Koi Hacienda

Saki Hikari – high quality koi food

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Saki Hikari – at last we got it !

Saki Hikari a high quality koi food – used by major Japanese breeders and owners who want the best for their koi.

The company states that its flagship product is due to the combination of many years of experience and research, high quality ingredients, impressive technology and strict control on the production process.

We offer the full range:

  • Saki Hikari Balance (daily use), for further information click here.
  • Saki Hikari Multi Season (low temperature), for further information click here.
  • Saki Hikari Color Enhancing (improving colors), for further information click here.
  • Saki Hikari Growth (accelerates growth), for further information click here.
  • Saki Hikari Pure White (to improve the white), for further information click here.
  • Saki Hikari Deep Red (to improve the red), for further information click here.

But it is not just “fame” … the company efficiently demonstrates the qualities. In fact, Saki Hikari is the food for the Grand Champions “All Japan Nishikigoi Show” (= the most important in the world) over the last seven (!!!) years.

It is very interesting to see what kind of food they give their promising koi and when:

Saki Hikari

Koi Hacienda: Saki Hikari feeding planning for champion koi

  • 6 months before the Show: Saki Hikari Balance, Color Enhancing, Growth o Multi Season
  • 4 months before the Show: Saki Hikari Deep Red con Balance y / o Growth
  • 2 months before the Show: Saki Hikari Deep Red con Color Enhancing
  • 2-4 weeks before the Show: Saki Hikari Deep White

The most significant issue is the so called “Hikari Germ”:

Hikari Germ

Koi Hacienda: Advantages of the Hikari Germ

“Hikari Germ” is a strain of Bacillus bacteria that once provided, proliferates itself into the intestine koi. Improves intestinal flora and thus helps the digestion of food. Thus there are several important advantages:

a) the digestion process is easier so the koi has more energy

b) the food is better absorbed and so the important ingredients can actually reach the body

c) the better the food is absorbed, the less waste is left in the water, less work for the filter, improved water quality, better health for koi

Saki Hikari

with Saki Hikari

Saki Hikari

with other food

Saki Hikari

sludge results

 

 

The experiment lasted 18 days during which 30 koi of less than a year received an amount of food equivalent to 2% of its own weight.

Also with regard to the growth of koi, studies have been made with very significant results:

 

Saki Hikari Growth

Saki Hikari: Excellent food to accelerate growth

 

Since they have done so pretty and very visual, I leave here the link of Saki Hikari with basic instructions to give food.

The important note is at the end of the article: No overfeeding. Better less than too much.  And – from a water temperature of 5 ° C – Do not feed. NOTHING. (In more temperate zones, you can apply this rule also between 9 ° C and 12 ° C).

To close the chapter: Our enthusiasm concerning finally gotten Hikari products … Those who have used themselves Hikari products probably experienced the difficulty of receiving them regularly. There is only one company in Spain that has the right to import Hikari (BCN Tropicalfish). With them we are in contact for years. We already received Hikari Staples and Hikari Gold, but Saki Hikari was rejected. The container was not accepted.

So we had to do a big detour to import this product through France … it is now available in our online shop. 

Those who have subscribed to our newsletter will receive a discount of 15% in 15 kg bags of Saki Hikari until stocks are finished.

 

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alimentacion koi

Feeding koi – crucial for the development of your koi

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Feeding koi – an essential chapter if you want to have good koi. 

As for people, feeding the koi has two main functions:

  • source of power
  • source of growth

As for individuals, the quality of food is essential. But while human are not concerned too much about our excrement, we are very interested in the one of our koi, because it might mean more work or even filtration problems, poor water quality and consequently sick koi. 

 

alimentacion koi

Feeding koi – a very well developed koi

 

A diet of poor quality (e.g. those sold in garden centres that look like colorful worms, but if you crush them, then you have nothing than a light powder) is manifested not only in the discomfort of koi, but also prevent good growth and have immediate consequences for the filtration system (which in turn characterizes the quality of water, the habitat of the koi).

 

In nature we see that the koi are omnivores, meaning their diet consists of both plant parts (approx. 70%) and animals parts (approx. 30%). In their natural habitat you will notice that they are constantly with the nose in the mud – translated: they eat all day. That is because the fish have no stomach and all the work is done in the intestines. Therefore it is more convenient to give the koi to eat several times (5-7) per day, instead of once lots of it.

 

The easiest way to find the right amount is a very simple rule: the quantity they can eat within 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes there is still food floating, you know that the next time you should give them less.

 

But we would also like to provide you the scientific formula to calculate the optimum amount of feed:
1% of body weight for nutrition of the koi
2% of body weight when the koi are still growing

 

For instance:

5 x 1,4 (obtenido de 2% de 70 gramos por koi) = 7g
4 x 5 (obtenido de 2% de 250 gramos por koi) = 20g
2 x 20 (tenido de 2% de 1000 gramos por koi) = 40g

67g por día (repartido en 5 veces en verano), así que un cubo de 4 kg de pienso debería bastar para unos 2 meses.

5 Tosai (1 year) approx. 15 cm approximately 70 grams each
4 nisai (2 years) of approx. 25 cm approximately 250 grams each
2 sansai (3 years) of approx. 40 cm about 1000 grams each 

 

5 × 1.4 (calculating 2% of 70 grams per koi) = 7g
4 x 5 (calculating 2% of 250 grams per koi)= 20g
2 x 20 (calculating 2% of 1000 grams per koi)= 40g

 

This makes 67g a day for which a bucket of 4 kg feed should be enough for about 2 months.

 

alimentacion koi

Feeding koi: a special relationship between koi and human

 

Los koi son peces de de agua fría y su metabolismo (y por lo tanto también su digestión) se regulariza según la temperatura del agua. Es decir: en verano, los koi son más activos y necesitarán más alimento y un alimento más potente.

 

For people who can not feed several times a day, there are automatic feeder that can be scheduled various times of the day and it has many other advantages, too.

 

If a koi does not eat regularly, it is a signal and should be observed for a while. It may simply have “a bad day”. But it can also be an indication of disease.

 

Koi are cold water fish and their metabolism (and therefore also their digestion) is regularized by the water temperature. This means, in summer, koi are more active and need more food and a more powerful food.

 

In winter, koi are less active and require less food and in a different composition (less fat). When the water temperature is less than 8 degrees, you should stop feeding them. In areas where the water temperature is always above 8, you should choose the coldest period to stop feeding them for at least 2-3 weeks (depending on the size of the koi) and thus enable them to live their natural bio rhythm. This time of fasting will help them to lose body fat and possible excess of eggs. 

 

alimentacion koi

Feeding koi: different sizes of pellets

 

 Food ingredients and their contributions:

 

  • Proteins: cell regeneration, muscle development (there are proteins of animal and vegetable origin)
  • Carbohydrates: energy source (the cheapest of the food ingredients, usually soybean meal)
  • Fats: energy source, important for creating hormones
  • Fibers: aid digestion and stimulate the intestinal tract
  • Vitamins: growth resistance (water soluble B, C; soluble A, D, K, E)
  • Minerals (specially iodine) and spores (specially algae): oxygen transport, growth
  • Ashes: no nutritional value
  • Pigments: carotene, astaxanthin

 

Attention ! Pigments often contain a lot of spirulina that is usually given to improve the color of koi. Using it too often can stain your koi pink !!! Best give it only in summer in combination with summer food.

 

Feeding koi is a very important chapter and should be studied carefully. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

 

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Koi Hacienda

Koi Hacienda about Koi Hacienda

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No. 

This title is not a bad translation.

I did it on purpose. According to the motto of Conde Zedtwitz “Do good and talk about it.”

But – honestly – it is hard. 

It is hard to write good things about yourself. Because it is immediately and automatically associated with “arrogant”, “conceited” and “stuck up”.

On the other hand … it’s really depressing to see that it is so much easier to describe our flaws and point out what we can not.

So … I try balancing on a tightrope: speak well of us without praise, but based on data and facts.

Koi Hacienda

Koi Hacienda – selecting koi in Japan, February 2015

Each year, the number of imported koi by Koi Hacienda is higher. Thanks to you, we are able to buy more koi and with this we are able to reduce the fixed costs of import, which result in cheaper sales prices.

With our new website we have achieved greater presence on the Internet. If you Google “koi online Spain” or “koi Marbella” – Koi Hacienda is in first place.

Koi Hacienda

Koi Hacienda – searching “koi online spain”

Koi Hacienda

Koi Hacienda – searching “koi marbella”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next year, Koi Hacienda will be 10 years.

10 years of existence.

10 years experience in Spain (and over 20 years experience in the world of koi in general).

10 years selecting the best koi in Japan for you.

We are already preparing surprises and gifts for this special year.

 

Koi Hacienda

Koi Hacienda: 2006 – 2016

 

All the above are only steps to reach our main goal: promoting Japanese koi in Spain.

Promoting for us does not only mean that people who have never heard or seen a koi, known now that it is a colorful carp. 

Promoting for Koi Hacienda means above all sharing knowledge.

Explaining  why a “big puddle” is not a suitable habitat for koi and what you should do to enjoy from the beginning for healthy and well growing koi (instead of having water problems, algae, sick fish, being fed up with cleaning filters etc.)

We would like to help understand the difference between a cheap koi from the garden centre and original from Japan.

Koi Hacienda

Koi Hacienda with Ikarashi, Chogoro y Yamajyu (from left to right)

In the near future, I will write a more extensive article about “Koi from Japan – Why them and not XY”.

Thank you to all the clients who are with us for so many years

and the ones who have joined us this year.

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