Marigold color koi enhancer

[Usman]

Hi i have read marigold contains more than 20 different carotenoids for pigmentation , it can enhance colour or koi , has any one tried or read about it is it proven?

my garden has ending season of these flowers , i tried to feed koi some and they seemed to eat it , can we dry it and feed them all year ?

 

[MoonShadows]

Can't attest to Koi, but I have long used chicken feed with marigolds petals, and my chickens have very dark orange yolks as a result. The fish food that I use in an aquarium also contains marigold extract, and I believe I see an enhancement in color a few weeks after I add a new fish.

 

[Lisak1]

Wow! Interesting question! I never thought to feed my koi marigolds and I grow them by the bushel!

 

[MoonShadows]

Here's an interesting article I just read after I Googled "marigolds to enhance Koi colors". The article mentions marigolds along with other color enhancers.

How do Koi get their colors?
http://smartkoi.com/Science/Science_of_Color/science_of_color.html

 

[Lisak1]

Very interesting! I'm going to add some marigold blossoms to the handful of earthworms I toss in the pond when I work in my gardens!

 

[Lisak1]

I'm going to add - I grow my own marigolds from seed and we use no pesticides or chemical fertilizers of any kind in our gardens or yard. I plant marigolds around my vegetable beds so we want to make sure that the flowers are also from a known source. Bedding plants purchased from garden centers or big box stores may be treated with pesticides so be really careful to know what you plant before you feed them to your fish (or yourself - marigolds are edible!). If you buy your bedding plants be sure to know your source and confirm that they are pesticide free. (This is critical for our pollinator friends as well, by the way!)

 

[Gemma]

Here's an interesting article I just read after I Googled "marigolds to enhance Koi colors". The article mentions marigolds along with other color enhancers.

How do Koi get their colors?
http://smartkoi.com/Science/Science_of_Color/science_of_color.html

Very interesting, thank you for sharing