s. They're not carrying enough weight
to get through the winter. I expect we'll lose most of them. I assure you
Derek, next year they'll be back on Catfish and Trout chow mixed with a few
handfuls of puppy and kitten chow as treats.
One of the oft-stated problems with catfish & trout food is that it is
designed to cause a fish to put on weight as fast as possible, so that it
can be harvested as fast as possible.
Yes, I know. I read the recommended site. The young koi for the past few
years would be salable size for the spring when the local stores want them.
These actually look puny and almost stunted. Some have a head that looks
too big for their bodies. They should be a good 4" to 4 1/2" long now and
of good weight. Nicely fleshed, carrying reserves for winter. Of course
some would be smaller and some larger. The adults and yearlings did ok
although they're slimmer this winter than usual. I think they have enough
weight to carry them through until spring. Feeding starts here sometime in
April, depending on the weather.
Koi are not intended for harvesting. Your comparisons, while qualifying
as
research, are not well-designed research.
I'm not calling it research Derek. I said what works for some people may
not for another DESPITE what research shows. The conditions here at my
house are probably not the same as those in a laboratory or research
facility.
Koi have life spans up to a
century. If the ones fed on high-priced food live an average of 80 years,
and the ones fed on catfish chow average only 20 years, then it's not as
good - but it'll be a long time before you can show your catfish chow is
as
good as high-priced food for the long term.
As good? Let's put it this way - I got a much better rate of growth in my
fry with it, under my conditions, and in my climate and in my water, with
my filters and pumps. Perhaps others don't mind keeping slow growing fry
for 2 years to salable age but that means twice the tanks, filters,
etc...... there goes any profit and it would be a lot more work. Profit
is used to sustain the hobby.
Derek, I'm over 60 and not worried about my koi living to be 80 years old.
Even if they reach 20 years they'll probably outlive me. ;-) Plus as I
find those "special fry" in the tubs, I sell off a few adults and replace
them with younger fish so there's a turnover. These are not show-fish so I
doubt any will even be here for 20 years. The oldest are 7 or 8 years old
So yur fish do not mean a thing to you then. you care nothing about
their proper keeping......Yur fish are all inbreeds and that alone
makes a difference. Or perhaps its after effects of being fed such
cheap crappy rations is now starting to show its merits, yet yur too
stupid to realize it CArol.
now.
--
ZB....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*
-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!