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Ponds & Aquatic Plants

Where to buy Aqua Max Trout Chow near Seattle?

eric_in_west_seattle

16 years ago

I used to buy this at Kirk's Feed in Burien. It is now Hayes Feed and they are total flakes and didn't have any. They said they'd order me some but didn't. I am hesitant to go back there.

Can anyone recommend a source near or in Seattle for small pellets. I fed this to my goldfish for several years with good results. Price is right. I recently paid about $30 for 5 lbs of koi food, and that wasn't the expensive stuff.

Thanks,

ERIC

in W. Seattle

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Comments (11)

ccoombs1
16 years ago
trout chow is formulated for trout...not koi and goldies. It is not a healthy diet, causing fat to accumulate internally. It is also harder on your bio-filters. You don't need to spend $30 for 5 pounds of food in order to get decent koi food. Check Azoo or blackwater creek koi foods sold by Aquatic eco systems. They are economical and still formulated for koi.

Here is a link that might be useful: aquatic eco systems koi food
bugsb
16 years ago
I changed to Aqua Max on April 3rd. My fish love it. It doesn't bother my filters and I love the price. I don't see how it could bother your filters unless you are over feeding. I feed just enough for them to eat in a five minute period. It is a floating food so it is easy to monitor. I suppose if you are a Koi person you might want to feed differently but I have goldfish, crawdads and turtles and all are happy campers with this food.

Here is a link that might be useful: My pond the way it was before the freeze.
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ccoombs1
16 years ago
ok....forgive the following rant....but I just have to do it. LOL.

Trout and catfish food are formulated to be as cheap as possible, to put on weight as quickly as possible so that the fish can be harvested as soon as possible. Overall longterm health of the fish is not in question, since this food is not meant to be fed long term. The primary ingredient is corn. Koi and goldfish cannot properly digest corn, so much of it is a filler....and ends up in the filters as waste. Corn that is digested is almost pure starch, leading to fatty liver disease and obesity. Corn also can be a source of fungal toxins. If you are interested in the long term health of your pets, feed them a proper diet. Sure....they will live for years on a crappy diet, just as your dog would if you fed him only chicken food. He would probably live for years on chicken chow. but would thrive long-term on it? Not very likely....it is the wrong diet for the wrong purpose.

OK...rant over.
bugsb
16 years ago
I will give in and change my ways if you can show me long term studies on this. I have looked for these and cannot find anything but the propaganda from self interests such as sales and feed sites. I found a lot of opinions but no proof.

Here is a link that might be useful: My pond the way it was before the freeze.
eric_in_west_seattle
Original Author
16 years ago
Good info. I am buying Blackwater Max Koi Food. Price is good. I prefer nutrition over filler.

Thanks,
ERIC
ccoombs1
16 years ago
bugsb....I am a certified koi health advisor. This information is common knowledge among the koi community and koi veterninarians (including the KHA program instructors). If you want to feed trout food....go ahead! It makes no difference to me. Koi keeping is not a poor man's hobby....but I somehow found myself right in the middle of it. Believe me....I am not wealthy! I built all of my ponds myself (3100 gallons, 9000 gallons and 1300 gallons plus two 300 gallon Quarantine tanks). Most of my filtration is DIY. I can't afford to feed the BEST koi food on the market....even though I have seen the results in other people's fish. Some of that stuff runs $10 to $20 per POUND!! I do my homework though, and look hard for the best food that I can find for the money.....a food that is formulated for koi, has the proper ingrediants for koi, and is affordable.

Good decision Eric! Here's a run-down of the foods that I have reviewed and found to be both affordable and good quality:

Aqion (www.aqion.com) is a good food for the money. they are in the midwest somewhere so shipping out to seattle may not be that costly. Their wheat germ food is especially nice.

Blackwater Creek (available from may suppliers, including Foster and Smith and also Aquatic eco systems). Very nutritious food. The only thing I didn't like about it the first time I used it is that the food left a slight oily sheen on the water. This is due to the fish oils used during processing. I initially did not like the oily film and declared I would not use the food again....but I have since changed my opinion. My filters are cleaner than they have been before and the pond water looks fantastic. I will order this food again.

Azoo is another good, inexpensive food. The only thing I don't care for is that it has color enhancers in it and Idid notice the fish pinked up every so slightly on them. Not a problem for most people....but some of these fish are show fish and I can't have any pink in the whites. the wheat germ food didn't do this....only the high protein growth food. (Aquatic eco sells this)

Mazuri wheat germ food is also good. I don't like regular mazuri because it has too much corn in it, but the wheat germ food for cool weather is a good product. Available from Purina dealers.
bugsb
16 years ago
ccoombs1,
Thanks for the info. I appreciate it. It does sound as though through your experience you have a good handle on nutrition for your Koi. I like looking at my fish but I am just not into seeing them as pets. I do protect them against predators etc. but that is as far as it goes. My pond is more for looks than function.

Here is a link that might be useful: My pond the way it was before the freeze.
ccoombs1
16 years ago
Bugsb, I have some koi that I don't see as pets either.....but there are a few that have become as much a pet to me as my dogs. I have others that I want to take good care of because they cost me some pretty good money! LOL!! I also show some of them on occasion, so maintaining them all in excellent condition is important to me.

It's hard to resist falling in love with a 30" koi that comes "running" to the side of the pond for handouts whenever shes you coming out of the door into the yard. There are several in my pond that would rather eat out of my hand than look for food on their own. They come up nose to nose with my pit bull when she comes to the pond for a drink. It's pretty amazing. I became a koi health advisor after I lost quite a few koi due to my lack of knowledge during a parasite outbreak. It was heartbreaking to lose so many animals that I was responsible for. So now I learn all I can about proper koi care. I am a moderator on two koi internet boards including one that is only open to koi health advisors. Koi care and pond design have become a very serious hobby for me. I guess everyone needs a good hobby....right??
bugsb
16 years ago
Wow you have really gotten into it. My two sons and I built my pond and we had never done one before. It was and is a learning experience. I think as far as pets go I will leave the fish out. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: My pond the way it was before the freeze.
ccoombs1
16 years ago
yeah....I sort of did get in to it, didn't I?? It's funny....I'll never forget the day I filled it up. I stood back and looked at it...and this wave of panic swept over me. I thought....oh my....what have I done??? I had just committed myself to this hobby in a VERY big way!! This thing was the size of a swimming pool!! Shortly after that, I put the first 8 fish in, some large koi that someone else was getting rid of. I really began to enjoy the pond, and now I have no regrets at all, except I wish I had made it bigger and deeper. LOL!

Here is a link that might be useful: my pond build
natteringninny
16 years ago
Eric Issaquah - Grange Supply Inc 145 NE Gilman Blvd
They have all different kinds of fish food including koi food at better prices than the tiny in-town stores. But don't call them. Just drive out and look for yourself.
You can read the labels for the ingredients and decide which one you like.
I don't live there anymore but I used to buy fish food there that the primary protein source was fish meal.

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