Denise Winslow's blog

Imagine over 780,000 years ago our ancestors, the genus homo, was cooking the ancestors of our koi over fires in Israel.  In this fascinating research these scientists have found the first evidence "that the fish from the archaeological horizons of Area B had been cooked and consumed on site. This is the earliest evidence of cooking by hominins." I hope you take the time to read this wonder research and marvel at the amzing work that gives us a look into the past.
 

Kudos to all of you who keep your ponds healthy, and invite the critters of mother nature to find a welcome home in your yard. For those who realize those dragon flies are monster mosquito killers and smile as a new bird drops in for a sip of water, thank you. In this short article by Lucy Towers, she shares the difference our ponds make to the biodiversity of our neighborhoods.  
 

The aqua feed industry is ever changing and as koi hobbyists we are affected, mostly by the changes in the ingredients in koi feed, we often try to follow the trends. Here is a voice in the aquaculture industry speaking out for transparency in the feed manufacturing sector for those who raise fish for a living. Koi Organization International does not take a position on this or other policies of the aquaculture industry, but it is fair to say, that we like other consumers would benefit from clearly understanding the ingredients in our feed that we give our koi.
 

This short article and research shows how the food chain incorporates nanoplastics to the fish we eat and the fish we admire. This short story tells the troubling proof about the food chain bringing unwanted plastic to our food. 
 

A very good article written by Valentin Thepo’t, a recent PhD student in Aquaculture who looks to identify the potential of aquafeeds and the field's sustainability. This will of course have a direct impact on the feed we serve our koi in the future. 
 
"The aquaculture industry must continue in its quest to become more sustainable, with greater use of seaweeds in aquafeeds and production of herbivorous fish among two of the most promising avenues to achieve this."
 

This is a very interesting article about the quality of oil used in fish feed. The authors state "We investigated how diet composition influences the retention and subsequently FA composition of polar and neutral lipids in several tissues of farm-raised common carp; i.e., dorsal muscle, ventral muscle, liver, heart, kidney, eyes, intestine and adipose tissue."  In other words, what did the different oils do to the fish? Since carp are consumed in many parts of the world, did those ingredients change the fish.  A fascinating study. 
 

Abstract

In the aquaculture industry, there is the never-ending quest for replacement ingredients for fish feed. In this study they are looking Spirulina as a replacement for fishmeal, which is more expensive. What did the study find out: yes that adding Spirulina does help with the grow out of young fish.  But the weakness of the study is that the study is only a 12 week study. 
 

This is a simple overview of fish nutrition that gives the basics of what should be in fish feed. 
 
"Fish need energy to maintain basic metabolic activities and to support growth, reproduction, activity, and health. Proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (the macronutrients) provide this energy and also some essential nutrients. Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) do not contain calories but are also required for good performance."
 
 

Some of use may have put have put koi in our bathtubs in an emergency, but how about carp to keep alive until our Christmas feast?
 
"Picture the Czech idyll. It’s the evening of 24 December, and one’s immediate family are sitting down to the Christmas Eve meal, the highlight of the festive season. 
In the days beforehand, you would have visited one of the thousands of carp sellers that line the streets of the country. 
For the traditionally minded, you would have bought your carp alive and kept it in the bathtub until 24 December."
 

A horrible, senseless act. 
 
"MIAMI -- A South Florida man is facing nearly two dozen charges of animal cruelty after he allegedly poured a lethal compound of chemicals into an Aventura Mall pond, resulting in the death of over 20 koi fish, according to court documents."
 
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/south-florida-man-charged-with-animal...