Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery Growth Formula Fish Food, 14 lb, 3/16" pellets

This koi fish food fills a 14 lb (6.35 kg) bag with 3/16-inch pellets that float, mixed in large and mini sizes within the same formula. It is intended for koi and goldfish in a pond, where the manufacturer ties feeding to water temperature. The bag measures 30.5 x 30.5 x 38.1 cm, and the formula carries a minimum crude protein of 36.00%.

What the pellets do once they hit the water

Each bag combines large and mini 3/16-inch pellets in a single formula, so the mix reaches fish of different sizes at the surface. Because the pellets float, you can watch how much is eaten and lift off what is left for portion control. They also soften within minutes, which changes the texture a fish takes in after the first bite.

• The pellets float, so the feeding response can be seen at the surface.
• They soften within minutes of going into the water.
• Large and mini pellets share one 14 lb bag.
• The formula is a floating blend sold under the Growth Formula name.

Protein and the ingredient list behind the 3/16-inch pellets

The blend lists crude protein at not less than 36.00%, crude fat at not less than 6.00%, crude fiber at not more than 5.00%, phosphorus at not less than 0.75% and ash at not more than 8.50%. Vitamins, minerals and brewer's yeast are part of the mix, and the ingredient declaration names menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate, DL-methionine, folic acid, cholecalciferol, biotin and sodium selenite. The manufacturer formulates this food for active growth when pond water sits above 65°F.

How much of the 14 lb bag should go in the pond?

How often should I feed it?

Above 65°F the direction is 1 to 3 times daily, and between 50 and 65°F the food is given once a day.

How much food goes in at one feeding?

Offer only as much as the fish clear in about 5 minutes.

Can I keep feeding when the water gets cold?

Below 50°F the manufacturer says to stop feeding altogether, and the recommended switch as water cools toward 50°F is the Blue Ridge Cool Water Wheat Formula in its 5 lb size.

What size are the pellets?

The pellets measure 3/16 inch, and the bag holds both large and mini pellets in that formula.

Does this food suit your pond and your fish?

Check the water temperature before you open the bag: this food is intended for ponds above 65°F and changed out for the Cool Water Wheat Formula as the water drops toward 50°F, with feeding stopped below that mark. One bag weighs 6.35 kg (14 lb) and measures 30.5 x 30.5 x 38.1 cm, which calls for dry storage space of that size.

Several reviewers mention brighter colouring in their fish.