Your thoughts on Blue Ridge fish food, please?

[Gemma]

I'm currently feeding Omega One, but I came across Blue Ridge, and now I'm wondering if it'd be a better choice
https://nextdaykoi.com/koi-fish/fish-food/

 

[DutchMuch]

just so people don't have to look at ingredients on the first option:

Ingredients: fish meal, dehulled soybean meal, wheat middlings, whole wheat, porcine meat meal, ground brown rice, poultry by-product meal, porcine animal fat preserved with BHA, brewers dried yeast, spirulina algae meal (color), pyridoxine hydrochloride, L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate tagetes (Aztec Marigold) extract, canthaxanthin (color) menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K), Vitamin D3 supplement folic acid, natural mixed tocopherols (a preservative), calcium pantothenate, calcium carbonate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, rosemary extract DL-Alpha, tocopheryl acetate, choline chloride, biotin, citric acid, Vitamin A supplement, nicotinic acid, Vitamin B-12 supplement, Zinc Oxide, DL-Methionine, manganous oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite

Guaranteed Analysis: Crude protein not less than 41.00%, Crude fat not less than 7.00%, Crude fiber not more than 5.00%, Phosphorus (P) not less than 1.00%, Ash not more than 12.00%, Calcium not less than 2.00% not more than 3.00%, sodium not more than 0.5%

 

[Gemma]

Good Idea @DutchMuch

Here's what I feed them now:

Wild Alaskan salmon, among other nutritious seafoods, makes up a large part of this formula. Salmon skin contains an extremely high level of natural pigments, which will drastically increase color in koi and other ornamental fish. With fresh kelp and spirulina, Omega One Koi Sticks provide an incredibly nutritious, complete diet.


Pellet Size:
8mm
Ingredients:
Wheat Flour, Whole Salmon, Whole Herring, Whole Shrimp,Wheat Gluten, Wheat Germ, Fresh Kelp, Spirulina, Lecithin, Astaxanthin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Source of Vitamin C),
Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement,Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Folic Acid, Biotin, Inositol, Tocopherol (Preservative),
Ethoxyquin (Preservative).

Guaranteed Analysis:
Min. Crude Protein.….32%
Min. Crude Fat……..…8%
Max. Crude Fiber…….7%
Max. Ash……………..7%
Max. Moisture....…..8.5%
Min. Phosphorus..….(.5%)

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Omega One is a good brand though I was never a fan of the sticks.
Blue Ridge food should also be quality food as they are an old respected fish hatchery and they are likely feeding their hatchery stock one or more of the formulations that they offer much like Black Water fish hatchery.

 

[Faebinder]

Supposedly the highest percentage in the food is the first ingredient... followed by the second etc. If we judge based on ingredients Blue Ridge is better than the Omega One shown above. Just my two cents. I use Omega One occasionally cause it sinks and my dojo loaches are addicted to it. I cant keep feeding them blood worms every day or making solient green every day. My every day food is the Blackwater Creek Max Growth mixed pellets.

Note that the omega one goldfish sinking pellets have Salmon as the number one and not wheat.

 

[Faebinder]

Here

INGREDIENTS: Whole Salmon, Whole Herring, Whole Shrimp, Wheat Flour, Wheat Gluten, Fresh Kelp, Soy Flour, Astaxanthin, L-Ascorbyl-2-Phosphate (Source of Vitamin C), Natural and Artificial Colors, Vitamin A Acetate,Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement,Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Folic Acid, Biotin, Inositol, Tocopherol (Preservative), Ethoxyquin (Preservative).

 

[sissy]

look at black water food much better ingredients .Check out azoo foods also

 

[Gemma]

I chose Omega One, because it was the first out of several foods I tried, that my fish actually liked leaving no food uneaten, and I stopped searching for a better one when I witnessed that some fish started to regain their lost color ( I thought once the color is gone, it is gone for good)
I started with the pellets cause I assumed higher price, meant higher quality, but once the fish started growing and eating more the cost was ridicules!..... so I switched to the sticks ( cheaper )and I was pleased cause they like just as much, but the other day, I learned that Blue Ridge offers Free shipping, so I decided to check with you guys, cause I can read ingredients, but I know nothing about fish nutritional needs

One more Question..I was going to wait till next month and start the new brand with the wheatgerm, witch I usually mix with the regular food towards the end of Summer, and slowly increase until it's just wheatgerm, is that a good time/way to Introduce the new brand to the fish?

Thank you for all your reply!

 

[Gemma]

Omega One is a good brand though I was never a fan of the sticks.
.

May I ask you what don't you like about the sticks?
The pellets I tried were all "sinking", so I turned to sticks because I can enjoy watching the fish up close, and I'm able to see if they eat it all...now I'm wondering if Blue Ridge pellets are sinking or floating

 

[MoonShadows]

I've been using Omega One pellets since Day One. My fish don't give them a chance to sink. They grab them the minute I throw them in and eat every last one.

 

[Gemma]

I've been using Omega One pellets since Day One. My fish don't give them a chance to sink. They grab them the minute I throw them in and eat every last one.

Used to be my choice of food, until my koi got larger and I could only find the large quantity online so add shipping to an already expensive food....I sent a message asking details on the Blue Ridge pellets, shipping is Free now I'm just hoping they're floating

 

[Tula]

I used to feed the fish food sold at our local fish hatchery. Then I decided to try a Spring / Fall food by Black Water, then when I tried to feed the fish hatchery food, the following summer, they thumbed their little fishy noses at it.

Then I tried another food used by our local koi club, then they thumbed their little fishy noses at the Black Water food. Can't tell me, they don't have preferences ! LOL

 

[Meyer Jordan]

May I ask you what don't you like about the sticks?
The pellets I tried were all "sinking", so I turned to sticks because I can enjoy watching the fish up close, and I'm able to see if they eat it all...now I'm wondering if Blue Ridge pellets are sinking or floating

They may be OK for larger fish, but portion size makes a big difference in ease of nutritional intake for smaller fish including fingerlings. Even pellets are made in several sizes for this reason. In addition, even with large adult fish the pellets are usually consumed a lot faster than the sticks.
Most pelleted food is formulated to float. Sinking food is not a readily available and is usually marked as such.
I always preferred sinking food in that it allows Koi (bottom feeders) to eat naturally.

 

[Faebinder]

I don't think this koi gets it. hehehehhe

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I don't think this koi gets it. hehehehhe

That is why in some circles they are referred to as "Pond Pigs"/