Koi fish are omnivorous and can eat a wide variety of foods. Wild koi fish can consume animal-based foods such as midge larvae, snails, shrimp, and aquatic insects. They can also eat plant-based foods, such as the seeds, tender shoots, and plant debris of aquatic plants. When farming koi fish, there are many types of food they can be fed, including small fish, small shrimp, earthworms, various terrestrial insects, aquatic insects, vegetables, fruits, corn, wheat, and more. Artificial fish food can also be fed to koi.
1. What Do Koi Fish Eat?
Koi fish are omnivores and are not picky eaters, meaning they can eat a wide range of foods. Generally, koi fish prefer meat, i.e., animal-based food. They will also eat plant-based food, although less frequently. Wild koi fish consume a variety of animals, with common ones including midge larvae, snails, shrimp, and various aquatic insects. These are considered the main food sources and the most frequently eaten by koi. In addition, they also eat some plants, with common foods being seeds and tender shoots of aquatic plants, or plant debris scattered in the water.
When farming koi fish, the food options expand further. Animal-based foods can still be their primary diet, such as small fish, small shrimp, and earthworms. They will also consume various terrestrial insects like dragonflies, flies, locusts, etc., and aquatic insects like bloodworms. In terms of plant-based foods, vegetables, fruits, corn, wheat, and rice are all suitable. Finally, koi fish also enjoy eating artificial fish food.
2. Can Koi Fish Eat Cornmeal?
As mentioned earlier, koi fish are omnivores and can eat various types of food, and they are not picky. Cornmeal is one of these important foods. You can mix cornmeal with water to form a dough, which can then be fed to koi fish. When feeding koi fish, you can break the dough into small pieces and feed it to them. Additionally, you can add sweet substances like honey during the process of making the cornmeal dough, which is also a good option for feeding koi. This method can also be used when fishing for koi. Besides cornmeal, koi fish also enjoy corn kernels, so this can be considered as another option when feeding them.
